Zat Knight salvaged a point for Aston Villa with a superb injury-time equaliser at home to Arsenal, which was the least they deserved from a pulsating match.
After Villa had nearly all the possession and hit the post three times, Denilson stole the lead for the visitors just before the break.
They doubled this lead shortly after the interval thanks to a superb strike from Alou Diaby and seemed set to hold on despite Gareth Barry netting a penalty.
In the second minute of injury time though, the ball fell to Knight's left foot and, despite being off-balance and falling away, he crashed an unstoppable low drive past Manuel Almunia.
Villa dominated the opening proceedings and inside the first ten minutes should have gone ahead when former Gunners youngster Steve Sidwell climbed highest in the box beating Alumnia, who first came out then retreated, but the ball crashed against the angle of the post before being cleared away by Denilson on the goal-line.
Shortly afterwards, following a set-piece the ball came to Barry on the left flank who floated in a perfect cross that Curtis Davies, from just six yards out, headed away perpendicular from goal when it seemed easier to hit the target.
Arsenal did not threaten a great deal, though Diaby did play Robin van Persie in delightfully on the left hand side of the area but just as the Dutchman was about to pull the trigger with his left foot, Knight dived in with a perfect challenge.
Villa were soon back on the attack and Almunia made a superb save tipping over Luke Young's twenty-five yard strike which deflected dangerously off Mikael Silvestre.
The Villa onslaught kept coming. Agbonlahor turned Toure and hit a low shot that Almunia parried but William Gallas reacted first to block Steve Sidwell's follow-up.
Ashley Young cut in from the left flank and curled a deep cross to Milner, all on his own coming in from the right, but his effort on the stretch was tipped onto the post well by Almunia and fortunately for the Spanish goalkeeper the ball bounced back into his arms.
Incredibly Villa hit the post for a third time when the ball fell to Curtis Davies on the edge of the area and the defender lofted an effort over Almunia but the ball came back off the bar again.
The sucker-punch came five minutes before the break when Denilson won a tackle on the edge of the Villa box and then reacted quickest to beat Sidwell to the loose ball and squeeze an effort under Brad Friedel.
Arsenal held onto their lead thanks to a fantastic clearance from Bacary Sagna on the goal-line after Almunia made a hash of a deep cross, being beaten by Agbonlahor's head, but the Gunners right back threw himself into an overhead kick and cleared the ball superbly.
As fortunate as Arsenal were to be one-up, they doubled their lead with a stunning goal.
Diaby produced a sublime flick to beat Davies inside his own half and then set Eboue free on the right wing who, after progressing forty yards himself, slipped the ball back to the flying midfielder who clipped the ball over Friedel for probably the goal of the festive period.
The Frenchman went on another superb run minutes later and cut into the penalty area and Aaron Ramsey, who came onto the field for Alexandre Song, got in the talented Frenchman's way then the ball fell to Van Persie who blasted against the post.
Ramsey showed a better illustration of his talents minutes later when he played a delightful cross over to Van Persie at the far post, but like Davies early in the game skewed his header a distance wide of the target.
Villa were nowhere near as dominant in the second half but stuck gamely to their task. One attack that could have resulted in a goal saw Sidwell cross superbly for Ashley Young but Sagna came in with a perfect challenge on the six-yard box to clear the danger.
Milner sent a ball down the line for Agbanlahor and he got goalside of Gallas who slid in to make a challenge just inside the area and although he got a bit of the ball as the Villa striker went to ground, a little theatrically, the referee pointed to the spot.
Barry stepped up to take the kick and blasted the ball home, sending Almunia the wrong way for good measure.
The tension was getting to the managers on the sidelines with Arsene Wenger unhappy at the award of the spot kick and calling over Martin O'Neill to remonstrate with him. The referee called the managers together to make peace and O'Neill offered a hand that Wenger reluctantly shook.
Still it seemed Arsenal would hold on for victory until the incredible equaliser in injury time when a hopeful ball into the area fell to the centre half Knight and he lashed home to infuriate Wenger further and give Villa delight at a scoreline which after half an hour they would have been disappointed with.
Star player: Steve Sidwell (8.5*): Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna were both very good for Arsenal but the former Arsenal youngster ran the game for large sections of the first half when Villa dominated the game so he gets the nod.
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