DECLAN RICE is built different. That's all there is to it, really.
The lad played Tuesday night with a knee so swollen they weren't sure he'd be fit for Saturday. Then he rocked up to the Vitality Stadium and absolutely ran the show. Two goals. Man of the match. Six points clear at the top. Absolute mentality monster.
Mikel Arteta spilled the beans afterwards. "Until the last minute I asked him, 'how are you feeling?' He said, I'm in." That's your £105 million man right there. Worth every single penny.
Now look. I'm not gonna pretend this was some sort of masterclass from Arsenal. They were rattled early doors. Gabriel – yes, that Gabriel, the one with 20 Premier League goals from centre-back – played an absolute hospital pass straight to Evanilson inside ten minutes. Shocking. The kind of mistake that gets you torn apart in the papers.
But here's what separates this Arsenal from the nearly men of recent years: they don't fold. Gabriel went from villain to hero in six minutes flat, smashing home from close range after Noni Madueke's shot was parried. That's character, that is.
Rice showed 'em who's boss
The second half belonged to one man. Rice collected a pass from Martin Odegaard on the edge of the box and curled a beauty into the bottom corner. The travelling fans went absolutely mental. New song and everything.
Then he did it again. Bukayo Saka – who came off the bench looking like he had a point to prove – danced past two defenders and squared it. Rice was there. Tap in. 3-1. Game over, surely?
Well, not quite. Because Bournemouth signed this kid Junior Kroupi in the summer, and he's got more talent in his left foot than most of their squad combined. The teenager came on and absolutely leathered one from 25 yards. Unstoppable. Raya had no chance.
Cue fifteen minutes of squeaky bum time. But Arsenal held on. They always do these days.
Bournemouth are in proper trouble
Here's the thing that should worry Andoni Iraola. His side have now gone ELEVEN games without a win in the league. Eleven! They scored twice against Arsenal – twice! – and still lost. They've conceded two or more goals eight times when scoring two themselves this season. That's absolutely mental.
"It's a feeling we've had a lot lately," Iraola admitted, looking proper fed up. "We do a lot of good things but go away with one point or no points. It's very difficult to score two against Arsenal but to finish without a point is frustrating."
Frustrating's one word for it, Andoni. I'd use a few stronger ones.
The Cherries are nine points clear of the drop which sounds comfortable until you realise they've been sliding since October. Antoine Semenyo, their best player, is apparently off to Manchester City in January. Lovely timing there.
So can anyone stop Arsenal?
I've been doing this job long enough to know you don't call title races in January. But come on. Look at the facts.
Arsenal have won fifteen of their twenty league games. FIFTEEN. They've won seven in a row now. The last time they had a better start to a season? 1932. Before colour television. Before your granddad was born, probably.
City dropped points again. Liverpool can't score for toffee. Villa are good but not quite good enough. And Arsenal just keep grinding out results even when they're not at their best.
Arteta's got this lot playing with an edge we haven't seen since the Invincibles. Difference is, they're doing it the hard way. No cruising to 4-0 wins. Just win after win after win, even when it's ugly.
Next up? Liverpool at the Emirates on Thursday. Now THAT should be tasty.
