Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, throwing the title race wide open and allowing Manchester City to close the gap at the top. The action-packed day also featured a six-goal thriller, a frustrating draw for Chelsea, and a tight win for Newcastle.
Villa’s Victory Shakes Up the Top of the Table
In an enthralling contest at Villa Park, substitute Emiliano Buendia scored a 95th-minute winner with almost the final kick of the match, inflicting a crushing defeat on Mikel Arteta’s side. Matty Cash had initially put Aston Villa ahead in the first half, though Leandro Trossard came off the bench to equalize for Arsenal early in the second. Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez kept the game level with a sensational save from Martin Odegaard before Buendia clinched the win.
The victory was Aston Villa’s ninth win in 10 games, moving Unai Emery’s side into second place in the Premier League, just three points behind Arsenal. Following the defeat, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta noted his disappointment, stating that the result could have been different, but “now the table is close”.
Manchester City Piles on Pressure
Taking advantage of Arsenal’s slip, Manchester City beat Sunderland 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, reducing the gap at the top of the Premier League to just two points. City’s efficient first half saw them score twice with their only two strikes on target: Ruben Dias rifled in a stunning opener from range, and Josko Gvardiol headed home Phil Foden’s in-swinging corner.
Phil Foden completed the scoring in the second half, set up by a sensational Rayan Cherki rabona. Cherki was named Player of the Match, praised by Pep Guardiola for his flair and execution of the basics. Sunderland’s situation worsened late in the game when Luke O’Nien was sent off for a rash, high challenge on Matheus Nunes.
Draws and Drama Across the League
Chelsea dropped more points as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Bournemouth, failing to score for the first time since August. The Blues remain fourth but lost ground on Aston Villa and Manchester City. Bournemouth had an Antoine Semenyo goal chalked off by VAR and missed a high-value chance from Evanilson. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that striker Liam Delap suffered a bad shoulder injury, noting it as a significant center-forward problem for Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Leeds and Liverpool played out a thrilling 3-3 draw. Liverpool missed the chance to go fifth in the table after Leeds secured a last-gasp equalizer. The point moved Leeds out of the drop zone.
In the final match report, Newcastle United defeated 10-man Burnley 2-1. Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring directly from a corner, before Burnley’s Lucas Pires was sent off. Anthony Gordon converted a penalty awarded after a baffling Lesley Ugochukwu handball. Zian Flemming netted a late penalty for Burnley, but it was not enough to earn a point. This result was Burnley’s sixth consecutive loss, leaving them in 19th place, four points from safety, while Newcastle moved into the top half.