From The Athletic
Ten seconds of chaos: Buendia and the beauty of a goalmouth scramble
It was 10 seconds of utter chaos.
Did we just witness one of the Premier League’s most dramatic goalmouth scrambles? And how significant could that incredibly messy passage of play prove to be?
As Arsenal’s game at Aston Villa moved into the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, mayhem broke out in the goalmouth the Premier League leaders were defending. At the end of it all, Emiliano Buendia kept his composure to score a winner with the final kick of the game, taking Villa three points behind Arsenal, whose lead at the top of the Premier League was later cut to two points by Manchester City’s 3-0 win against Sunderland.
Goalmouth scrambles can often bring out the best (or worst) in players and this one was no different, with Villa eventually getting their reward after a sequence involving shots, blocks, flying tackles and sheer desperation.
There is nothing quite like the emotional rollercoaster during such a chain of events, particularly for those inside the stadium. This may go down as one of the best the Premier League has seen.
One can only speculate about the urgent destinations of those who decided to leave Villa Park before the final whistle.
They might not have missed a goal-of-the-season contender, but they did miss the most dramatic ending of any Villa game for some time.
A goalmouth scramble usually starts with an element of control before descending into desperation.
Morgan Rogers, at his best in the 2-1 victory, crossed deep for substitute Jadon Sancho, who headed back towards goal. So far, nothing out of the ordinary.
What followed began to change the mood, as Youri Tielemans charged in and saw his effort stopped by David Raya, who would have thought he might be actually saving his side a valuable point.
Yet Arsenal, who have the best defensive record in the Premier League — partly because of Raya’s brilliance — failed to clear the ball, giving Buendia an opportunity from three yards out. This time, though, Jurrien Timber came to the rescue with a sliding block. After two shots in two seconds, order was now well and truly lost.
At this point, Arsenal began to panic. Like in any classic goalmouth scramble, bodies were on the line and as Buendia emerged with the ball and looked for Boubacar Kamara, Timber and Declan Rice charged towards the Frenchman.
Martin Odegaard then knocked Kamara over before Rice and Timber slid to the ground and formed what looked to be a protective shield.
But somehow Kamara managed to retain some composure, rise to his feet and take control. How Arsenal had not cleared at this point remains a mystery, and despite the presence of four players, Kamara held off any advances to allow Buendia another opportunity to strike.
This time, there would be a conclusion. What happened next was the final piece of the puzzle — as Buendia connected sweetly and squeezed his shot through the gap of two players, Arsenal sank to the floor in despair.
When the ball hit the back of the net, the ultimate goalmouth scramble was complete, with the most satisfying of outcomes for the home supporters.
These were 10 of the most chaotic seconds this Premier League season is likely to see, and by the end of the campaign, it may be one of its defining moments.
