Declan Rice celebrates with his Arsenal teammates after scoring against Bournemouth (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Arsenal won a hard-fought 3-2 away game against Bournemouth, extending their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners fell behind 1-0 early on, but fought back to take a 3-1 lead in the second half thanks to a goal from Declan Rice.
However, Arsenal were still strong enough to protect their lead and three points, but it was a nervy end for the home side as they trailed by a point.
Read our full review of Arsenal players…
Arsenal vs Bournemouth player ratings
David Raya – 6 – Having conceded two goals, Raya may not have been in the happiest mood of the season, but in fairness not many goalkeepers would have been given a chance on this one as Bournemouth’s second goal was an absolute screamer.
Julian Timber – 7 – In a somewhat erratic run overall, Timber, perhaps Arsenal’s best defender, did a good job against the threat of Antoine Semenyo and moved the ball forward as well as he often does.
Clown Hincapie – 6.5 – Still adjusting to English football, Hincapie was solid enough today, if not always 100% convincing against an admittedly strong Cherries team.
Gabriel Magalhães – 6.5 – In short, it was a tough performance! Gabriel made a terrible mistake in the 10th minute to give Bournemouth the lead, but he hit a brilliant equalizer just six minutes later and was pretty consistent and solid from then on.
William Saliba – 6.5 – It was a decent performance for Arsenal, even if they weren’t at their best as they conceded two goals. This is a bit of a rarity for them as both first-choice centre-backs are fully fit.
Martin Zvimendi – 7 – Handled the ball well and Zvimendi controlled the game well as usual.
Declan Rice – 9 – Two well-scored goals, this was Declan Rice in his element, and this great goal put the Gunners up 2-1 early in the second half…
Martin Odegaard – 8 – The silky and skilful Martin Odegaard continued his recent resurgence, smartly assisting Rice’s first goal, and was a pleasure to see again tonight.
Noni Maduike – 7.5 – Made an unusual start by beating Bukayo Saka and looked active on the right flank with great skill, especially setting up Gabriel’s equalizer.
Gabriel Martinelli – 6 – Frustratingly inconsistent, this was one of Gabriel Martinelli’s worst games, with the Brazilian winger unable to influence things and failing to make the right decisions in key moments.
Victor Gokeres – 6 – Although a hard worker, Gokeres still appears to lack the quality and goalscoring ability that Arsenal need.
Sub: Gambriel Jesus 6, opening and
