LONDON: Declan Rice proved why he’s a leading candidate to be the Premier League’s player of the season by inspiring Arsenal to a come-from behind victory at Bournemouth that opened up a six-point lead on Saturday.
The England midfielder scored two second-half goals — with almost identical low, side-footed finishes — in a 3-2 win on the south coast.
Rice was a doubt for the match because of a knee injury that forced him out of the 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday. He was fit enough to return and was the difference between the teams.
“We are going to need everyone chipping in at different points so happy to help the team,” said Rice, who scored twice in a Premier League game for the first time.
Arsenal fell behind in the 10th minute when Evanilson stroked into an unguarded net after intercepting a woeful pass out from the back by Gabriel Magalhaes.
The Brazil center back made amends by lashing in the equalizer six minutes later, following a mazy run by Noni Madueke, for a second goal in as many starts since returning from six weeks out injured.
After Rice’s double, a long-range strike by Bournemouth substitute Eli Junior Kroupi in the 76th minute made for a tense finale but Arsenal held on to record a fifth straight win, keeping Villa and Manchester City at arm’s length in the title race.
Villa are the closest challengers to Arsenal after a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
City can return to second place, four points behind Arsenal, by beating Chelsea on Sunday.
Bouncing back
Villa rebounded from their first loss in two months — at Arsenal — when captain John McGinn scored twice in the second half, building on England striker Ollie Watkins’ long-range opener in first-half stoppage time.
Morgan Gibbs-White reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 61st minute only for McGinn to restore Villa’s two-goal cushion after a poor piece of goalkeeping from Forest’s John Victor, who raced out of his area in an attempt to collect a ball over the top. McGinn easily rounded Victor and slotted the ball home from 30 yards (meters).
Victor went off injured immediately after the goal.
Villa’s 11-game winning run — which included eight victories in the league — was ended on Tuesday by a 4-1 thumping by Arsenal.
Wolves finally win
Wolves beat West Ham 3-0 to finally claim a first league win of the campaign and end their historically bad start to a top-flight season.
No team has taken this long to record their first win in a Premier League since the competition’s inception in 1992.
Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-chan and Mateus Mané scored first-half goals for Wolves, which moved onto six points, still 12 from safety with 18 games remaining.
Wolves manager Rob Edwards said he was torn between feeling “a bit of relief and really pleased.”
“We should enjoy it,” he said, “but it’s only one win. That’s all it is.”
Wolves was only six points behind next-to-last Burnley, which lost at Brighton 2-0, and eight off third-to-last West Ham.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said his team’s performance was “embarrassing” and the worst in his coaching career.
“I don’t recall one day that I felt so bad in a football pitch,” Nuno said.
Rice double helps Arsenal rally for win at Bournemouth and take six-point lead in Premier League
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Rice double helps Arsenal rally for win at Bournemouth and take six-point lead in Premier League
- The England midfielder scored two second-half goals — with almost identical low, side-footed finishes — in a 3-2 win on the south coast
Sabalenka returns to Australian Open primed for another title tilt
- “Honestly, there’s no difference,” Sabalenka said of her mindset heading into Melbourne Park no longer in possession of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup
BENGALURU: World number one Aryna Sabalenka enters the Australian Open in her familiar role as the hot favorite but unlike in the past two years the powerful Belarusian arrives without a title to defend or the momentum of a winning run in Melbourne.
The twice champion’s 20-match winning streak at the season’s opening major was snapped in the title clash 12 months ago when American outsider Madison Keys denied her a successful defense and a rare three-peat last achieved by Martina Hingis in 1999.
Sabalenka shrugged off that disappointment as well as losing in the French Open final and Wimbledon semifinals to secure her fourth Grand Slam crown at the US Open, leaving her primed for another title tilt on the blue hardcourts Down Under.
“Honestly, there’s no difference,” Sabalenka said of her mindset heading into Melbourne Park no longer in possession of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
“Every time, it doesn’t matter what tournament it is ... if I’m the defending champion or if I lost in the first round last year, the goal is always the same — to bring my best tennis and improve my game.
“That’s how I take it. I’m always just focusing on myself, on developing my game, and making sure I’m 100 percent there. That’s my goal and focus every time.”
Sabalenka’s serve infamously hampered her in Australia four years ago but her refined delivery has become a crucial weapon, while her variations with drop shots and sharper tactical nous have turned her into a formidable force.
She won a tour-leading four trophies last season and made nine finals, underlining her consistency at the highest level, with a shock loss to Elena Rybakina in last year’s WTA Finals title clash bringing her campaign to an abrupt end.
That setback has only sharpened her resolve and she now returns to Melbourne looking to reach her fourth consecutive Australian Open final.
The 27-year-old will also bid to reach a seventh straight hardcourt Grand Slam final to match Hingis and Steffi Graf in the professional era that began in 1968.
“I’m always super motivated when I come to Australia,” said Sabalenka, who kicked off her season by retaining her title at the Brisbane International without giving up a set.
“I love playing here and I want to stay here as long as possible. Of course remembering last year’s (Australian Open) final, I want to do a little bit better than I did.”
