May 4, (THEWILL)- Arsenal ramped up the pressure on Manchester City in the English Premier League title race with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved four points clear at the top, though City have two games in hand, starting with a home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers later on Saturday.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Kai Havertz was fouled in the box. The young English winger’s cool finish rewarded Arsenal’s first-half dominance, which included several chances kept out by inspired Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers.
Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice put the result beyond doubt with late goals. Trossard slotted home coolly after being played through, while Rice fired in a stoppage-time effort after an incisive pass from Gabriel Jesus. Bournemouth had an Antoine Semenyo strike ruled out for a foul on David Raya and a Gabriel Magalhaes goal for Arsenal was scrapped for a Havertz offside.
The victory was Arsenal’s 14th in 16 EPL matches in 2024, an incredible run of form that has propelled them into pole position for a first league title since 2004. Saka’s goal took his tally to 20 across all competitions, the first Gunner to reach that milestone since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019/2020.
For Bournemouth, the defeat halted their momentum after back-to-back wins over Wolves and Brighton and Hove Albion, though a top-half finish remains possible. Manager Andoni Iraola will hope for a strong finish to a season that has already seen a club record 13 EPL victories.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
