BOURNEMOUTH, England — Mikel Arteta believes every game starts with a pre-match press conference. armory As a result, the manager has to monitor his team’s news to prevent any opponent from gaining any advantage, and in this context, Declan Ricematch winning contribution 3-2 win on Saturday But AFC Bournemouth It took more than 24 hours to plan.
Rice missed Tuesday’s win Aston Villa with a swollen knee, and Arteta was so vague in Friday’s media address that it cast serious doubts over his midfielder’s participation at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Rice not only started, he scored twice to score valuable goals, leaving the Gunners six points clear at the top. Premier League,
They needed him here. Arsenal were disjointed and particularly careless in terms of possession in the first half, with Arteta – even for him – particularly agitated on the touchline, engaging in a lengthy conversation with the Bournemouth bench midway through the half after Rice was brought down in an unsportsmanlike challenge.
Gabriel Magalhaes Gave Bournemouth the lead in the 10th minute with a direct pass Ivanilson On the edge of your own box. David Raya Essentially out of position and Ivanilsson was left with a simple finish.
Gabriel atoned for his mistake with an excellent left-footed drive to equalize six minutes later, but Arsenal still could not settle, unsettled and troubled by Bournemouth’s high press and an attacking lineup that forced the visitors onto the backfoot. They improved for about half an hour after halftime and this proved to be the decisive period when Rice came to the fore.
Only Martin Zubimendi Recorded more touches (90) and ball recoveries (12) compared to Rice’s 80 and 8 respectively, but his contribution in the final third was disastrous.
His 54th-minute strike was calmly deflected into the corner, as was his effort in the 71st minute. both had moments of intense precision martin odegaard In the buildup, showcasing his often-flawless weight of passes to assist the first and playing substitutes bukayo saka For another.
The game should have been over – especially against a team that hasn’t won since October 26 – but Arsenal have found a way to make situations tense in almost any situation these days. junior croup Came off the bench and fired a long-range effort past Raya, but Bournemouth were unable to get another shot on target after this as Arsenal held on.
The soundtrack for much of the second half on a bitterly cold night was “Declan Rice in Red and White, I Like It” to the tune of “That’s the Way (I Like It)” by KC and The Sunshine Band. Rice scored a brace for only the second time in his career, the first coming in April when he stunned real Madrid With two free kicks that will go down in folklore.
It’s too early to say how important this win could be as Arsenal seek a first league title in 22 years, but without being particularly impressive, the Gunners are doing enough to stay ahead of the chasing pack and put the pressure back on. Manchester City,
Rice revealed during the club’s preseason tour of Singapore that he had set new targets for himself to influence more matches: scoring a high number of goals and assists while operating in the number 8 position, he is now developing from the number 6 role which he predominantly played before joining the club. west ham united For £105 million in 2023. In his 19th league appearance of the season, Rice has already equaled last season’s tally of four league goals. It took him 35 games.
He didn’t say what the rest of his new goals are, but he’s clearly making progress.
“I’ve been in situations before where I scored a run in a game and wanted to score another and it didn’t happen, but it’s happened now,” Rice said. “We need everyone’s help at different points, so the team is happy to help.”
Arteta was then asked to consider Rice’s new goalscoring and origins.
“We sit together and set goals,” Arteta said. “But setting a goal is not enough. You need a plan to execute and accomplish it.
“He’s extremely consistent in whatever you ask him to do and whatever he really wants to do. That’s what makes the difference. First of all, he certainly has the ability and the quality to achieve it, but then you need the consistency to do it. He’s doing it every day. And then you see performances like that.”
City failed to make a bid for Rice, but they are ready to sign him antony semenyowho was still selected to play here An imminent £65 million move northSemenyo barely made an impact on the game – if this was effectively a pseudo-debut for City given the title race, it would be quickly forgotten – and instead it was the character Gabriel showed, apart from Rice’s contribution, that caught the attention,
“I really liked the team’s next step today in terms of individual personality and presence,” Arteta said. “I think what Gaby Magalhaes did after making a big mistake in conceding a goal, the way he reacted to it, the way he played afterwards, the way he transmitted energy after that, was remarkable. And Declan, another one.
“Every hour was important for him to be available today. We didn’t know how long, so the way he competed, played and scored the two goals on top of that, I think it was outstanding and a really big message to the team.”
Bournemouth boss Andoni Ireola was frustrated with referee Chris Kavanagh for blowing the final whistle with Semenyo ready to give away a free kick in the buildup to Arsenal’s third goal and deliver a cross from a dangerous position.
But we must end where we began, with Arteta’s news conference. Is Rice now one of the best midfielders in the world?
“Yes, for me,” Arteta replied. “For me, the guys we have are the best, and Declan is constantly adding things to his game, constantly adding things to his role in the team and I don’t see where he can stop because he’s still got a lot of areas to improve on and he wants to improve. He’s an important player for us.”
Of course, he can say that now.
