Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League in dramatic manner on Saturday, thanks to an own goal in stoppage time from Aston Villa goalie Emiliano Martinez.
Mikel Arteta’s team were in danger of losing the title for the second time in four years with just minutes remaining at Villa Park.
Arsenal had twice fallen behind to goals from Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho, only to be leveled by Bukayo Saka and then Oleksandr Zinchenko.
A draw would have lifted Arsenal above Manchester City but would have done nothing to boost their chances of fending off the champions in a tense championship fight.
Martinez, their former goalkeeper, assisted them by inadvertently deflecting Jorginho’s strike into his own net after it struck the bar in stoppage time.
Gabriel Martinelli scored in the last seconds of the game to put Arsenal three points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
If Pep Guardiola’s side win against Nottingham Forest later on Saturday, they would regain the lead above Arsenal on goal differential.
After losing 3-1 to City on Wednesday, Arsenal did not begin a round of matches on top of the Premier League table for the first time since August 20.
Arsenal had gone three games without a win in the Premier League and four in all competitions, but this courageous victory will give them fresh confidence that they can beat City to the crown.
Tom Hanks, a self-professed Villa supporter, was in the stands, and Arsenal staged a Hollywood ending in front of him.
Arteta had criticised Arsenal’s “extremely tough” match calendar, which saw them return to play just 63 hours after their defeat to City on Wednesday.
And Arteta’s concerns about Arsenal’s ability to cope with the swift turnaround were realized after only five minutes.
Arsenal were exposed by Matt Cash’s brilliant lofted cross towards Watkins, who demonstrated quick footwork to go past William Saliba before smashing a beautiful finish into the bottom corner.
Arsenal equalized in the 16th minute when Mings could only clear Ben White’s cross as far as Saka, who hammered a fierce shot past Martinez from 12 yards.
Coutinho put Villa back ahead in the 31st minute.
Alex Moreno slipped beyond White down the right wing and crossed to Emiliano Buendia, whose wonderful fake caught the Arsenal defense off guard before Coutinho finished with a perfect effort from just inside the box.
After Coutinho’s first goal of the season, Arteta’s players had to dig deep, and they were up to the challenge.
Zinchenko equalized for Arsenal in the 61st minute, firing a scorching shot past Martinez from the outskirts of the box for his first goal for the Gunners since joining from Manchester City.
In the final seconds, Leon Bailey’s blistering drive was deflected off the crossbar by Aaron Ramsdale.
But Arsenal kept their nerve and won the game in dramatic fashion.
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