Arsenal maintained their lead at the top of the Premier League with a come-from-behind victory over Bournemouth. The visitors were forced into a frenzy early on when Gabriel Magalhães inexplicably passed the ball straight to Evanilson while under pressure. This allowed the Cherries striker to slip the ball into an empty net, giving Arsenal something to do.
After Noni Madueke’s driving run caused chaos in the box, Gabriel recovered just minutes later and smashed the ball into the net. Arsenal struggled until the second half, but took the lead with a great goal from Declan Rice, and then doubled their tally with another great strike.
Bournemouth sparked hopes of a turnaround when Eli Junior Crupi scored from the top corner just minutes after coming off the bench. However, they could not find the player to score the equalizer in the second half and the Gunners breathed a huge sigh of relief at the final whistle.
Express Sport rates and predicts Arsenal players following today’s win…
Arsenal vs Bournemouth player ratings
David Raya – 6
There wasn’t much effort to stop either goal, the first being brought down by Gabriel and the second going to Crupi who converted a corner kick. Other than that, it was on par with everything else thrown at him.
Julian Timber – 6
He controlled the right wing quite well, winning the ball back and finding his teammates with simple passes. At times he moved further forward and linked up well with Madueke.
William Saliba – 7
He used his aerial presence to deal with Bournemouth’s crosses and get into the right positions to make important interceptions and tackles. Solid display.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6
They suffered a nightmare when they opened the scoring, but they made up for it with a goal from close range a few minutes later. He played well in the rest of the games.
Clown Hincapie – 5
He struggled a bit, sometimes losing the ball due to a bad first touch, or making the wrong choice whether to run inside or outside.
Martin Zvimendi – 5
They missed their pace and were targeted by Bournemouth’s press, which made it difficult for them to cope. He maintained some movement in midfield, but could have done more to influence the game.
Declan Rice – 8
He had a bad game until he found the bottom corner with a great finish, but as time went on he doubled his points. A performance that ultimately wins the match.
Martin Odegaard – 7
He was obviously required to play deeper than usual, but he wasn’t able to make the impact he expected early on. He picked up his game after the break, assisting Rice’s first goal and playing a role in his teammate’s second goal.
Noni Madueke – 7
He showed his dynamism from the start and used his quick feet to penetrate into the final third. His incredible run to the goal line produced the equalizer and caused chaos in the box.
Gabriel Martinelli – 4
I saw a lot of the ball, but I couldn’t do much with it and was forced to pass the game instead. He was virtually unknown while on the pitch.
Victor Gokeres – 6
We tried hard to create chances, but we couldn’t take any shots. He held onto the ball well for Rice’s first goal.
substitute
Bukayozaka – 7
He made a big contribution to Arsenal’s third goal, drawing Rice out with a great pass. An influential cameo from Winger.
Gabriel Jesus – 6
After conceding the second goal, Arsenal were on the defensive and did not have many opportunities to retain possession.
Leandro Trossard – 5
He took too many touches and lost the ball several times and looked too casual with the ball. I can’t say it’s great.
Mikel Merino – 6
He was introduced after Bournemouth’s second goal to improve stability in the engine room and did his job well.
