Arsenal player ratings vs Bournemouth: Rice saves the day as 4/10 bailed out by team-mates | Football | Sport
Arsenal came from behind to secure victory over Bournemouth and protect their lead at the top of the Premier League table. The visitors were pegged back in the early stages in a moment of madness, with Gabriel Magalhaes inexplicably passing the ball straight to Evanilson under pressure. It allowed the Cherries striker to slide the ball into an empty net, giving Arsenal some work to do.
Gabriel redeemed himself just a few minutes later, smashing the ball into the net after Noni Madueke’s driving run caused chaos in the box. Arsenal struggled to get going until the second half, when they took the lead thanks to a brilliant finish from Declan Rice, who went on to double his tally with another fine strike.
Bournemouth sparked hopes of a comeback when Eli Junior Kroupi found the corner of the net from range, just minutes after coming off the bench. However, they were unable to find a late leveller and the Gunners were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief at the final whistle.
Express Sport rates and slates the Arsenal players following today’s victory…
Arsenal player ratings vs Bournemouth
David Raya – 6
Couldn’t have done much to stop either of the goals, with Gabriel letting him down for the first and Kroupi finding the corner for the second. Was equal to everything thrown at him apart from that.
Jurrien Timber – 6
Held down the right flank reasonably well, winning back possession and finding his team-mates with simple passes. Ventured further forward on occasion and linked up nicely with Madueke.
William Saliba – 7
Used his aerial presence to deal with Bournemouth’s crossing and got himself in the right positions to make crucial interceptions and tackles. A solid display.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6
Had a nightmare for the opening goal but made amends just minutes later by smashing home from close range. Played well for the rest of the game.
Piero Hincapie – 5
Struggled a bit, occasionally losing the ball with a poor first touch and making the wrong decisions in terms of choosing whether to run inside or outside.
Martin Zubimendi – 5
Looked off the pace and struggled to deal with being targeted by Bournemouth’s press. Kept things ticking in midfield to an extent, but could have done much more to impact the game.
Declan Rice – 8
Was having a poor game until he found the bottom corner with a brilliant finish, before doubling his tally as the clock ticked down. A match-winning performance in the end.
Martin Odegaard – 7
Was clearly asked to play deeper than usual, which failed to have the desired impact early on. Improved after the break and grabbed the assist for Rice’s first goal, while also having a role to play in his team-mate’s second.
Noni Madueke – 7
Looked lively from the start, using his quick feet to make inroads in the final third. Created the equaliser with a mazy run to the byline which sparked chaos in the box.
Gabriel Martinelli – 4
Saw plenty of the ball but didn’t manage to do much with it, instead letting the game pass him by. Pretty much anonymous for the duration of his time on the pitch.
Viktor Gyokeres – 6
Worked hard to carve out chances for himself but wasn’t able to get many shots away. Did well to hold the ball up for Rice’s first goal.
Substitutes
Bukayo Saka – 7
Had a huge hand in creating Arsenal’s third goal, picking out Rice with a brilliant pass. An influential cameo from the winger.
Gabriel Jesus – 6
Didn’t have many opportunities with the ball as Arsenal went on the defensive after conceding for the second time.
Leandro Trossard – 5
Lost the ball on a few occasions by taking too many touches and looked far too casual on the ball. Not great.
Mikel Merino – 6
Was brought on after Bournemouth’s second goal to provide some extra stability in the engine room and did his job well enough.
