Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal: Mikel Arteta's side march six points clear
Declan Rice raced over to the Arsenal fans tucked away into the corner, grasped the television camera in both hands, and planted a smacker right on the lens. It was not just the broadcaster’s equipment he’d hauled into his clutches but Arsenal’s march to the Premier League title too.As his Arsenal side huffed and puffed, nervous and edgy after Gabriel gifted Bournemouth an opener with an error that proved even the most level heads wobble sometimes, Rice stepped up with the first brace of his Premier League career.With two waves of his right foot following Gabriel’s redemptive equaliser, two effortless passes into the bottom corner in the space of 17 second-half minutes, Arsenal were two goals in front. His second, sealed with a kiss, gave Arsenal enough breathing room to weather a late storm after substitute Junior Kroupi had pulled one back for Bournemouth. It was a storm the hosts felt was brought to a premature end when referee Chris Kavanagh blew for full-time as the Cherries launched an attack.Arsenal dispatched Aston Villa without him due to a swollen knee but Rice was adamant that if this is to be Arsenal’s year, he was to be the man to start it off in earnest. Rice has long admitted that he needs to score more goals and now only Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres have more for Arsenal than him in the league this season.Arteta believes he’s one of the best midfielders in the world and it would take an obstinate man to disagree with him.A trip to Bournemouth is no longer the simple task it might once have been. The Cherries did the double over the Gunners last season and it was Andoni Iraola’s side, after all, who were Arsenal’s closest challengers back in October but since then had failed to win any of their last 10 games and title winners, especially ones being chased by Manchester City, have to dispatch such teams. Declan Rice raced over to the Arsenal fans tucked away into the corner, grabbed the television camera in both hands, and planted a smacker right on the lens Antoine Semenyo started despite his looming move to Arsenal's title rivals Manchester City
Make your 7 picks by 12.30pm every Saturday to win £1,000*Manchester UnitedManchester City*18+, excludes NI. Terms and conditions apply Gabriel gifted Bournemouth the lead with a scarcely-believable error when he passed the ball straight to Evanilson for a tap in - but redeemed himself with an equaliser six minutes laterAfter City’s slip at Sunderland, this was a chance to open up an eight-point gap on Pep Guardiola’s side before their visit of managerless Chelsea on Sunday and seven on second-placed Aston Villa. One that looked as though it might get away from them but one, thanks to Rice, that they eventually took.For Arsenal have long had a problem with leading. The last four times they have topped the table at the halfway point of the season, the title has slipped from their grasp. To Manchester United in 2003, Manchester City in 2014 and two years ago, and even Leicester in 2016. MATCH FACTS BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Petrovic 5.5; Jimenez 6, Hill 6.5, Senesi 6, Truffert 6.5; Tavernier 5, Scott 6.5 (Kroupi 74, 7); Brooks 6 (Adli 67, 5.5), Kluivert 6.5 (Cook 74, 6.5); Semenyo 6; Evanilson 7.5 (Unal 74, 6)Scorers: Evanilson 10, Kroupi 76Booked: Semenyo, Kroupi, AdliManager: Andoni Iraola 6.5ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya 5.5; Timber 7, Saliba 6.5, Gabriel 6, Hincapie 6.5; Odegaard 7.5 (Merino 80), Zubimendi 7, RICE 9; Madueke 7 (Saka 67, 7.5), Gyokeres 6 (Jesus 66, 6.5), Martinelli 7 (Trossard 67, 6),Scorers: Gabriel 16, Rice 54, 71Booked: ZubimendiManager: Mikel Arteta 7.5Referee: Chris Kavanagh 5.5 For long periods on the south coast until Rice’s heroics they played like a side that knows it too. Gone was the belligerent Arsenal that looked to have shrugged off any nerves from recent narrow wins by bulldozing Villa. Arsenal looked jittery. Arteta was even more animated on the touchline than usual as his side gave the ball away and their usual imperious midfield was played through by a fervent Bournemouth side buoyed by the knowledge that this was, perhaps, the last time they would see one of their stars.Before kick-off, the stadium announcer at the Vitality Stadium ran through the list of match mascots and their favourite player. At least half of the kids named Antoine Semenyo as their man. They will soon have to change that.Semenyo is so close to a move to Manchester City that many wondered whether he would feature. But why wouldn’t he? Injury risk aside, what better way for Pep Guardiola to get the most out of a new signing than watching him harm his main title rivals before he’s even pulled on a shirt.The winger, who was baptised on Bournemouth beach on New Year’s Day, was given some words of encouragement by his pastor before kick-off and soon showed the impact he can make as he wriggled into the box inside the first minute and almost got in behind the Arsenal defence. He turned Noni Madueke and dinked in a dangerous cross. He bulldozed Piero Hincapie to the ground. You imagine Guardiola was watching on with a glint in his eye.How that glint would have become a sparkle when Gabriel passed the ball straight to Evanilson for the simplest of finishes. What was he thinking? Maybe he thought it was William Saliba? He didn’t even look.It was centre-back partner Saliba whose error cost Arsenal here last season, shown a red card for dragging down the Bournemouth striker on the halfway line when was through on goal. This time it was Gabriel, so often the rock on which Arteta’s side is built and one they were so pleased to see return from injury against Villa.But this Arsenal team is made of tough stuff these days and six minutes later he made up for his mistake by firing home an equaliser after Gabriel Martinelli’s shot was rebounded into his path after fine work by Noni Madueke on the right flank.Arsenal are now a club with the luxury of being able to rest and rotate even in the heat of a title race. Arteta can give Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, the top scorer in the league in 2025, a breather knowing he has Martinelli and Madueke to slot in and knowing they can influence games like this.And he knows that when he calls on those fresh legs, they will change games too. While it was Martin Odegaard, back to his best again after injury, who laid on Rice’s first goal, it was Saka who danced into the box for the third to square it for Rice’s secondIt’s the sort of interchangeable riches Guardiola has long been able to boast while Arsenal’s title challenges have come crumbling down once injury struck. Not any more.
