A dramatic Premier League weekend saw Arsenal’s long unbeaten streak shattered at Villa Park, where a stoppage-time strike from Emiliano Buendia sealed a 2-1 win for Aston Villa and injected new intensity into the title race. The defeat opened the door for Manchester City, who capitalised with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sunderland to move within two points of the league leaders.
Aston Villa continued their impressive resurgence under Unai Emery, claiming their ninth win in ten league matches. Despite Arsenal’s injury-hit defence missing Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera, the visitors battled hard but were ultimately undone in the final seconds. Matty Cash fired Villa ahead before halftime, while Leandro Trossard equalised shortly after the break with his 50th Premier League goal, finishing from Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross. Yet with nearly the last kick of the game, Buendia smashed a loose ball into the top corner, handing Arsenal a painful defeat.
Mikel Arteta expressed frustration at the late collapse, calling the loss “very painful,” while Emery praised his team’s belief and persistence. For Arsenal, the rare setback comes at a crucial stage of their title pursuit.
Meanwhile, Manchester City delivered a composed and clinical display as goals from Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and the in-form Phil Foden secured a comfortable win. Erling Haaland was unusually quiet, but City’s defenders stepped up, keeping the champions firmly in the hunt.
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s turbulent season took another hit after a chaotic 3-3 draw at Leeds. Despite leading twice through Hugo Ekitike’s brace and Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike, defensive errors cost Arne Slot’s side yet again. A late corner allowed Ao Tanaka to equalise deep into stoppage-time, extending Liverpool’s winless run to eight in their last ten league matches.
Chelsea’s title hopes weakened further after a goalless draw at Bournemouth, while Tottenham returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Brentford thanks to first-half goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons. Newcastle also kept their momentum alive with a 2-1 win over 10-man Burnley, and Sean Dyche’s visit to Everton as Nottingham Forest manager ended in a heavy 3-0 defeat.
The Premier League table remains tight at the top, with Arsenal under pressure, Manchester City gaining ground, and Aston Villa emerging as a formidable challenger in this unpredictable season.