Aston Villa Shocks Arsenal, Manchester City Reduces Lead to Two Points

Aston Villa halted Arsenal's impressive 18 game winning streak, shaking up the Premier League title contest on Saturday, while Manchester City defeated Sunderland 3.0 to trail the frontrunners by just two points.

Emiliano Buendia's goal in the dying moments clinched a 2.1 triumph for Villa, marking their ninth success in the last 10 league fixtures after earning only three points from the first five encounters this term.

"We kept pressing forward and truly held faith in securing the win," commented Villa manager Unai Emery. "We persisted right up to the final second, and it paid off."

Arsenal missed the services of injured defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Cristhian Mosquera, leaving the usually sturdy away side vulnerable to Villa's diverse offensive options.

Eberechi Eze was caught off guard when Matty Cash fired Emery's team ahead before the interval.

Arteta countered by bringing on Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard at halftime, eliciting the comeback he sought.

Trossard netted his 50th league strike, levelling the score with a finish from Bukayo Saka's wayward delivery.

A remarkable stop by Emi Martinez against his old team then prevented Martin Odegaard from putting Arsenal in front.

However, Arsenal's pursuit of a first title in 22 years encountered an unexpected setback this campaign as Buendia slotted into the upper corner following a chaotic sequence in stoppage time.

"To drop points in such a way, right at the game's closing moment, was deeply hurtful and frustrating," admitted Arteta.

"It serves as a valuable challenge for the squad. We had gone 18 matches without defeat, excelling and triumphing in nearly all, so now we must overcome this. With matches every few days, I am confident we will rise to it."

Goal Shy

City capitalised on Arsenal's slip to narrow the summit margin, securing a comfortable 3.0 victory against Sunderland.

During an uncommon low output day for Erling Haaland, City's defenders stepped up, with Ruben Dias smashing from afar into the top corner, followed by Josko Gvardiol's header for the second before the break.

Phil Foden added his fifth goal across three recent outings to seal the result after the interval.

Chelsea's bid for the crown is waning quickly, now three matches without a victory.

Cole Palmer's reintroduction to the starting eleven for the first time since September failed to spark the Blues, resulting in a goalless draw at Bournemouth, leaving them eight points adrift in fourth position.

Tottenham relieved some strain on Thomas Frank with their initial home league success since the season's start, overcoming his previous outfit Brentford.

After five winless outings across competitions, Spurs returned to the upper table places via a 2.0 success, thanks to efforts from Richarlison and Xavi Simons in the opening half.

Newcastle maintained their positive momentum with a 2.1 success over 10 man Burnley, rising to 10th spot.

Bruno Guimaraes converted straight from a corner for the opener, then Anthony Gordon buried a penalty after Lucas Pires received his marching orders for the away team.

Sean Dyche's comeback to Everton, now leading Nottingham Forest, concluded with a 3.0 loss.

An own goal by Nikola Milenkovic broke the deadlock, Thierno Barry notched his debut for the Toffees, and a late strike from Kiernan Dewsbury Hall propelled them to fifth. 

Liverpool seek to stem their descent in the standings later, visiting Leeds, who overcame Chelsea 3.1 midweek to escape the drop zone.