Declan Rice left an indelible mark on the match as Arsenal rallied from behind to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth took an unexpected lead just 10 minutes in, with Evanilson capitalizing on Gabriel’s ill-timed pass. Yet, just six minutes later, Gabriel redeemed himself by netting an equalizer.
After missing the first Premier League match of the season due to a knee injury, Rice turned the tide for the Gunners with a striking goal in the 54th minute, later adding another with 19 minutes left to play.
Although Eli Junior Kroupi struck a magnificent long-range goal just five minutes later, it wasn’t enough to shake Arsenal’s resolve, allowing them to leap six points clear of Aston Villa in the standings.
Before this match, Bournemouth were riding high in the table, sitting second behind Arsenal. Now, they’ve fallen into a troubling streak, going 11 games without a win, leaving them precariously close to the relegation zone.
The Cherries face the pending loss of Antoine Semenyo, their top scorer, who appears likely to head to Manchester City’s title chase this January.
City has a chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to four points this Sunday when they go up against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.
In this game, trouble arose for Arsenal early on when Gabriel’s cross-field attempt found Evanilson, who was unmarked in front of David Raya. Evanilson seized the golden opportunity, evading Raya and steering the ball into the far corner.
However, Gabriel quickly reversed his initial blunder six minutes later.
Noni Madueke replaced a rested Bukayo Saka and played a pivotal role, darting past Semenyo and beating Adrien Truffert to reach the byline.
His efforts led to a blocked shot from Piero Hincapie, and Gabriel Martinelli also saw his attempt stifled, yet Gabriel made no mistake, striking the ball with precision to equalize.
Arsenal seemed poised to leverage Gabriel’s goal for momentum, yet Bournemouth held firm, and a visibly frustrated Arteta observed as his side failed to test Djordje Petrovic for the remainder of the half.
Arteta was visibly displeased when Semenyo avoided a second yellow card for pulling back Rice during a counterattack. He marched down the tunnel as the referee signaled halftime.
Following the break, Arteta called for urgency, and the Gunners quickly seized the lead within nine minutes. Viktor Gyokeres may not have scored, but his presence in Bournemouth’s defense allowed Martin Odegaard time to find Rice, who nailed a precision strike from the edge of the box.
Arsenal maintained their control with a display of squad depth, bringing on Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Leandro Trossard in the second half.
Saka quickly made his impact, racing onto Odegaard’s expertly placed pass and pulling back from the byline to find the waiting Rice, who was perfectly positioned to finish.
Just when Arsenal thought they had secured the match, Kroupi launched a stunning 25-yard strike past Raya, narrowing the gap.
With six minutes added, Arsenal remained confident, clinching their fifth consecutive league victory while directing the spotlight back to City ahead of their match against a Chelsea side in turmoil.
