Buendia's Last-Gasp Heroics Shake Arsenal's Title Hopes

Emiliano Buendia's late goal clinched a 2-1 win for Aston Villa over Arsenal, narrowing the gap to three points in the Premier League title race. Villa's win momentum continues as Arsenal faces pressure from rivals like Manchester City, with Arteta emphasizing the need for consistent standards.

Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations took a blow on Saturday when a stoppage-time goal from Emiliano Buendia secured a 2-1 victory for Aston Villa.

With this win, Villa slashed the deficit to first-place Arsenal to just three points, providing Manchester City an opportunity to overtake Mikel Arteta's team.

Buendia's decisive shot, which came five minutes into added time at Villa Park, left Arsenal reeling from their third consecutive away game without a win.

Arteta acknowledged the disappointment, saying, "In the manner that happened at the end, obviously, (it is) really difficult to take," he told TNT Sports.

Villa's triumph propelled them to second place, marking their ninth victory in ten games after a rocky start to the season under Unai Emery.

Matty Cash, who opened the scoring for Villa in the 36th minute, observed, "At the minute we're on a great run," adding the team must maintain consistency ahead of the busy festive schedule.

Although Leandro Trossard leveled for Arsenal shortly after halftime, Buendia's late introduction proved vital as he nudged the winning shot past Arsenal's goalkeeper David Raya.

Buendia reflected on the victory, saying, "We fight until the last minute, the last second, it was a really incredible win."

This defeat marks only Arsenal's second loss of the season and their first since a narrow defeat to Liverpool in August.

Arteta emphasized the importance of focus and consistency moving forward, "We are 18 games unbeaten, and yet still the margin is so small."

(With inputs from agencies.)