Declan Rice was the star of the show as Arsenal beat Bournemouth in the Premier League.
The Gunners weren’t great in the first half and got off to the worst possible start. Gabriel Magalhaes made a terrible mistake that led to Evanilson opening the scoring for the hosts.
The Brazil international redeemed himself just a few minutes later with a fine goal inside the box, but Arsenal still didn’t get better in the first half.
However, after the break, the Premier League leaders went up a level, and Rice’s brilliant brace helped Arsenal win the game.
Name your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Bournemouth but you can’t pick Declan Rice!
Paul Merson and Jamie Redknapp rave about Declan Rice after Arsenal beat Bournemouth
Declan Rice returned to the Arsenal side against Bournemouth after missing the win over Aston Villa on Tuesday.
The England international wasn’t at his best level in the first half. Like many of his teammates, he made a few mistakes that were very unusual to see.
Rice was even furious at referee Chris Kavanagh for not sending off Antoine Semenyo, and there were fears that it could be one of those days.
However, the Arsenal number 41 came out firing in the second half and scored two lovely goals to win the game for his side.
The brace is what everyone will talk about, but both Paul Merson and Jamie Redknapp mentioned how Rice’s energy allows him to run teams into the ground.
Merson said on Sky Sports: “Declan Rice runs teams into the ground. Didn’t have the best of first halves and ends up getting two very good goals.”
Redknapp added on Sky: “Rice was immense. Two goals, so important, obviously that winning goal as well, just gets into the box, he runs you into the ground with his energy.
“He puts people under pressure. He might not wear the captain’s armband, but he’s a leader.”
If Declan Rice was worth £105m in 2023, what would his value be in 2026?
Arsenal star Declan Rice is the best midfielder in the world
Rice has been excellent for Arsenal since he joined the club, but he has taken his game to a whole new level this season.
The England international has rarely ever had a bad game. He dominates teams in the middle of the park and does so much work at both ends of the pitch.
To add to that, Rice is one of the biggest reasons why Arsenal are such a big threat in set-pieces, and he is scoring important goals himself as well.
The former West Ham man is the best midfielder in world football right now, and if he can lead Arsenal to glory in the Premier League and Champions League, he will be a contender for the Ballon d’Or.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
