Arsenal stave off Bournemouth to surge six points clear at top of Premier League

Declan Rice scored a second-half brace as Arsenal fought from behind to complete a thrilling 3-2 win against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Evanilson took advantage of Gabriel’s misplaced pass to put Bournemouth ahead after just 10 minutes. However, the centre-back atoned for his error when he struck back just six minutes later.

Rice, who missed his first Premier League game of the season with a knee injury in Arsenal’s 4-1 rout of Aston Villa on Tuesday, then put the Gunners ahead after 54 minutes before adding a second with 19 minutes to go.

Eli Junior Kroupi landed a brilliant strike from range just five minutes later to provide Mikel Arteta’s side with a nervy finish, but the visitors held on to move six points clear of Villa.

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Bournemouth started November second only to Arsenal, but they are now 11 matches without a victory – their longest winless streak in the top flight – and sit just three places above the relegation zone.

The Cherries are also poised to lose their top scorer this month, with Antoine Semenyo – despite completing 90 minutes here – seemingly bound for Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side will have the chance to trim Arsenal’s advantage back to four points when they host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal were forced to come from behind here after the usually reliable Gabriel’s attempted cross-field pass to Jurrien Timber fell to Evanilson, unmarked, and directly in front of David Raya’s goal.

Evanilson took his fellow Brazilian’s gift without hesitation, and a scrambling Raya could do nothing to prevent the ball from nestling into his far corner.

However, Gabriel turned from zero to hero half a dozen minutes later.

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Noni Madueke, who started on the south coast in place of the rested Bukayo Saka, was the creator, ghosting past Semenyo before beating Adrien Truffert and getting to the byline.

He found Piero Hincapie, whose effort was blocked, and so too Gabriel Martinelli’s, but Gabriel made no mistake when he cut across the ball with a wicked, slicing half-volley.

Arsenal might have expected to use Gabriel’s equaliser as a springboard, but the hosts held firm and an increasingly agitated Arteta watched his sloppy side fail to test Djordje Petrovic for the remainder of the opening period.

Arteta was also incensed that Semenyo escaped without a second caution for pulling back a counterattacking Rice. The Spaniard stormed down the tunnel as Chris Kavanagh blew his half-time whistle.

Arteta will have demanded a quick restart, and his side were ahead within nine minutes. It would be a ninth straight game without a goal in open play for Viktor Gyokeres, but credit to the misfiring striker for his role in the buildup.

The Swede’s bustling presence in the heart of Bournemouth’s defence meant their clearance fell only to Martin Odegaard, who had time to find Rice before the England man delivered a first-time, inch-perfect strike from the edge of the area.

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Arsenal were in control and their impressive squad depth saw Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard all introduced midway through the second half.

Saka made an almost immediate impact, racing on to Odegaard’s sumptuous pass and pulling the ball back from the byline, finding an unmarked Rice who could not miss.

Arteta might have thought that would be that, but Kroupi had other ideas when he unleashed a 25-yard belter past Raya to draw Bournemouth back within one.

Six minutes of stoppage time followed, but Arsenal were comfortable in seeing out their fifth consecutive league win to turn the pressure back on City on the eve of their test against managerless Chelsea.

PA