Declan Rice Brace Fuels Arsenal's Six-point Lead After Bournemouth Win

Declan Rice described Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Bournemouth as "massive" after scoring twice and tightening the club’s position at the top of the Premier League, with Mikel Arteta’s side moving six points clear in the title race following a tense contest at Emirates Stadium.

The England international produced both Arsenal goals in the second half, turning Junior Kroupi’s late long‑range strike into no more than consolation for Bournemouth, whose strong performance again ended without a win as their league run without victory stretched to 11 matches.

This result gave Arsenal a 15th league win of the campaign, and the Opta supercomputer now rates their chances of claiming a first top-flight crown since 2003-04 at 81.6%, with Arsenal becoming the 16th

club to reach at least 15 victories from their opening 20 Premier League fixtures.

Only four previous teams have failed to convert such a start into the title, including Arsenal in 2022-23, Liverpool and Spurs in 2018-19, and Manchester United in 2003-04, so the numbers underline the scale of the opportunity facing Arteta and the current squad across the rest of this season.

Bournemouth struck first after 10 minutes when Evanilson punished a mistake from Gabriel Magalhaes, but the defender quickly responded with an equaliser, atoning for the early error and restoring momentum for Arsenal before Rice took over the game following the interval.

Rice’s second-half double arrived on his 296th Premier League appearance and delivered the midfielder’s first brace in the competition, a milestone moment that ensured Arsenal’s recovery from the early setback and maintained pressure on their closest rivals near the top of the table.

Rice then reflected on the result and the wider schedule around 3 January 2026, stressing how the group needed to back up their previous league outing against Aston Villa during a packed festive period. "Massive. Off the back of Aston Villa, the key thing today was to build on that and go and win," he told Sky Sports. "The win against Aston Villa would've meant nothing if we didn't come here today and didn't pick up anything. It's so important this time of year, the schedule's crazy. The games come thick and fast and if you can win your games in and around Christmas, on top of what we've done already, it's going to put you in a really good position. We've got to keep building on that, keep the mentality right, keep pushing, but we're in a really good spot at the minute. Long may it continue. "

2 - Declan Rice has scored his first ever brace in the Premier League, on what is his 296th appearance in the competition. Evolution. pic.twitter.com/1MYVZ1YFeY

OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 3, 2026

Premier League Arsenal vs Bournemouth key numbers

Rice’s impact against Bournemouth continues a strong personal trend, with the midfielder now on five goals in 12 Premier League meetings with the Cherries, more than double the tally scored versus any other opponent during Rice’s top-flight career so far.

The match also highlighted Bournemouth’s unusual pattern this season, with the team having failed to win eight league fixtures despite scoring at least twice in those games, drawing five and losing three, which is twice as many such matches as any other Premier League side.

Bournemouth matches have also been among the most open in this campaign, producing 69 Premier League goals overall, with 31 scored and 38 conceded, at least seven more than have featured in any other club’s league games during the season to date.

Premier League Arsenal vs Bournemouth managers react

Arteta praised Rice’s contribution and revealed the effort required for the midfielder to feature after missing Arsenal’s heavy midweek victory over Aston Villa because of a knee problem, with the manager highlighting how Rice had pushed to be ready for selection.

"Another player who has put so much in the past few days to make himself available today, we didn't know how long," Arteta said. "He has stretched himself to the very limit, and the team were awarded with two great goals. I think it's the first time he's scored two in a Premier League game, so yes, a great day to remember. "

On the Bournemouth side, Andoni Iraola focused on familiar frustrations rather than positives, pointing out that the performance levels again looked competitive against leading opposition but the lack of reward on the scoreboard continued to damage their league position.

"It is a feeling we've had a lot lately," Iraola said.We do a lot of good things, but go away with one point or no points. Today, we conceded three goals against Arsenal, but they have not had a lot of chances. Overall, it was quite a level game. We were better in the first half, but Arsenal had the better of the second half. It is very difficult to score two against Arsenal, but to finish without a point is frustrating. We have to be very good to get just one point. Arsenal found a way to win it, and that is costing us a lot.

The match left Arsenal strengthened in the Premier League title race after another decisive display from Rice, while Bournemouth again showed attacking threat but paid the price for defensive lapses, extending a winless league run that continues to shape their season.