(Credit Imago)

George Overhill

Sat 6 December 2025 14:41, UK

Emi Buendia came off the bench to score a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time as Aston Villa beat leaders Arsenal 2-1.

Matty Cash put Aston Villa ahead in the 36th minute as he ran onto a ball from Pau Torres that had been flicked on towards the back post, smashing it first time through David Raya’s legs.

Arsenal equalised soon after the restart through Leandro Trossard, when Amadou Onana lost possession in midfield and Bukayo Saka was sprung down the right to cross, with a host of Villa players unable to block the finish on the line.

In a game of fine margins the majority of Unai Emery‘s line up were solid without being outstanding, and good build-up play was frequently just lacking the finish or the final ball.

But the moment of the match came at the death when a frantic scramble in the Arsenal box saw multiple Aston Villa players somehow maintain possession while defenders desperately threw in blocks, until substitute Buendia curled past Raya with virtually the final kick of the game in the 95th minute and Villa Park erupted.

Boubacar Kamara all-action in midfield

It was always going to be a fight against the league-leaders and the amount of industry Boubacar Kamara showed in midfield was a major reason why Villa cancelled out the visitors, and then stole it.

He was extremely tidy on the ball and vital in regaining possession, while putting in plenty of work that doesn’t even show up in the statistics.

He was involved in the madness at the end, but without having an obvious stand-out moment Kamara’s influence was absolutely crucial in keeping the home side on position to snatch a dramatic win.

The Frenchman was ultimately credited with an assist for the winner, even if that was more through luck than design amid the chaos, but his work in having a shot blocked but still retaining possession into a few feet of space for Buendia to smash in was emblematic of his afternoon.

After Aston Villa fought back to beat Brighton in midweek, the win took the home side to just three points behind the visitors.

Kamara was also hailed in the win over Wolves last weekend and is proving central to the current win of victories.

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Amadou Onana weak link in tight clash

Just as Kamara’s high level maintained throughout the game was key in matching many people’s presumptive Premier League champions in the centre of the park, Onana’s standards slipping a bit below his best almost made the difference negatively.

The big Belgian was hardly catastrophic and statistically he was reasonably safe on the ball, but it was his error that led to the Arsenal equaliser at a crucial point.

So soon after the restart it felt like the Gunners might have been boosted from levelling and go on to win, as Onana was dispossessed far too easily by Declan Rice just inside his own half.

It is a measure of the belief from this squad that it ultimately didn’t derail a huge collective performance, but on a day where everyone had to maintain high levels for the full 90 minutes he dipped below that at a crucial point and was punished.

Aston Villa player ratings vs Arsenal

Emi Martinez – 6

Matty Cash (off for Buendia ’86) – 8

Ezri Konsa – 7

Pau Torres (off for Lindelof ’86) – 7

Ian Maatsen – 6

Boubacar Kamara – 9 – (Man of the Match)

Amadou Onana (off for Bogarde ’75) – 4

John McGinn (on for Sancho ’75) – 7

Youri Tielemans – 6

Morgan Rogers – 6

Ollie Watkins (off for Malen ’66) – 7

Substitutions

Donyell Malen (on for Watkins ’66) – 7

Jadon Sancho (on for McGinn ’75) – 6

Lamare Bogarde (on for Onana ’75) – 6

Emi Buendia (on for Cash ’86) – 8

Victor Lindelof (on for Torres ’86) – 5

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