Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal’s resilience and character after they fought back from an early setback to beat Bournemouth 3-2 and extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s resilience and growing maturity after they recovered from conceding early to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Bournemouth, as the Gunners continued their push to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

The win strengthened Arsenal’s grip at the top of the table, moving them six points clear of Aston Villa and seven ahead of Manchester City, who still have a game in hand against Chelsea to play on Sunday.

Arsenal were forced to respond early after a rare mistake from Gabriel Magalhães gifted Bournemouth the opening goal, but the Brazilian defender quickly redeemed himself by equalising at the other end.

Declan Rice then took centre stage in the second half, scoring twice to swing the match decisively in Arsenal’s favour, before a spectacular late strike from Eli Kroupi briefly reignited Bournemouth’s hopes.

“They are so good, and we made it even harder for ourselves by conceding first, but I love the character of the team,” Arteta said. “I love the character of Gabriel — the way he overcame that moment is unbelievable.”

Arteta added that the comeback victory was further proof of Arsenal’s development, highlighting their ability to find solutions under pressure against difficult opponents.

The manager also reserved special praise for Rice, who had been a major injury doubt before the match, revealing that the midfielder pushed himself to return and was rewarded with his first Premier League brace, capping off a memorable performance.