Arsenal survive Bournemouth scare, as Aston Villa bounce back in title race

Declan Rice shrugged disconnected a genu wounded to widen Arsenal’s vantage astatine the apical of the Premier League to six points with a come-from-behind 3-2 triumph astatine Bournemouth.

A uncommon Gabriel Magalhaes mistake talented the Cherries an aboriginal opener done Evanilson connected Saturday, but the Brazilian rapidly redeemed himself to level.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Nigeria constabulary complaint Joshua operator with unsafe driving implicit fatal crash
• list 2 of 4Jake Paul loses WBA cruiserweight ranking aft nonaccomplishment to Anthony Joshua
• list 3 of 4Venus Williams gets Australian Open wildcard aged 45
• list 4 of 4Liensberger to miss Olympics aft latest superior skiing accident

Rice had been a uncertainty aft missing Tuesday’s 4-1 demolition of Aston Villa owed to genu swelling.

The England planetary returned to the starting lineup and doubled his tally for the play with 2 composed finishes either broadside of the hr mark.

Eli Kroupi’s good onslaught gave Bournemouth hope, but Arsenal comfortably saw retired the closing signifier to determination 7 points wide of Manchester City, who big managerless Chelsea successful their crippled successful manus connected Sunday.

There had been a glimmer of anticipation for Pep Guardiola’s men erstwhile Arsenal conceded aft conscionable 10 minutes.

Gabriel mishit his attempted cross-field walk towards Jurrien Timber and presented the shot to his compatriot Evanilson, who slotted past David Raya for his archetypal location extremity of the season.

Arsenal’s towering centre-back netted connected his archetypal commencement for astir 2 months against Villa successful midweek and showed his oculus for extremity erstwhile much to equalise wrong six minutes

Gabriel pounced to slam location Noni Madueke’s deflected transverse for his 20th Premier League extremity since helium joined the Gunners successful 2020 — 7 much than immoderate different defender.

Rice has besides turned into a utile root of important goals since being pushed into a much precocious relation this season.

He was perfectly picked retired by Martin Odegaard to slot successful from the borderline of the container to enactment the visitors successful beforehand connected 56 minutes.

Bukayo Saka came disconnected the seat to make Arsenal’s 3rd arsenic Rice swept location his cut-back.

Bournemouth stay without a win, stretching backmost 11 games to October 26.

However, lone 5 sides person scored much Premier League goals this play than Andoni Iraola’s men.

A stunning onslaught by Kropi from agelong scope acceptable up a nervy finale.

But Mikel Arteta’s men held steadfast to instrumentality different large measurement towards ending their 22-year hold to assistance the Premier League title.

Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa scores his team’s 2nd extremity during the Premier League lucifer against Nottingham Forest [Mark Thompson/Getty Images]

Villa bushed Forest, portion West Ham ’embarrassed’ astatine Wolves

Aston Villa bushed struggling Nottingham Forest 3-1 astatine their location fortress to easiness the symptom of their midweek mauling by Arsenal, leapfrogging Manchester City into 2nd spot successful the Premier League.

Ollie Watkins’s onslaught connected the cusp of half-time gave Unai Emery’s broadside a deserved lead, and John McGinn scored doubly successful the 2nd half, either broadside of a Morgan Gibbs-White extremity for the visitors.

Villa’s 11-game winning streak successful each competitions was brought to a shuddering halt with a 4-1 decision astatine the Emirates Stadium connected Tuesday, raising doubts astir their quality to support a rubric charge.

But their awesome grounds astatine Villa Park remains intact – they person present won 11 consecutive matches determination since a 3-0 decision to Crystal Palace successful August.

Villa brag Emery told Sky Sports that his players and coaching unit had held a gathering aft their chastening nonaccomplishment to Arsenal.

“I americium truthful happy,” helium said. “We had to retrieve our vigor and our confidence. Here, astatine Villa Park, the vigor we make was truly important.

“Forest are competitive. After the Arsenal match, we met the players and staff: however we are doing this season, however we are feeling, however we needed to support the aforesaid consistency arsenic before, however we needed to beryllium unneurotic and strong.”

Villa started brightly connected a bitingly acold time successful Birmingham, but struggled to marque their dominance number successful a tepid archetypal half.

But the in-form Watkins broke the deadlock successful the closing moments of a fractional successful which they enjoyed astir 80 percent possession.

The England planetary received the shot extracurricular the country from Morgan Rogers and slammed location for his 4th extremity successful 3 games.

McGinn doubled Villa’s pb successful the 49th minute, side-footing location from a Matty Cash cross.

Villa appeared to beryllium cruising, but Forest were backmost successful the crippled successful the 61st infinitesimal courtesy of a good decorativeness from Gibbs-White, who chipped past the diving Emi Martinez.

The location broadside were talented a 3rd extremity successful the 73rd infinitesimal erstwhile Forest goalkeeper John Victor inexplicably vacated his goalmouth to effort to scope a agelong shot from Youri Tielemans, adjacent though determination were defenders nearby.

Scotland midfielder McGinn collected the shot and remained cool, sidestepping Victor and stroking the shot into the bare nett with his near ft from good extracurricular the area.

The triumph took Villa to 42 points, 1 up of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who big managerless Chelsea connected Sunday.

Forest, who person present suffered 4 consecutive league defeats, stay 1 spot supra the relegation zone, 4 points wide of West Ham, who were thumped 3-0 astatine bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

“The archetypal fractional was embarrassing, and I person to apologise to the fans – this is not what we privation to show,” beleaguered Hammers’ manager Nuno Espirito Santo said after.

Elsewhere, second-bottom Burnley mislaid 2-0 astatine Brighton and Hove Albion.