Aston Villa delivered a seismic shock in the Premier League title race, snatching a dramatic 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal with the last kick of the game at a euphoric Villa Park.
Cash Opens Scoring Before Dramatic Finale
The match was decided deep into stoppage time by substitute Emi Buendia, who pounced on a goalmouth scramble to slot home past David Raya, sending the home support into raptures. The victory, Villa's ninth consecutive home win, moves Unai Emery's side to within just three points of the summit.
The hosts had taken the lead in the 36th minute through Matty Cash. The right-back, who had seen an earlier effort blocked by Declan Rice, showed superb technique to drill home from a tight angle after latching onto Pau Torres' cross.
Arsenal, who introduced Leandro Trossard at half-time, found an equaliser seven minutes after the restart. Bukayo Saka's driven cross was parried by Emi Martinez, but the ball fell kindly for Trossard to fire in from close range.
Villa's Resilience Rewarded at the Death
The Gunners had started the brighter after the interval and thought they had taken an early lead when Eberechi Eze finished, only for the flag to be raised for offside against Saka in the build-up.
Villa had their own chances to win it in normal time. Ollie Watkins was denied by Raya in the first half after brilliantly skipping past two defenders, while substitute Donyell Malen dragged a glorious 78th-minute opportunity wide of the post.
Just as the game seemed destined for a draw, the decisive moment arrived. Jadon Sancho headed Malen's cross goalwards, and after a frantic scramble, Buendia kept his composure to find the corner and seal a monumental three points.
John Townley's Villa Player Ratings
Emi Martinez (8): Made several important saves, notably from Martin Ødegaard, and could do little about the goal.
Matty Cash (9): The match-winner for so long. A constant threat on the overlap and took his goal with precision. Defended alertly.
Ezri Konsa (8): Stood firm against Arsenal's physicality, defending his space with composure. Completed all 42 of his passes.
Pau Torres (8): Provided the assist for Cash's opener and handled the dangerous Saka expertly in one-on-one situations.
Ian Maatsen (7): Offered dynamism going forward, driving possession confidently on his second successive league start.
Boubacar Kamara (8): Up for the battle in midfield. Made a crucial second-half block to deny Saka.
Amadou Onana (8): Put in clean tackles and dictated play, misplacing just one of his 26 passes.
John McGinn (8): Superb strength to set up Watkins' early chance and played several intelligent passes.
Youri Tielemans (8): Calm and influential in midfield, always a step ahead with his vision and intelligence.
Morgan Rogers (8): His power and ball-carrying caused problems. Created a big first-half chance for Cash.
Ollie Watkins (7): A persistent danger with his runs in behind. Forced a good save from Raya early on.
Subs: Donyell Malen (7) missed a big chance but was involved in the winner. Emi Buendia (9) was the hero with his late, late intervention.
The result extends Villa's remarkable run to 13 wins from their last 15 Premier League matches since a draw at Sunderland in September, firmly establishing them as genuine contenders in an enthralling title race.
