BOURNEMOUTH, England — Mikel Arteta believes that each game starts with his prematch news conference. The Arsenal manager is consequently guarded with his team news to prevent an opponent gaining any advantage, and so in that context, Declan Rice‘s match-winning contribution in Saturday’s 3-2 win at AFC Bournemouth was more than 24 hours in the planning.
Rice missed Tuesday’s win against Aston Villa with a swollen knee, and Arteta was sufficiently vague in Friday’s media address to cast serious doubt over his midfielder’s participation at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Not only did Rice start, he scored twice in a precious victory that sends the Gunners six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
They needed him here. Arsenal were disjointed and especially careless in possession in a first half in which Arteta — even for him — was especially agitated on the touchline, engaging in a lengthy exchange with the Bournemouth bench midway through after Rice was felled in an unpunished challenge.
Gabriel Magalhães had gifted Bournemouth a 10th-minute lead by passing straight to Evanilson on the edge of his own box. David Raya was inevitably caught out of position and Evanilson was left with a simple finish.
Gabriel atoned for his error with an excellent left-footed drive to equalize six minutes later, but Arsenal still couldn’t settle, hassled and harried by Bournemouth’s high press and an attacking lineup that forced the visitors onto the back foot. They improved for around half an hour after halftime, and this proved the decisive period when Rice came to the fore.
Only Martín Zubimendi registered more touches (90) and ball recoveries (12) than Rice’s 80 and 8, respectively, but his contribution in the final third was devastating.
His 54th-minute strike was calmly placed into the corner just as his effort in the 71st was. Both owed moments of acute precision from Martin Ødegaard in the buildup, demonstrating his often-flawless weight of pass to assist the first and play substitute Bukayo Saka in for the second.
The game should have been over — especially against a side without a win since Oct. 26 — but Arsenal find a way to make things tense these days in almost any situation. Junior Kroupi came off the bench and drilled a long-range effort past Raya but Bournemouth were unable to muster another shot on target thereafter as Arsenal hung on.
The soundtrack to 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 & The Sunshine Band. Rice had scored a brace for only the second time in his career, the first came in April when he stunned Real Madrid with two free kicks that will go down in folklore.
It is too early to say how important this win could be as Arsenal seek a first league title in 22 years, but without being especially impressive, the Gunners are doing just enough to stay ahead of the chasing pack and throw the pressure back on Manchester City.
Rice revealed during the club’s preseason tour of Singapore that he had set himself new targets to impact more matches: a higher number of goals and assists operating in the No. 8 position he now occupies in an evolution from the No. 6 role he predominantly played prior to joining from West Ham United for £105 million in 2023. In what is his 19th league appearances of the season, Rice has already matched his league goal tally from last season of four. That took him 35 games.
He did not specify what the rest of his new targets were, but he is clearly making progress.
“I have been in situations before where I have scored one in a game and wanted to score another and it hasn’t happened, but now it has,” Rice said. “We are going to need everyone chipping in at different points so happy to help the team.”
Arteta was asked afterward to reflect on Rice’s new goal-setting and the origins.
“We sit down together and set goals,” Arteta said. “But setting goals is not enough. You need a plan after to implement and make it happen.
“He’s extremely consistent in everything you ask him to do and everything he really wants to do. That’s what makes the difference. First of all, he has the ability and quality to achieve that for sure, but then you need the consistency to do. He is doing it every single day. and then you see that kind of performance.”
City failed with a bid for Rice, but they are poised to sign Antoine Semenyo, who was selected to play here despite an imminent £65 million move north. Semenyo barely impacted the game — if this was effectively a pseudo debut for City given the title race, then it will be quickly forgotten — and instead the character Gabriel showed in addition to Rice’s contribution drew the focus.
“I really love today the next step of the team in terms of individual personality and presence,” Arteta said. “I think what Gabi Magalhães has done after making a big mistake to concede the goal, the way he reacted to that, the way he played afterwards, the way he transmitted energy after that, it was remarkable. And Declan, another one.
“Every hour was important for him to be available today. We didn’t know for how long, so in the manner that he competed, played and on top of that scored two goals, I think was outstanding and a really big message to the team.”
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola was frustrated with referee Chris Kavanagh for awarding a free kick in the buildup to Arsenal’s third goal and blowing the final whistle with Semenyo poised to deliver a cross from a dangerous position.
But we should finish 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 ones that 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 can still improve in a lot of areas and he wants to improve. He is such a pivotal player for us.”
Of course, he can say that now.
