Emiliano Buendía delivered pure late drama at Villa Park, scoring deep into stoppage time to give Aston Villa a thrilling 2–1 win over Arsenal, extending their stunning home run to six straight Premier League victories and seven consecutive wins in all competitions. It was a massive statement from Unai Emery’s side, who now sit just three points behind the Gunners after ending Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten streak, Sotfootball reports.
Both teams came out flying, and it took only minutes for the goalkeepers to be called into action. Emiliano Martínez produced a sharp early save to deny Martin Ødegaard, while Ollie Watkins forced David Raya into an impressive stop at the other end. Bukayo Saka fresh off Arsenal’s 2–0 midweek win over Brentford grew into the game quickly, trying his luck multiple times but failing to beat Martínez or the Villa block.
Arsenal thought they had broken through after 22 minutes when Saka squared for Eberechi Eze to tap in, but the winger was a step offside in the build-up. Villa refused to step back, and Boubacar Kamara’s awareness kick-started several promising moves, with Declan Rice forced into an important block to deny Matty Cash.
But Cash wasn’t to be denied for long. In the 37th minute, Pau Torres’ cross was flicked on by Jurriën Timber and dropped perfectly for Cash, who smashed the ball through Raya’s legs for 1–0. Arsenal pushed hard before the break, but Villa held firm just as they did in their previous home match, a narrow 1–0 win over Wolves.
Mikel Arteta made a double change at halftime, and it immediately paid off. Arsenal dominated the early stages of the second period, and Leandro Trossard—after missing a big chance moments earlier—pounced seven minutes after coming on, turning home after Martínez partially stopped Saka’s low cross.
The game exploded from there. Watkins saw multiple efforts saved, Ian Maatsen dragged one wide, Ødegaard forced Martínez into a world-class stop, and Kamara threw himself in front of another Saka strike as the intensity refused to drop. Malen went inches wide, and Noni Madueke hit the side netting as both sides chased a winner.
Just when the match looked destined for a draw, chaos erupted in the Arsenal box. Villa kept the ball alive after a scramble, and Emiliano Buendía remained ice-cold, steering home the dramatic winner to send Villa Park into pandemonium.
After the game, Aston Villa via its official X handle, posted the players reactions heading into the dressing room as the team have now won seven straight games and sit second on the Premier League table. They posted:
Aston Villa move temporarily into second place with their seventh straight win in all competitions, while Arsenal’s impressive unbeaten run comes to a painful end in the final seconds.
