Arsenal extended their advantage at the top of the Premier League following a 3-2 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium yesterday.
The Gunners failed to pick up a point against the Cherries last season, and they made the worst possible start with Gabriel Magalhaes gifting a goal in the 10th minute.
However, the Brazilian quickly made amends with the equaliser. Declan Rice went on to score a brace in the second half, and it was sufficient for a victory despite a late scare.
Junior Kroupi made things interesting with the Cherries’ second goal, but the Gunners managed to hold onto their slender advantage to go six points clear at the top of the table.
Rice was obviously the man of the match after his stellar performance, but he was hugely impressed by midfield teammate Martin Zubimendi, who was likewise terrific on the day.
The England international said that the former Real Sociedad man has been ‘unreal’ from the number six position, and he is enjoying his ‘really good partnership’ with the Spaniard.
He told Sky Sports (via Metro): “I think don’t underestimate to come from La Liga to come into this team. He’s not the biggest player or the strongest, but his brain, the way it works, allows the team to function in such a good way.
“He’s been unreal. He’s played so many minutes for us, the way he gets on the ball, obviously he’s Spain’s No.6 at the minute and rightly so, you see the quality he brings, the calmness, the composure, the way he thinks.
“It’s been great to play with him. I’m learning a lot and we’ve built a really good partnership, so long may that continue because we’re both young, we’re both fresh and we want to keep building that together.”
Zubimendi, 26, had a terrific game for the London giants on the South Coast. He had 94 touches with a passing accuracy of 90 percent.
The Spaniard had less responsibility in the final third with Rice’s return to the team, but was rock-solid in the defensive scheme of things.
The midfielder won seven duels and made five clearances. Most importantly, he was superb at retaining possession, recording 12 recoveries.
Zubimendi has proved the perfect foil for Rice in the heart of the midfield. The latter now has more freedom to press forward with Zubimendi’s defensive assurance behind him.
Arsenal are six points ahead of Aston Villa after yesterday’s victory, while they hold a seven-point advantage over Manchester City, who have a game in hand versus Chelsea.
Stats from Sofascore.com