In the match against Bournemouth in the 20th round of the Premier League, all the heroes often mentioned by Arsenal spoke up to help the whole team complete a rather spectacular comeback.
Gabriel Magalhaes was the one who equalized, then Declan Rice's double ended everything. Eli Groupi's subsequent masterpiece on the Vitality side only added a highlight to an exciting match.
In addition to Gabriel and Rice, captain Martin Odegaard also shined at the right time. The Norwegian midfielder had 1 assist in the victory over Bournemouth, marking the first time since the 38th round of last season, he had assists in 2 consecutive matches in the Premier League. At the right time Arsenal suffered a great loss in force, Odegaard knew how to shine and achieve a good performance point.
Rice's good form was shown from the victory over Brighton with a score of 2-1 on December 27, 2025. In that match, the Norwegian star scored his first goal for The Gunners this season.
Following that, Odegaard had 1 assist in the devastating victory over Aston Villa. He continued to maintain that form in the match against Bournemouth, with his quick judgmental ability, creating conditions for Rice to finish into the lower corner of the goal, helping Arsenal take the lead.
In this match, many players have shown good personality and star spirit, they have made a really big step forward. I am very impressed with Gabi's way of scoring after making a mistake not long ago. The way he reacted to that situation, transmitting energy to his teammates is truly amazing.
As for Rice, every hour he appears on the field is very important to the team. The coaching staff does not know how long Rice can play (because he has just recovered from injury), but his performance on the field is really excellent. That performance is also a very positive message to convey to all the remaining members of the club" - Mikel Arteta shared.
Although Rice was absent in the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, he still showed excellent form at Vitality's stadium and was the main factor in every good play of Arsenal. Notably, this is the first time the English midfielder has scored 2 goals in a Premier League match.
After scoring the 2nd goal, Rice kissed a television camera placed on the field. This action reminded fans of Liverpool's former captain Steven Gerrard, in 2 victories against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2009 and 2014.
Although the most mentioned people are Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, Arsenal did not only have these 2 stars shining. In the match against Bournemouth, Arteta rotated personnel by letting Noni Madueke start instead of Bukayo Saka. In 67 minutes on the field, the English star did very well, stirring the right wing and creating countless storms for the home team's defense.
Arteta starting with the main squad without Saka and Trossard further shows the depth of the squad that the Spanish coach has in hand. If we put it on the scale, this is no less important than owning stars with leadership qualities, knowing how to speak up at the right time like Rice or Odegaard.
The Gunners" ended 2025 with a spectacular victory over Aston Villa, then started 2026 with a very convincing defeat to Bournemouth. If they repeat that... 18 more times, the championship will definitely call the Gunners after 22 long years of waiting.
