Emiliano Buendia's last-minute goal secured Aston Villa a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, marking only Arsenal's second Premier League loss this season. Buendia, who came on for Matty Cash, found the net in the 95th minute, thrilling the Villa Park crowd. Earlier, Martin Odegaard tested Emiliano Martinez, and David Raya stopped Ollie Watkins' attempt in a lively start.
Aston Villa took the lead in the 36th minute when Matty Cash scored after darting past Eberechi Eze. Mikel Arteta responded by substituting Eze and Mikel Merino with Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard. Trossard quickly made an impact by scoring after Bukayo Saka's cross was deflected by Martinez.
Both teams continued to seek a winner. Watkins nearly scored with a left-footed shot, while
Martinez tipped Odegaard's long-range effort over the bar. Donyell Malen missed a late chance before Buendia's decisive strike. Youri Tielemans had his close-range shot saved by Raya before Buendia curled in the winner.
Arteta viewed the match as an opportunity but faced challenges against a formidable Villa side. Under Arteta, Arsenal has lost six times to Villa in the Premier League, their second-highest against any team after Manchester City. Despite Arsenal's efforts, Villa deserved their win.
Villa ended with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.27 from 15 shots compared to Arsenal's 1.84 from the same number of attempts. They managed nine shots on target, their highest in an away game since April 2024 against Wolves.
Buendia's goal at 94:03 was notably the second-latest winning goal Arsenal has conceded since records began in 2006-07. The only later goal was Neal Maupay’s in June 2020 at 94:26.
95 - In the 95th minute (94:03), Emiliano Buenda has scored the second-latest winning goal Arsenal have conceded on record (from 2006-07) in a Premier League game, after June 2020 v Brighton (94:26). Drama. pic.twitter.com/mfipOQwozW OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 6, 2025
The day belonged to Buendia as his late heroics sealed Aston Villa’s rise to second place in the league standings. His performance highlighted Villa’s strong form and ability to challenge top teams like Arsenal effectively this season.
