Fans hail Declan Rice for his
Fans hail Declan Rice for his 'immense' performance in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Bournemouth
Arsenal fans have heaped praise on Declan Rice for his performance during their Premier League match against Bournemouth. The Englishman netted a brace as the Gunners secured a crucial 3-2 win at the Vitality Stadium.
With Manchester City dropping points against Sunderland on New Year’s Day, the Gunners knew how important a win would be against the Cherries. However, they got off to the worst possible start after Gabriel Magalhaes’ error allowed Evanilson to score after just 10 minutes into proceedings. The Brazilian center-back made up for his mistake, restoring parity for the Gunners six minutes later.
It was Rice’s show after the restart, with the 26-year-old scoring two brilliant finishes in the space of 17 minutes to give Arsenal a two-goal lead. Eli Junior Kroupi reduced the deficit shortly after to set up a frantic finish, but the league leaders held on.
In addition to scoring his first brace in his 296th Premier League appearance, Rice made eight recoveries, three clearances, was not dribbled past, and was the highest-rated player on the pitch with a match rating of 9.2, according to Sofascore.
After the match, fans took to X to laud his display, with one writing:
Another tweeted:
“One assist from Ødegaard to Rice. One assist from Saka to Rice. Thank you general. Our Ballon d’Or campaign in 2026 begins.”
A third claimed:
One added:
“He has stretched himself to the very limit” – Mikel Arteta on Declan Rice after scoring brace in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Bournemouth
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke glowingly of Rice after the midfielder’s two goals helped the Gunners come from behind to secure a 3-2 win on Saturday. The former West Ham United man missed Tuesday’s thumping 4-1 win against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium after suffering a knee injury against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Speaking after the game, Arteta told Sky Sports:
“Another player who has put so much in the past few days to make himself available today, we didn't know how long. 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.”
The result meant Arsenal provisionally extended their lead to six points at the top of the table.