Aston Villa produced one of the moments of the season as Emi Buendia struck with virtually the final kick of the match to seal a dramatic 2–1 win over Arsenal and move within three points of the Premier League summit.
Leandro Trossard looked to have rescued a point for Arsenal with his sixth goal of the campaign, cancelling out Matty Cash’s first-half opener.
But deep into stoppage time, Arsenal failed to clear their lines and Buendia curled home a superb finish to send Villa Park into chaos and push Unai Emery’s side up to second.
The result ends Arsenal’s unbeaten league run stretching back to August’s defeat at Liverpool and hands Villa a seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.
Before the opener, Eberechi Eze thought he had put Villa ahead only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Minutes later, poor defensive concentration allowed Cash to smash in at the far post, punishing Arsenal’s lapse.
Mikel Arteta’s changes at the break reignited the visitors, with Viktor Gyökeres and Trossard injected into the attack.
Trossard soon levelled - scoring his 50th Premier League goal - after already forcing Emi Martínez into action earlier in the half.
Arsenal pushed hard for a winner, with Martínez producing a stunning save to tip Martin Ødegaard’s drive over the bar.
But with the game drifting toward a draw, Buendia capitalised on a loose ball and guided home a brilliant 95th-minute strike to clinch all three points.
If Villa’s title credentials were only whispered before, they’ll be spoken out loud now.
This was a huge moment - one of the most significant late winners Villa Park has witnessed in recent years - and another sign that Emery’s team are capable of staying in the fight.
Their squad may not match the depth of Arsenal or Manchester City, and financial restrictions still limit their spending power, but the numbers don’t lie: nine wins from their last ten league matches and second place in the table heading into the weekend.
A draw would have felt fair in a thrilling, open contest.
But Emery demands far more than settling. Villa chased the victory to the final whistle, and Buendia delivered.
Buendia’s resurgence is one of the season’s unexpected stories.
After spending half of last year on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and appearing surplus to requirements in the summer, he now embodies Villa’s bold, fearless rise - an outsider blossoming under Emery’s guidance.
This match arrived after a tough run of fixtures, and perhaps because of that, it slipped somewhat under the radar - until the result.
The defeat highlights issues that have been quietly building despite Arsenal’s excellent start to the season.
Injuries continued to disrupt Arteta’s plans, with Cristhian Mosquera ruled out for around six weeks.
His absence forced Jurrien Timber into central defence and saw Ben White reinstated at right-back, recreating the shape used against Brentford in midweek.
The familiar right-side combination of White, Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka offered bright moments and remained Arsenal’s main route forward.
But Ødegaard’s return to midfield meant Eze was deployed out wide - where his defensive lapse allowed Cash to score.
Arteta responded at half-time, withdrawing Eze and Mikel Merino and introducing Trossard, who once again proved decisive in front of goal and continued his standout season.
Yet defensively, Arsenal lacked the composure and authority usually provided by William Saliba and Gabriel.
This was only the fourth league match since the start of 2022–23 in which Arsenal started without both, and the absence showed.
Buendia’s winner is exactly the type of moment their presence often prevents.
With six matches still to come this month, Arteta will be hoping the defeat is a momentary stumble - not the beginning of a deeper dip in form.
