Premier League title race blown open as Buendia’s stoppage-time strike sinks Arsenal; Man City close in
Aston Villa detonated the Premier League title race with a 2-1 win over Arsenal sealed in the fifth minute of stoppage time, trimming the leaders’ advantage to two points after Manchester City’s clinical 3-0 dispatch of Sunderland. Villa sit a point further back in third after a raucous late twist at Villa Park that revived Unai Emery’s resurgent side and rattled Mikel Arteta’s unbeaten machine.
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Emiliano Buendia, introduced in the 87th minute, provided the decisive touch in a crowded box, lifting his finish above a thicket of bodies to cap a breathless finale. It punished an Arsenal team that had steadied itself through Leandro Trossard’s swift equalizer early in the second half after Matty Cash’s first-half opener.
“In the manner that happened at the end, (it is) really difficult to take,” Arteta told TNT Sports. It marked Arsenal’s second league loss of the season and first since August at Liverpool, and continued a concerning away trend after draws at Sunderland and Chelsea.
Villa’s surge gathers pace
Cash thumped Villa ahead in the 36th minute, only for Trossard—on at halftime—to level seven minutes after the restart. Emery’s third attacking change proved decisive as Buendia, sharp and single-minded, capitalized on late pressure to snatch the points. “We fight until the last minute, the last second, it was a really incredible win,” the Argentine said.
For Villa, it’s now nine wins in 10 league games—a stunning reversal after opening the campaign winless in five. “At the minute we’re on a great run,” Cash said. “We know it’s not even Christmas yet so we have to keep being demanding, keep being consistent, and then we’ll see where it takes us.”
City turn the screw
History looms in Arsenal’s rearview. For a third straight season, City are closing fast, and Guardiola’s side showed their familiar ruthlessness in a 3-0 win over Sunderland at the Etihad. Ruben Dias smashed in a brilliant long-range strike before Josko Gvardiol doubled the lead before halftime; Phil Foden’s second-half header sealed it.
Even with four league defeats, City sit two points off top. “We had the feeling that Arsenal are going to drop few points and if you want to be there you have to win games and that comes from the way you perform — not just a lucky day or lucky action,” Pep Guardiola said.
Liverpool blow two-goal lead in 3-3 thriller at Leeds
Arne Slot’s Liverpool looked set to climb into the top five before conceding a gut-punch equalizer deep into added time at Elland Road. Ao Tanaka ghosted to the back post from a corner in the sixth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 3-3 draw for Leeds after a chaotic swing of momentum.
Hugo Ekitike’s rapid brace shortly after halftime had Liverpool in command, but Leeds landed a quickfire response: Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the penalty spot and Anton Stach leveled two minutes later. Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s lead on 80 minutes, only for late frailty to bite again. “The only ones to blame is us because we do concede these chances,” Slot told Sky Sports.
Mohamed Salah remained on the bench for a third straight game and was unused. “We have to accept the situation we are in and I make my choices based on that,” Slot said.
Chelsea stall again; injuries add to frustration
Fourth-placed Chelsea’s title push lost more momentum in a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth—the club’s third straight game without a win. Cole Palmer returned to the starting XI for the first time since September but couldn’t spark the Club World Cup holders. To compound matters, Liam Delap exited in the first half with a shoulder injury.
Guimaraes scores direct from a corner as Newcastle edge Burnley
Bruno Guimaraes conjured the moment of the day at St James’ Park, scoring directly from a corner in Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Burnley. The midfielder’s wicked delivery swerved beyond Martin Dubravka, and Anthony Gordon added a first-half stoppage-time penalty for a 2-0 cushion. Zian Flemming’s late penalty made it nervy, but Eddie Howe’s side held on.
Spurs snap bruising home run; Everton climb
Tottenham finally delivered a league win at home—just their second of the season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium—by beating Brentford 2-0. Goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons halted a six-match winless run in front of their own fans against the backdrop of facing coach Thomas Frank’s former team.
Everton continued their steady rise with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest to move into fifth, signaling a top-four chase that is increasingly crowded as the campaign intensifies.
What it means
Arsenal’s margin is slimmer and their away form is wobbling at the exact moment City are gathering rhythm. Villa’s relentlessness under Emery—so stark after the early-season malaise—adds a dangerous third angle to the title picture. Liverpool’s tendency to leave the door open late has them drifting in and out of the Champions League places, while Chelsea’s recent stutter threatens to undo early-season gains.
All of it points to a winter run-in with little margin for error. As Arteta put it, “We are 18 games unbeaten, and yet still the margin is so small.” The table agrees. And after Buendia’s dagger at Villa Park, so does the mood.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
