Aston Villa dealt Arsenal a potential hammer blow in the Premier League title race, cutting the gap between the two sides to just three points on a dramatic afternoon at Villa Park. Re-live the best facts and Opta data in our Aston Villa vs Arsenal stats page.
Emiliano Buendía struck a stoppage-time winner to hand Arsenal only their second defeat of the season, capping off a wild 2-1 win for Aston Villa inside a raucous Villa Park.
The game had looked to be drifting towards a hard-fought draw, before a chaotic goalmouth scramble in the final moments of the game fell kindly for Buendia, who swept home to send Villa temporarily up to second. It continues their remarkable run of form, with nine wins from their last 10 Premier League games. It’s the first time they’ve had as many as nine wins in a 10 game spell in the top flight since December 1919.
Matty Cash opened the scoring in the first half, before substitute Leandro Trossard levelled after the break as Arsenal improved significantly in the second period. But Villa Park remains one of the toughest grounds in the country to visit, and Arsenal discovered that the hard way. Villa have now lost just once in their last 26 home league games, and Arsenal never truly looked comfortable.
Defeat here marks the end of their 18-game unbeaten run and their lead at the summit of the Premier League table is now just three points, and could be fewer if Manchester City beat Sunderland.
They looked defensively vulnerable for long periods, and conceded 2.27 expected goals to Villa here, the most they’ve conceded in a game in all competitions this season.
Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal - xG Shot Map
Villa’s opener, when it arrived, felt justified. Pau Torres’ cross was flicked on and Cash stole in at the far post, steering a first-time finish underneath David Raya.
Yet Arsenal again showed their resilience, and Mikel Arteta’s half-time changes shifted the momentum. One of his substitutes, Leandro Trossard, equalised with a close-range tap-in after slick interplay between Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka down the right.
It was a milestone moment for Trossard – his 50th Premier League goal – and the second time he has scored in three straight league games since February 2024.
But it was Villa’s own bench that eventually decided the game. Deep into stoppage time, Arsenal failed to clear a scramble inside their six-yard box. The ball squirmed loose and Buendia reacted quickest, finishing past Raya to seal a dramatic victory.
For Villa, this was yet another impressive display and further proof they can go toe-to-toe with the league’s elite.
For Arsenal, their unbeaten run is over. They have now dropped points in two of their last three league matches and will be desperate to get their first-choice centre-backs back as soon as possible. With the title challengers beginning to close in, this defeat may prove a significant moment in the race.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Aston Villa vs Arsenal stats from their Premier League meeting at Villa Park.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Stats: Key Post-Match Facts
At 94:03, Emi Buendía’s strike was the second latest winning goal scored against Arsenal on record (since 2006-07) in the Premier League after Neal Maupay in June 2020 (94:26).
Aston Villa are unbeaten in all three of their Premier League home games against sides starting the day top of the table under Unai Emery (W2 D1), with both victories coming against Arsenal (also December 2023).
Arsenal have lost six Premier League games against Aston Villa under Mikel Arteta, their second most against an opponent under the Spaniard (7 vs Manchester City).
Leandro Trossard’s equaliser for Arsenal was his 50th Premier League goal, becoming the fifth Belgian player to reach the milestone after Romelu Lukaku (121), Christian Benteke (86), Eden Hazard (85) and Kevin De Bruyne (72).
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