Arsenal Crushed in Dying Seconds: Player Ratings as Villa Deliver Devastating Final-Kick Blow

Arsenal suffered a heartbreaking 95th-minute loss on Saturday afternoon as Emiliano Buendía delivered a dramatic 2–1 Premier League triumph for Aston Villa with the match's final touch in a thrilling contest.

Arsenal found themselves behind at halftime following a powerful shot from Matty Cash within the box, leaving Mikel Arteta's squad facing an uphill battle after the interval at Villa Park as they sought to extend their advantage at the top of the Premier League table.

Replacement Leandro Trossard swiftly netted an equalizer following the break to give Arsenal optimism for a comeback in the Midlands, but they were left devastated at the final whistle as Buendía's strike in the closing moments secured all three points for Villa.

The outcome provides Manchester City and Chelsea an opportunity to narrow the distance to Arsenal, while Villa have moved to within three points of the league leaders.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa (4-3-3)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—6.9: Defeated by the force of Cash's thunderous strike after already making a superb stop to deny Ollie Watkins. Powerless against Buendía's winner despite producing an outstanding save moments before.

RB: Ben White—6.7: Provided substantial attacking contribution along the right flank as he combined effectively with Bukayo Saka. Defended solidly against the skillful Morgan Rogers.

CB: Jurriën Timber—6.7: Deployed at center-back due to Arsenal's defensive injury concerns and matched the pace and intensity of Villa's attacking line for most of the match. Occasionally appeared unsettled in central areas.

CB: Piero Hincapié—6.7: Had difficulties at times with Watkins' pace and direct style, but generally managed the English striker well. Improved as the match progressed and delivered a commendable performance.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori—6.6: Adopted forward positions during the opening period but returned to a more traditional role after halftime. Nearly presented Villa with a goal just past the hour with a careless pass and then received a booking that will rule him out next weekend.

CM: Martin Ødegaard—7.5: Controlled proceedings in the attacking third, particularly after the interval, and delivered some exquisite passes and fierce shots from distance. An excellent display from the captain.

CM: Martín Zubimendi—6.7: A steady but unremarkable showing from Zubimendi, who seldom caught attention from either a defensive or offensive perspective.

CM: Declan Rice—7.7: Covered every inch of Villa Park in an energetic performance from the midfielder. Made a crucial block to stop Cash in the first half, created the turnover leading to Arsenal's equalizer and threw himself into challenges throughout.

RW: Bukayo Saka—7.5: Predictably, Saka was Arsenal's primary attacking danger and he set up Trossard's equalizer with a dangerous cross. Engaged in an intense duel with Ian Maatsen, who was grateful for the winger's substitution in the 79th minute following a caution.

ST: Mikel Merino—6.1: Failed to match his excellent Brentford performance as he was rarely influential, losing possession to Villa when he did get the ball. Substituted at halftime.

LW: Eberechi Eze—6.0: Contributed little in attack and was caught napping defensively for Cash's opener. Managed only 13 touches before being replaced at the interval.

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Marli Salmon, Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Emiliano Martínez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers; Ollie Watkins.

Subs used: Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho, Lamare Bogarde, Emi Buendía, Victor Lindelöf.

Player of the Match: Boubacar Kamara

Arsenal Player of the Match: Declan Rice

Aston Villa 2–1 Arsenal—How It Developed at Villa Park

Arsenal had struggled to defeat three of their last four encounters with former boss Unai Emery and his determined Villa side, who were enjoying an eight-match home winning streak. Both teams entered the fixture in superb form and displayed confidence during the opening exchanges.

Both shot-stoppers were immediately tested at Villa Park. Challenging attempts from Martin Ødegaard and Saka from range forced Emiliano Martínez to extend himself, while Watkins prompted an excellent save from David Raya following some strong striker play.

The teams were evenly matched during a captivating first half but Cash ensured a tight contest favored Villa at the break. The Polish international, who netted the winner against Manchester City in late October, fired a shot through Raya's legs after a deflected cross to the back post.

Arsenal emerged with something to prove after the restart and were level within eight minutes. Arteta relied on his bench at halftime and was immediately rewarded for his trust in Trossard, who entered the match and drove home another vital goal for the Gunners when needed most.

The equalizer energized the visitors as they sought to complete the turnaround and it became continuous waves of Arsenal attacks. Ødegaard's increasing impact troubled Villa and the Norwegian was thwarted by a spectacular save from Martínez during a series of opportunities. Boubacar Kamara was next to frustrate the Gunners with a vital block that stopped Saka from finding the net.

Villa regained momentum in the final stages and might have scored when substitute Donyell Malen fired narrowly wide from 10 yards. The Dutch forward's countryman Jurriën Timber then deflected a cross across his own penalty area as Arsenal exhaled with relief multiple times.

However, Arsenal's relief transformed into frustration in the fifth minute of added time as they fell to just their second loss of the campaign across all competitions. A chaotic goalmouth scramble reached substitute Buendía, who maintained his calm to curl past Raya and damage Arsenal's championship aspirations.

Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Half Time Stats

Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Full Time Stats