Arsenal are now seven points clear of main title rivals Man City after securing a somewhat edgy 3-2 Premier League win over out of form Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in their first game of 2026 on Saturday (January 3).
Bournemouth took a surprise lead through Evanilson in the tenth minute when the striker capitalised on some uncharacteristically sloppy defending from Arsenal captain Gabriel, who rolled the ball right to the Bournemouth man.
The lead didn’t last long though, and Gabriel made up for his lapse in concentration with a header just six minutes later, finding himself in the right place at the right time to nod it home after some chaos inside the Bournemouth box.
In the second half, Declan Rice well and truly took the game by the scruff of its neck, giving Arsenal the lead with a fine strike in the 54th minute and then securing the first Premier League brace of his career with close ranged effort, running over to kiss the camera in celebration.
Andoni Iraola’s side were bruised but not out of it. Substitute Eli Junior Kroupi pulled one back with a fantastic strike just two minutes after coming off the bench, but Arsenal managed to hold on and keep their challengers at bay.
Declan Rice is the best in the league
The Premier League is filled with some fantastic midfielder. Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo is often mentioned as one of the best, but it’s performances like this one that set Rice apart, even though the two are very different players.
Arsenal are lucky to have something that few other Premier League sides have, a group of bonafide leaders who lead by example. Rice is one of them and would likely be a captain for any other side.
His two goals will get all the headlines, but his overall performance was something to behold, ending the game having completed 49 passes, made three tackles, seven passes into the final third, eight recoveries, and not been dribbled past once.
Rice is exactly the type of player that drags their side to a Premier League title. Arsenal are lucky to have him.
Bukayo Saka is so important
Mikel Arteta decided to give the talismanic winger a rare chance to reset, opting to start with summer signing Noni Madueke on the right instead. The former Chelsea man had some positive moments, but with the game in the balance, Saka was called upon to make the difference.
Saka’s assist was top quality. The England international made a fantastic run off the back of his marker, which Martin Odegaard picked out beautifully. Saka then cut it back to an eagerly awaiting Rice, who side footed it into the back of the net.
It’s moments like that which highlight how integral Saka is to everything good Arsenal do. His numbers this season haven’t been as impressive as we’re used to, largely due to the fact he’s barely been rested since breaking into the team. For now, with the title race up in the air, don’t expect him to be benched many more times.
Not the best from Gabriel
Gabriel is far and away one of the best centre backs in Europe never mind the Premier league, but that’s what makes his performance today all the more complexing, we’re just not used to seeing him make such a high-profile mistake.
‘Lapse of concentration’ is the key phrase here, it’s the only reason he would have gifted Evanilson with such an easy goal. Watching it back, it’s not like he missed kicked it, he simply didn’t see the Bournemouth man, and he has now made his first mistake leading to an opposition goal this season.
He was clearly furious with himself after it happened, and he managed to make amends just a few minutes later but better is expected of Gabriel. On another day, against a better opposition, his mistake would have been more costly. He’s a lucky boy.