Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised his squad’s resilience after the Gunners overcame an early setback to secure a 3-2 victory against Bournemouth, highlighting the team’s growth as they chase their first Premier League title in 22 years.
The win moved Arsenal six points clear of Aston Villa at the top of the table and seven ahead of Manchester City, who are yet to play their game in hand against Chelsea on Sunday.
Bournemouth took an early lead thanks to a rare error from Gabriel Magalhaes, but the Brazilian centre-back quickly redeemed himself by scoring the equaliser. Declan Rice then produced a second-half double to secure the three points, despite a late strike from Eli Kroupi that gave Bournemouth renewed hope.
“They are so good. We made it even harder for ourselves conceding the first goal, but I love the character of the team,” said Arteta. “I love the character of Gabriel. The way he overcame that situation is just unbelievable. It says a lot about how much we’ve grown. The team found a way to beat them and it’s a massive win.”
Rice, who had been a major injury doubt after missing Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over Villa due to knee swelling, pushed himself to return to the starting line-up and proved decisive with his two goals.
“He has stretched himself to the very limit and the team were rewarded with two great goals,” Arteta added. “I think it’s the first time he’s scored twice in a Premier League game, so yes, a great day to remember.”
