Arsenal player ratings: Declan Rice scores 9/10 after superb brace, but mixed night for Gabriel
Arsenal extended their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 3-2 win away to Bournemouth.
The Gunners found themselves 1-0 down early on, but fought back to go 3-1 up in the second half thanks to a brace from Declan Rice.
Still, the home side made it a nervy finish as they pulled one back, though Arsenal were still just about strong enough to hold on to their lead and all three points.
Read on for our full Arsenal player ratings…
Arsenal player ratings vs Bournemouth
David Raya – 6 – Two goals conceded, so not the happiest Raya will have felt this season, though in fairness the second Bournemouth goal was an absolute screamer, so not many goalkeepers would have had a chance with that.
Jurrien Timber – 7 – Probably Arsenal’s best defender in a slightly shaky display overall, Timber did his job well against the threat of Antoine Semenyo, and brought the ball forwards well as he so often does.
Piero Hincapie – 6.5 – Still adapting to English football, Hincapie was solid enough today, even if not always 100% convincing against an admittedly strong Cherries side.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6.5 – A tough performance to sum up! Gabriel made an awful mistake in the 10th minute to gift Bournemouth the lead, but just six minutes later fired home a well-taken equaliser and was reasonably steady and solid after that.
William Saliba – 6.5 – Decent for Arsenal, even if not quite at his best as Arsenal conceded two goals, which is a bit of a rarity for them when their first-choice centre-backs are both fully fit.
Martin Zubimendi – 7 – Tidy on the ball, Zubimendi controlled the game well as he so often does.
Declan Rice – 9 – Two superbly-taken goals, this was Declan Rice at his best, with this lovely effort below making it 2-1 to the Gunners early in the second half…
Arsenal turn it around!
Declan Rice fires it home! ? pic.twitter.com/yohVWA8Crj
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 3, 2026
Martin Odegaard – 8 – Silky and skilful, Martin Odegaard was a joy to watch again this evening as he continued his recent revival, producing a clever assist for the first Rice goal.
Noni Madueke – 7.5 – Earned a rare start over Bukayo Saka, and looked lively on the right, particularly with some superb skill to help set up the Gabriel equaliser.
Gabriel Martinelli – 6 – Frustratingly inconsistent, this was one of Gabriel Martinelli’s worse games, with the Brazilian winger just unable to influence things or make the right decisions at key moments.
Viktor Gyokeres – 6 – A hard-worker, but Gyokeres just still seems to be lacking that quality and scoring touch that Arsenal need from him.
Subs: Gabriel Jesus 6, Bukayo Saka 7, Leandro Trossard 6, Mikel Merino 6
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