Rice double sends Gunners six clear

Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League as a brace from Declan Rice secured a 3-2 win at Bournemouth.

The Gunners had their lead at the summit cut to three points by Aston Villa’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest earlier in the day.

And it looked as it it could be a damaging evening for Mikel Arteta’s men when Evanilson pounced on a mistake from Gabriel to put Bournemouth ahead early on.

However, Gabriel atoned for his error by restoring parity before Rice struck twice in the second half to give Arsenal command.

Junior Kroupi frayed Arsenal nerves by pulling one back 14 minutes from the end of normal time, but Arsenal held firm to put the pressure back on the chasing pack, with Manchester City now seven points adrift in third ahead of their meeting with manager-less Chelsea on Sunday.

For Bournemouth, it is now no win in their last 11 Premier League games, though they remain nine points above the bottom three.

Gabriel makes amends

Bournemouth were rewarded for an energetic start to proceedings as their press paid dividends, Gabriel’s poor pass across the face of the box going straight into the path of Evanilson, who made no mistake in firing beyond David Raya.

But Gabriel quickly made amends for his role in that 10th minute opener, lashing in after a blocked shot ricocheted into his path following excellent work from Noni Madueke.

Yet Arsenal were unable to immediately build on that equaliser, and they were fortune nine minutes into the second half that David Brooks could only fire across the face of goal following a quickly taken free-kick from the hosts.

Rice soon punished them for that profligacy.

Rice the hero for Arsenal

A minute after Brooks’ wasted opportunity, Rice gave Arsenal the lead, marking his return from the injury that kept him out of the midweek win over Villa in style.

Martin Odegaard laid the ball into Rice’s path after impressive hold-up play from Viktor Gyokeres, and Rice’s finish into the bottom-right corner left Djordje Petrovic with no chance.

Seventeen minutes later, he doubled Arsenal’s lead in markedly similar fashion, meeting Bukayo Saka’s right-wing pull back with another composed strike that left Bournemouth with a mountain to climb.

Kroupi gave them hope of a fightback with a stunning curling effort into the far corner. However, Arsenal were comfortable in seeing the game out thereafter.