Arsenal have picked up an important win against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
The Gunners conceded early on after a terrible mistake from Gabriel Magalhaes. The former Lille man redeemed himself with an equaliser, and Declan Rice then won Arsenal the game with a brace.
After the victory, the Arsenal number 41 had his say on scoring twice.
Name your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Bournemouth but you can’t pick Declan Rice!
Declan Rice says ‘it’s crazy’ that he has only scored one brace in the Premier League
Rice has been playing in the Premier League for a long time.
The Englishman made his debut for West Ham as a teenager several years ago, and he has been one of the most consistent performers in the division.
The game between Arsenal and Bournemouth was Rice’s 296th appearance in the Premier League, but never before had he managed to score two goals in a single game.
That wait came to an end at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, and the midfielder was pleased. However, he admitted that he was upset about not getting a hat-trick.
When the interviewer told Rice that it was his first ever brace in the league, he replied on Premier League Productions: “It’s crazy!
“I’ve been in situations before where I’ve scored one goal in a game, and I’ve wanted to go on and score another, and it hasn’t happened. And obviously, today it has.
“It’s a crucial one at Christmas time, the games come thick and fast, and to be able to help the team out with two goals is massive because we’re going to need everyone chipping in at different points.
“I was thinking: ‘One more chance to me, please!’ But another chance didn’t arise; Bournemouth, last 15 minutes played really well, they shut down that space off. So, I’m gutted to not get the hat-trick, but I’ll keep trying. Maybe one day that might come!”
Who are you choosing: Prime Cesc Fabregas vs current Declan Rice? 🤔
Declan Rice has one teammate to thank for his goals vs Bournemouth
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka got the assists for Rice’s two goals, but the unsung hero was Martin Zubimendi.
The Spaniard has taken no time to adapt to the Premier League. He has been brilliant from the start and is performing at a very high level.
Apart from his own performances, Zubimendi’s presence has allowed Rice to go forward a lot more this season, and that has helped.
The former West Ham man’s runs into the box are the reason why Arsenal beat Bournemouth on Saturday.
Zubimendi deserves a lot more praise than he has been getting for that reason.
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