Inside a tangle, restless and insecure Arsenal against Bournemouth, two goals from Declan Rice, with a demonstration of arrival and punch, solved a problem for the Gunners, who added their fourth consecutive victory to be even more of a leader while awaiting the result of the Manchester City, which hosts Chelsea this Sunday and leaves them seven points behind (2-3).
The English international midfielder, in his return to the competition after his absence due to injury against Aston Villa, was the most conclusive solution for Mikel Arteta’s team, although he did not avoid the final suffering, due to Kroupi’s 2-3 for the locals that tightened the result until the last moments, between tension, nerves and uncertainty.
But Arsenal’s punch was tremendousfundamental in a more than valuable victory. He won on an uncomfortable afternoon, nothing brilliant, much more practical than aesthetic to cope with the visit to the Vitality stadium and a rival who put him in check in phases. Arsenal’s first three shots between the three sticks (five in the entire match) were goals. In that panorama, came out winner.
Gabriel initially conditioned the match. One of the best centre-backs in the world today, firm, powerful and solvent, made a mistake inappropriate for his level when releasing the ball. He plays with so much confidence, within so many automatisms worked by Mikel Arteta, that he did not notice the presence of Evanilson when he devised his horizontal pass towards Saliba, on the other side.
Because there lurked, between the two, in the passing line, the Brazilian attacker, in the high pressure that Andoni Iraola posed in each Arsenal goal kick. Alone on the edge of the area, David Raya misplaced in the ball’s starting position, not the goalkeeper’s, the striker crossed his low shot to put Test Arsenal.
But he leader of the English competition, Full of resources, he took it on with the integrity of the team he is. In four minutes, directed by the umpteenth overflow of Noni Madueke (an undoubted success his signing from Chelsea to give Bukayo Saka a rest, like this Saturday) tied the match… through Gabriel, who volleyed the score to 1-1. A redemption. And a restarted match, played from power to power.
He Andoni Iraola’s planamid the concern of ten days without winning (eleven now), made Arsenal uncomfortable, who had a hard time going out, playing and, above all, controlling the game as they like, without anything happening behind their defense and their midfield. He Bournemouth managed to maintain the latent agitation in that sector of the fieldwith threatening appearances, still only feints, but so insistent that there was never any visitor calm.
He only shot once between the three sticks. Arsenal in the first half (the 1-1 play). A test of the labyrinth through which he moved on the grass of the Vitality stadium, in front of eleven thousand spectators, also with the need to win that he has in each event, even though Manchester City’s midweek stumble has given him an unexpected margin to allow himself some slip-up.
It’s really not like that. Every lapse pays off handsomely in this competition. Arsenal already knows this first-hand, the runner-up in each of the last two years after being the leader during several phases. If you want to be champion you need the version of your second half against Aston Villa last Tuesday, nothing to do with their clash this Saturday, more uncertain and irregular.
Another shot from Brooks warned Arsenal, who, in the next play, in his second shot on goal of the game, scored 1-2. If the team doesn’t work, there are plenty of individuals, like Declan Rice, his arrival and his shot, combined for the goal in the 54th minute. A relief for Arteta, at the head of the Premier since October and with the 1-3 in the 70th minute, again from Rice, who took advantage of a back pass from Saka.
Arsenal still suffered. The shot that Kroupi Júnior released from distance suddenly beat David Raya and reopened a different match, with a quarter of an hour left, with only one goal difference, with Bournemouth relaunched and with a test of resistance for the leader, who retained the victory. The final whistle was his only moment of tranquility.
