Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal: A brace from the returning Declan Rice helps the Gunners move further ahead of Manchester City in the title race heading into Sunday’s match.
Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to six points after a hard-fought victory on the south coast. Despite Bournemouth’s best efforts to grab a point, the Gunners held firm.
A shocking blunder from Gabriel Magalhães gave Evanilson an easy goal and Arsenal were on the back foot. However, they quickly recovered with a lightning strike just a few minutes later.
The second half started with Martin Odegaard setting up Declan Rice on the edge of the box, who calmly slotted home to put the Gunners ahead. The England star scored his second goal after Bukayo Saka’s pass set him free in the box.
Junior Crupi scored a fine goal for the hosts, but the Gunners managed to hold on. Here are the player ratings for Mikel Arteta’s men’s team after their big win…
read more: Arsenal survive Bournemouth second-half scare with Declan Rice’s return – 6 talking pointsread more: Arsenal’s next five Premier League games after Bournemouth win and how they compare to their title rivals
David Raya – 6
We had very few chances to score the first goal, but we were able to recover. Crupi’s shot gave the Spaniard no chance.
Julian Timber – 8
He made a spectacular tackle near the goal line, turning defense into offense. His final challenge denied David Brooks at the back post.
William Saliba – 7
Although he could do little in terms of goals, he coped well with Bournemouth’s pressure.
Gabriel – 7
It was a disastrous start for the Brazilian, but a misplaced pass across the goal was gratefully saved by Evanilson, who scored from a free. But he made up for it with a great blow a few minutes later.
Clown Hincapie – 6
The Ecuadorian left-back struggled against Semenho and was beaten repeatedly. He was beaten multiple times before the final whistle.
Martin Zvimendi – 7
Despite losing possession early on, his influence grew as the game progressed. But the booking meant they were on thin ice late in the game.
Declan Rice – 9
Despite being sidelined in midweek, the midfielder started for the south coast. It was a quiet first half, but he scored a shocking goal early in the second half when he took a low shot past Petrovic without hesitation.
He scored the second goal thanks to a generous cut-back from Bukayo Saka, giving the midfielder a wonderful brace.
Martin Odegaard – 8
They moved between the lines in the first half, but struggled to break through Bournemouth’s solid defence. But it was his pass that led to Rice scoring Arsenal’s second goal.
His pass also found an overlapping slope that led to the third goal. Another great performance from the captain.
Noni Maduke – 7
He squandered a golden opportunity by driving into the box early on and letting his shot fly. His run and pass attempt from the right led to the tying goal, and he was a dynamic presence on the right side throughout.
Victor Gokeres – 5
Like many other games in the first half, the number 14 didn’t seem to do much and pose no threat. He showed physicality in the build-up to the goal, but otherwise had little involvement in the game.
Gabriel Martinelli – 7
He outplayed Alex Jimenez on the left, but struggled to supply perfect crosses into the box. His high aerial ability was evident in the build-up to the second goal.
substitute
Leandro Trossard – 6
He replaced Gabriel Martinelli and brought his usual energy to the pitch, creating several chances.
Gabriel Jesus – 6
He was substituted for Victor Gokeres. His late shot was saved by Petrovic.
Bukayo Saka – 7
Immediately after coming off the bench, he made an impact with an assist from Odegaard’s pass, setting up Arsenal’s third goal for Rice.
Mikel Merino – 6
He took over from Martin Odegaard. His long-range shot was saved by Petrovic.
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