‘Let’s beat it’: Arteta says he wants to end Arsenal’s unwanted title record
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Evanilsson intercepted Gabriel’s wayward pass across the edge of Arsenal’s box and scored into an empty net, giving Bournemouth a 1–0 lead after just 10 minutes.
Arteta told BBC Match of the Day at Full Time: “It’s a completely different situation to the Villa game.
“We found ourselves in a very difficult position by conceding the first goal, but Gabriel’s performance was remarkable and he showed leadership and cohesion.
“After that we grew into the game and scored two great goals.”
He added: “We will learn from the first goal we conceded. It’s the quality of the opponents and sometimes you have to praise that.”
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Highlights: Arsenal steal the show late on to win big against Wolves
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However, the England midfielder was fit to start and his contribution on the south coast was vital, with two goals in the 17th minute of the second half giving Arsenal a two-point advantage, before Eli Junior Crupi halved Bournemouth’s lead with 14 minutes remaining.
Although there were doubts over Rice’s suitability, Arteta was satisfied with the character the 26-year-old showed.
“Declan Rice has been struggling the last few days but he pushed and pushed and is now available,” the Arsenal manager said.
“He played 96 minutes, scored two goals and was one of the best players on the pitch. That’s the mentality we all need.”
“The players that came in did a really good job and that’s what we need. All the players were really consistent and we played against a team that is difficult to beat.”
“I’ve been in situations before where I scored one goal and wanted to score another and it didn’t happen, but this time it happened,” Rice said after scoring his first two goals in the Premier League.
“We all need to work together at different points, so it’s nice to be able to help the team.”
Arsenal’s victory moves them six points clear of second-placed Aston Villa and seven points clear of Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s home match against Chelsea.
However, with 18 games remaining, manager Arteta is wary of becoming complacent. “It’s still January. We have nine games this month, so we’re going to take it one game at a time,” he said.
Arsenal return to league action on Thursday, while Liverpool travel to north London hoping to pick up a brace from Arteta’s side.
