Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hailed "world class" Declan Rice, who shrugged off injury to score two goals in a man-of-the-match performance as the Gunners beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Vitality Stadium. Arsenal now enjoy a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table and Arteta has singled out Rice for the highest praise as his title challenge continues to gather momentum.
Arsenal beat Bournemouth 3-2 to open up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, a victory which puts them on a superior trajectory to the legendary Invincibles of the 2003-04 season. The Gunners landed the title that season and the stats are adding up very favourably for Mikel Artetaâs side as they bid to land the clubâs first league title in 22 long years.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has offered an update on Antoine Semenyo amid talk the winger is on the brink of a ÂŁ65 million move to Manchester City. Semenyo played for Bournemouth against Arsenal on Saturday and, according to his manager, is set to feature for the Cherries again on Wednesday night against Tottenham in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium.
Declan Rice scored two superb second-half goals as Arsenal came from behind to seal a dramatic 3-2 success at Bournemouth and move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Rice, who was a doubt leading up to the game after missing the midweek victory against Aston Villa due to a knee injury, showed once again how crucial he is to Mikel Arteta's table-toppers with his decisive strikes which ensured the Gunners kicked off 2026 with a win.
Premier League clubs face unusual kick-off times this weekend, as the New Year's schedule continues apace. Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea are all in action on Sunday, with 3pm kick-offs being aired live on television. GOAL can explain why the kick-off times are out of the ordinary as the year of 2026 gets underway.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has laid down the gauntlet to Eberechi Eze after dropping him from his XI. The playmaker joined the Gunners from Crystal Palace for an initial fee of ÂŁ60 million ($81.2m) in August, and after impressing in the first few months of the season, Arteta has barely called upon the 27-year-old in recent weeks. Now, he has gone as far as saying Eze needs to "improve" certain parts of his game.
Wayne Rooney has revealed that Sol Campbell did not speak to him for six months after Manchester United beat Arsenal to end their 49-game unbeaten run at Old Trafford in 2004. The former United striker won a penalty in the game, as he cut in from the right and went down easily under the challenge of Campbell, who claimed his compatriot dived.
Mikel Arteta has challenged his Arsenal squad to end their wait for a Premier League title this season. The Gunners have gone close over the past few campaigns, often holding strong positions at the halfway point, but they remain without a trophy since 2020. They are favourites to finish at the top of the pile but will face stern competition from the likes of Manchester City and Aston Villa.
Reports in Spain suggest that Rodrygo is laying the groundwork for a potential move away from Real Madrid. The Brazil international forward faces fierce competition for places at the Bernabeu and is growing increasingly frustrated at having to fill a support role. Interest in his services is said to have been shown from the Premier League, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City known to be admirers.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has delivered a fitness update on Declan Rice, with the England international midfielder nursing a knee complaint. Rice was forced to sit out the impressive victory over Aston Villa, with the Gunners barely missing his presence in their engine room, and questions continue to be asked of whether he will be ready to face Bournemouth.
Premier League clubs splashed out ÂŁ3 billion ($4bn) on transfers in a record-breaking summer window, more than those in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A combined, with Liverpool accounting for ÂŁ415m ($561m) of that eye-watering amount on the back of their 2024-25 title success under Arne Slot. Mega-money was also spent by the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, with Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Fulham the only three clubs to invest less than ÂŁ50m ($67m) in strengthening their respective squads.
Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes has explained why he took to trolling Amadou Onana after helping the Gunners to a vital victory over Premier League title rivals Aston Villa. The Brazilian defender returned with a bang in that contest, as he opened the scoring in a 4-1 win, and took the opportunity afterwards to have some âfunâ when delivering a copycat âpocketâ celebration.
The January transfer window is notoriously tricky for buying clubs to manoeuvre in. Sure, willing teams may have the money to spend and financial wiggle room to squeeze some deals in, but their rivals may be less inclined to do business midway through the season with trophies and other honours still up for grabs.
Arsenal should have conceded a penalty in their 1-0 win over Everton on 20 December, according to the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel (KMI). The Gunners have now been told they should have given away a spot kick when William Saliba and Thierno Barry challenged for the ball at Hill Dickinson Stadium - in a controversial decision which could have huge implications in this seasonâs title race.
Andoni Iraola has made it clear that Antoine Semenyo is still an "important player" for Bournemouth despite his reportedly imminent move to Manchester City, insisting he will feature against Arsenal this weekend. Speculation around Semenyoâs future has intensified as the winter window approaches, with City increasingly confident of triggering the wingerâs ÂŁ65 million ($86m) release clause. Yet Iraola has no intention of sidelining his most influential attacker while the Cherries fight to arrest a worrying slide in form.
Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has delivered a blunt assessment of Arsenalâs misfiring frontman Viktor Gyokeres, arguing that either Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz should now be trusted as the clubâs starting striker. The Swede arrived at the Emirates in the summer amid considerable fanfare, with Arsenal investing around ÂŁ64 million ($86m) to secure a forward many believed could finally elevate them from contenders to champions. However, he has found the transition to English football more punishing than expected.
Emiliano MartĂnez was left seething over taunts from Arsenal supporters after Aston Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat at Emirates Stadium. Villaâs 11-match winning streak was emphatically ended by the Gunners, who ran out comfortable winners in Tuesday night's Premier League clash. While the result itself was damaging enough, the ugly scenes that followed in the tunnel compounded Villa's misery.
Unai Emery has explained why he did not shake Mikel Arteta's hand following Aston Villa's 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal on Tuesday night. Villa made the trip to the Emirates on an 11-game winning run following their 2-1 victory at Chelsea on Saturday evening as the Villans sought to go level with the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table, but ended up being blown away by the hosts.
January is often described as the grimmest month of the year, but it can also be a time of renewal, a moment to make a fresh start. And for football clubs, the opening of the January transfer window provides an opportunity for clubs to breathe new life into their disappointing campaigns and invest for the future.
Gabriel Magalhaes breathed fresh life into Arsenal's Premier League title challenge by opening the scoring in an emphatic win over Aston Villa on Tuesday. The defender's goal at the start of the second half sparked the Gunners into life, with Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus also on target to hand Unai Emery's side a first defeat since November 1st.
Arsenal have been dealt another devastating injury blow as midfielder Declan Rice is expected to miss Tuesday's Premier League title showdown with Aston Villa at the Emirates. The England international had been hopeful of playing in the crunch clash against Unai Emery's high-flying side but is set to miss out after sustaining a knee problem against Brighton last time out.
There have been so many compelling storylines to entertain the world so far this season as we reach the Premier League's halfway point. Liverpool's inexplicable collapse after winning the title and splurging over ÂŁ400 million in the summer. Sunderland's remarkable return to the top flight after nearly a decade away. Whatever the heck is going on at Manchester United. And then we have Aston Villa.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard made a transfer admission as he regretted that the Merseyside club did not sign âanimalâ Declan Rice in 2023. Rice moved to Arsenal from West Ham in the summer of 2023 for a record fee of ÂŁ105 million as the Gunners beat the likes of Manchester and Liverpool in the transfer race. In the last two-and-a-half years, Rice has massively risen in stature and is now one of the best players in England.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed the key behind the Cityzens' revival as he sent out a Premier League title race warning to Arsenal. The Gunners were momentarily replaced at the summit following Cityâs late victory over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, before the north Londoners reclaimed top spot following their win over Brighton later in the day.
Arsenal
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