Arsenal Fall 1-2 to In-Form Aston Villa as Buendía’s Dramatic Stoppage-Time Winner Ends 19-Match Unbeaten Run

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Arsenal Suffer First Defeat in 19 Matches as Buendía’s Stoppage-Time Strike Lifts Aston Villa to 2–1 Win

Premier League leaders Arsenal saw their 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end on Saturday, December 6, falling 2–1 to an in-form Aston Villa side thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Emi Buendía. The victory moves Villa within three points of the Gunners.

■ Lineups & Pre-Match Context

Arsenal entered the match with just one defeat all season, pushing toward their first league title since the Invincibles campaign of 2003–04.
However, a congested schedule has taken its toll, with defensive pillars William Saliba and Gabriel both unavailable. Jurriën Timber and Piero Hincapié formed the makeshift center-back pairing, while Ødegaard, Saka, Eze, Merino, and the recently-doubtful Declan Rice all started.

Villa, sitting third and riding a four-match winning streak, welcomed Arsenal to a packed Villa Park with confidence.

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■ First Half: Villa Strike First Through Cash

Both sides opened aggressively, trading possession and creating early chances.
Arsenal threatened first through Ødegaard and Saka, while Villa responded with a strong effort from Ollie Watkins, denied only by a superb stop from David Raya.

In the 36th minute, the breakthrough arrived. Pau Torres delivered a cross from the left, a deflection sent the ball to the far post, and Matty Cash powered home a falling volley to give Villa a deserved 1–0 lead.

Arsenal pushed back late in the half, but Ben White’s attempt was saved by Emiliano Martínez, and the Gunners went into halftime trailing.

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■ Second Half: Trossard Sparks Arsenal Comeback

Manager Mikel Arteta made bold changes at the break, bringing on Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres for Eze and Merino.

The adjustments paid off quickly.

After several early chances, Arsenal equalized in the 53rd minute.
Bukayo Saka drove into the box and fired a low cross that deflected off a defender, falling perfectly for Trossard, who tapped in to make it 1–1.

Both teams then exchanged big opportunities:

• Watkins forced another strong save from Raya
• Ødegaard’s long-range effort was tipped wide by Martínez

The match intensified with end-to-end transitions and heroic defending on both sides.

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■ Stoppage-Time Drama: Buendía Wins It

Arsenal introduced Madueke, Lewis-Skelly, and Martinelli in the closing stages, while Villa brought on Buendía and Lindelöf.

Villa carried the momentum late, pushing the Gunners deep into their own box.

Then, in stoppage time, chaos broke loose.

A crowded scramble inside the area saw the ball drop perfectly for Emi Buendía, who smashed home the decisive goal to erupt Villa Park.
Arsenal had no time to respond, and the home side secured a massive 2–1 victory.

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■ Final Score: Aston Villa 2–1 Arsenal

• Aston Villa: Cash (36′), Buendía (90’+)
• Arsenal: Trossard (53′)

The defeat is Arsenal’s first since late August, ending a 19-match unbeaten run across all competitions.
Villa, now winners of five straight, move to second place, closing the gap behind Arsenal to three points.

score
Aston Villa 2–1 Arsenal

scorers
36’ Matty Cash (AVL)
53’ Leandro Trossard (ARS)
90+’ Emiliano Buendía (AVL)

TNT SPORTS
https://www.tntsports.co.uk/football/premier-league/2025-2026/live-aston-villa-arsenal_mtc1602246/live-commentary.shtml?utm_source=chatgpt.com

“Social Media Reactions”

Arsenal Fans

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SkylineTalon
I can’t believe what I just watched. Absolute shock.

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HarborGhost
That really felt like the moment everything slipped away.

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Rustline88
No way that actually happened… unreal.

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SilverVantage
If Hincapié had just cleared it forward at the end, we’re talking about a totally different result.

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CinderWave
The whole squad looked completely drained out there.

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MetroFalcon42
At this rate, a title push feels pretty unrealistic.

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IroncrestPilot
Gotta admit, even as an opponent, that was an incredible finish. Pure adrenaline.

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BlueHarborRune
Classic Emery matchup. He outsmarted us again.

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FrostedRelay
Hincapié really should’ve done better in that situation.

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LumenStriker
Another late concession… how many points are we throwing away like this?

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VerdantCoyote
Is this where the December slump begins again? Please, not another late-season collapse.

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MarinerFlux
Still baffled why Hincapié tried to carry the ball forward there. Huge missed opportunity.

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TerraAlign
Villa’s attack looked so organized—quick passing, constant movement, everything coordinated.

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NorthboundQuill
If we were going to lose somewhere, it was probably this one… still disappointing though.

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ArcfieldRunner
The moment Buendía stepped on, I had a bad feeling. Honestly, with the way we played, the result makes sense.

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FalconShroud
That was a rough defeat. Title ambitions still feel a long way off.

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VoltRidge
Between Mosquera earlier and now Hincapié, these small lapses keep costing us goals.
Not sure if Arteta will stay patient enough to let them grow.

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ShorelineVector
A draw would’ve felt fair. But with today’s defense, those fine margins were always going to hurt.

　↳ AetherFox92
Yeah, Saliba and Gabriel were seriously missed today.

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CrimsonVoyager
They fought hard, but that ending was heartbreaking.
One wrong decision in the final moment changed everything.

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TidalSketch
Midfield was exhausted. Once the ball reached Malen, you could tell danger was coming.

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JetstreamMender
We were way too open in midfield.
If Trossard couldn’t keep up, he should’ve been subbed earlier.

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StonegliderMark
This league never fails to amaze. At least the title race is shaping up to be a fun one.

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CrestfallVoyager
That last heavy touch from Hincapié completely turned the moment into a disaster.

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UrbanSaberline
Even away at Villa, conceding at the very end like that… this is exactly why we keep falling just short in the title race.

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HollowRimPilot
With center-backs injured, the drop-off was inevitable. A simple long clearance there might’ve saved the entire match.

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MarbleShifter
Hincapié’s barely played as a CB in a traditional back four. He’s more of an emergency option.
Ideally, he’d be in the role Calafiori usually takes.

　↳ IronValeSpecter
True, but it’s odd that Arteta didn’t try the setup where Calafiori played CB late last season.
Maybe it just doesn’t fit the current tactical scheme.

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NeonThornWeaver
The whole backline looked shaky. Days like this really remind you how essential Saliba and Gabriel are.

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HarborFrostline
They were running on fumes.
Brutal ending for a group that held on as long as they could.

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SolsticeRanger
Drawing against a ten-man Chelsea and now losing to Villa… does this look like a title-winning team?

　↳ SkyforgeBramble
To be fair, both opponents played really well. Credit where it’s due.

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WardenCliffEcho
It was a nightmare finish. We were under pressure for those final minutes, and honestly the whole team shares the blame.
Looking back, maybe starting Merino and Eze together wasn’t the ideal choice.

　↳ TidecrestNomad
Gyökeres and Trossard were both just returning from injury, so starting them from kickoff wasn’t realistic.

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VectorHaven
CB partnerships rely on chemistry—communication, instinct, all of it builds over time.
You can’t expect a makeshift duo to replicate that instantly.
Losing because of that isn’t shocking, but it still stings.

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HarborStoneRise
It’s definitely not fair to pin everything on Hincapié.
The midfield barely offered any cover, and with that much pressure on the back line, cracks were bound to show eventually.

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SilverGlenCircuit
If City win, it’s down to two points.
Liverpool look shaky, City aren’t even at full throttle, and we spent big in the summer…
If we still can’t win the league, Arteta’s position might genuinely come into question.
Feels like we need a massive winning run in the second half of the season, just like a few years ago.

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CobaltShoreRunner
We were outplayed in midfield all night.
The combination of Zubimendi, Rice, and Ødegaard just wasn’t working at all.

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EchoDriftHollow
Eze and Ødegaard don’t seem to coexist smoothly.
If we had a left-back like White—someone who can push up and down consistently—it might’ve helped, but we don’t.

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SteelLumenHarbor
Ødegaard’s movement and body control look different this season.
Makes you wonder if he’ll ever fully return to that top form.

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CraglineOrbit
Honestly, if Watkins had scored both of those early chances, the match would’ve been over before halftime.
This loss feels… expected.

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FrostlineVoyager
Gyökeres kept battling physically, but he wasn’t getting any calls.
Still, he looked more helpful than Merino overall.

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RapidValeAscend
The first half looked like part of the plan—hold steady, then change gears with subs after the break.
Trossard and Gyökeres still aren’t ready for full matches, so the timing made sense.

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MarinerPulse87
These are exactly the matches where I expected Gyökeres to grab a scrappy goal or two.
That’s kind of why we brought him in.

　↳ IronHollowSpecter
Yeah, he’s contributing in his own way, just not in the way we imagined.
Once Havertz is back, he’s still the first-choice option—pretty much as originally planned.

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HollowTraceVoyager
Gyökeres feels out of sync with the way we’re trying to use him, but at least Ødegaard looked lively in the second half.
Honestly, he seems to pair better with Gyökeres than with Merino.

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RustValeRunner
Villa are just legitimately strong right now.

　↳ SkybreakHarbor
Yeah, their midfield was incredible, and Watkins was a constant threat.

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CinderMossPilot
Eze on the wing doesn’t work.
Madueke isn’t in form, Rice and Merino were exhausted, and by the end Rice couldn’t win a single duel.
He desperately needs rest for Brugge and Wolves… but who replaces him?

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GaleRidgeSpecter
It’s always the same story when we face Emery’s Villa.
Feels like Arteta just can’t crack that matchup.

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IroncrestVantage
We really can’t play both Eze and Ødegaard together.
One of them has to sit.

　↳ TideScionFrame
There’s the option of playing Ødegaard deeper, but in that case Zubimendi fits the role better.
And with no reliable left winger besides Trossard, the next man up almost has to be Madueke.

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LumenForgeBranch
Given the circumstances, today’s loss was understandable.
Hard to adjust when both Gabriel and Saliba—our long-term CB pairing since 22–23—are out at the same time.
Just need to reset and move on.

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HarborCliffEcho
Does Emery secretly have some kind of grudge against Arsenal or what?

　↳ CrimsonTideLark
Oh, definitely feels like it lol.

　↳ WinterFathomRay
He always shows up against us with max intensity, like he’s got a personal mission.
Then he’ll randomly drop points the next week—it’s wild.

　↳ SteelcrestVoyant
Well, remember the squad he had here?
He got hammered by fans while being stuck with players like Pepe and Mustafi, then sees Arteta—backed by heavy spending—get all the praise.
Beating Arsenal probably feels like proving his own value.
Plus, he’s the one who promoted Saka in the first place.
Pretty sure his head-to-head vs Arteta is in his favor too.

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AeroLantern
Honestly, we were outplayed. A draw would’ve flattered us. Rough but fair.

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ShorelineMender
If you look at each dropped match individually, they all kind of make sense.
Silver lining today?
Calafiori picked up the yellow suspension, so at least he misses Wolves—the easiest upcoming match.

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IronGroveVane
Calafiori looked absolutely spent.
He desperately needs a rest.

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VerdantRushPilot
Without Gabriel, our set-piece threat disappears.
We used to be a set-piece powerhouse, but recently we’re barely scoring from them.
Really shows how important he is.

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CobaltSparrowField
Ødegaard’s pass to Saka for the equalizer was perfect.
Their connection is still special.

　↳ HorizonSlateFox
Yeah, seeing that old Saka–Ødegaard–White triangle again was beautiful.
Those combinations used to be deadly on both sides of the pitch.

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CinderPeakStrider
If your top scorer only has four goals by this point in the season, you’re not winning a title. Simple as that.

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HarborSlateRunner
Arteta’s grown a lot—he actually had the composure to sub off Saka even with the score level.
He also didn’t force Saliba to keep going, which was smart.
Hope Trossard’s okay though. He seemed fine walking off, so maybe it was precautionary.

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IroncrestVoyant
Everything changed once Gabriel went off.
You can scrape wins without a full attack, but not without a stable defense.

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FrostlineQuarry
With both Gabriel and Saliba missing, every goal we concede looks messy.
Feels like ages ago when we were talking about being the league’s best defensive unit.

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SilverHarborPulse
Who’s even available for the Champions League now?
Honestly, I’d start from the bottom of the depth chart and rest every key player if possible.