Declan Rice demonstrated why he is a top contender for the Premier League Player of the Season award by leading Arsenal to a thrilling comeback victory against Bournemouth, which secured a six-point lead on Saturday.
The England midfielder netted two goals in the second half with nearly identical low, side-footed finishes, contributing to a 3-2 win on the south coast.
Although Rice was initially a doubt for the match due to a knee injury that kept him sidelined during the 4-1 win against Aston Villa on Tuesday, he proved his fitness and ultimately made a key impact on the game.
Arsenal initially fell behind in the 10th minute when Evanilson capitalized on a poor pass from Gabriel Magalhães, slotting the ball into an empty net.
However, the Brazil center-back redeemed himself just six minutes later with a powerful strike to equalize, following an impressive dribble by Noni Madueke, marking his second goal in two consecutive starts since returning from injury.
After Rice’s two goals, Bournemouth substitute Eli Junior Kroupi scored a long-range effort in the 76th minute, creating a tense finish, but Arsenal managed to secure their fifth consecutive victory, maintaining their distance from Villa and Manchester City in the title race.
Villa remains Arsenal’s closest rival after achieving a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
City has the opportunity to reclaim second place, sitting four points behind Arsenal, if they defeat Chelsea on Sunday.