Aston Villa v Arsenal live: Emi Buendia snatches dramatic last-gasp Villa win in Premier League thriller | OneFootball

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Arteta hails 'immense' Merino in win over Brentford

A last-gasp winner from Emi Buendia provided more drama in the Premier League title race as leaders Arsenal fell to a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

Both sides started fairly slowly in a cagey affair at Villa Park but the game burst into life with an early chance for Ollie Watkins, with David Raya producing a great save to keep it level.

Arsenal had their own goal disallowed for offside in the build-up but Villa opened the scoring soon after, Matty Cash arriving at the back post to steer in a superb finish.

The league leaders came out fighting in the second half, with Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres coming on for Eze and Mikel Merino, and the subs soon paid off as the Belgian fired in from Saka’s cross to level it.

This equaliser prompted frantic attacking from both sides as each looked for a winner, with Donyell Malen and Martin Odegaard having chances, before a last-gasp scramble in the Arsenal box allowed Buendia to curl a superb winner past Raya with the last kick of the game.

Up next

Arsenal’s next fixture is a Champions League game against Club Brugge in midweek, before the leaders face off against bottom club Wolves in Saturday’s late kick-off. That one kicks off at 8pm on Saturday, 13 December.

Villa’s next match is also a European tie, this one against Basel away, while they face West Ham away on Sunday, 14 December at 2pm.

Chris Wilson6 December 2025 16:30

Gyokeres: 'In this way it’s extra tough'

Viktor Gyokeres is out to speak to TNT, and he explains that it is “tough to lose football matches and in this way it’s extra tough”.

“It’s not a good feeling right now but we have to come back and we have a lot of games to go.

“I think it’s an opportunity every time we play. We’ve done very well so far in the league, so of course it’s not good to lose football matches, but we keep going.

“I mean, we have a game in the Champions League first and then back to the Premier League. It’s a different competition and we just have to keep going, we’re all very good state and we have t take it as it is, and we just have to move forward and look forward,” he added.

Emery: 'We dominated at times'

Unai Emery looks delighted as he speaks on TNT.

“So happy. We finished this week playing like we need to, competing, being demanding of ourselves, but playing with personality,” he explains.

“We dominated at times, got in the box, we were intense and aggressive when we needed it.

“Villa Park is special, the supporters transmitted the energy, we needed to transmit out energy and we did, and how they responded to the players was fantastic.

“Of course we are going to focus game by game, because we know we have to continue like that. Trying to focus on each competition, now we have the Europa League, but of course the Premier League is our first target.

“Of course, how we are doing, competing, how we are sometimes struggling but reacting, responding how we did today, this is the most important [thing],” he added.

(AP)

Chris Wilson6 December 2025 15:40