Arsenal vs Bournemouth LIVE: Premier League latest updates as Declan Rice scores third in added time

A scoreline that would have been predicted, but from a match that shredded nerves. Arsenal may not know if they will be Premier League champions, but they certainly know what it’s like to be pushed to the edge in a run-in. Bournemouth more than did their bit in a 3-0 Arsenal win that, for the moment, puts them four points clear of Manchester City but with two more games played.

The expectation that Pep Guardiola’s team will just go and win their four remaining matches hung over everything but especially Bukayo Saka’s 45th-minute penalty. If you wanted a scene to capture the deepest tension in a stadium, this was it.

Bournemouth were certainly drawing a sweat, putting everything into this. That is why there was such tension, and such relief – as well as maybe why Havertz took the opportunity in the way they did.

Arsenal weren’t yet desperate but they were getting increasingly frantic. It was a vintage run-in game in that sense, where the stakes brought even more out of a good opposition side. Bournemouth weren’t going to just be fodder in a run-in. They gave Arsenal a much tougher challenge than either Chelsea or Tottenham did.

It’s the Arsenal manager’s turn to speak to the media, and he starts by saying that he “never expected an easy game”.

“It was the best first half we’ve played all season. We were unbelievable. We could have scored four or five, but only got one. Credit to Bournemouth.”

He goes on to say that he hasn’t seen any of the VAR decisions, as well as adding that “Kai doesn’t dive”.

He adds that he “will be there sitting with my kids and my family” while City play, before hailing the impacts of both Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

On the former, he says that he sees “a different edge to him in the way he competes. He loves winning more than three months ago.”

On Rice and his attacking contribution, he replies: “Sometimes it’s not easy to adapt to different positions so I think he deserves a lot of credit for doing that.”

With that result, Arsenal are four points ahead of Manchester City, who now have two games in hand. Pep Guardiola’s side play Wolves at 5.30pm today.

Below is a run-down of each team’s remaining fixtures as we approach a nail-biting end to the season.

Kai Havertz was next in front of the TNT cameras.

The Germany international says that “it was a tough game”, adding that Arsenal “had lots of chances in the first half but we didn’t manage to score them”.

“They are a good team, fair play to them. In the end, we are happy with the three points and three goals too.

On the penalty decision, he said: “I haven’t seen the replay but I think he touches me.

“I felt the contact and went down. For me it’s a penalty. I said to the goalkeeper ‘you touched me’.”

Joe Cole and Martin Keown ask him about his improvements over the season, to which he replies: “I just enjoy it on the pitch right now. It’s so nice. I have so many good players behind me and I really enjoy the number nine role.

“I enjoy every second. Hey [Mikel Arteta] taught me so many things, especially at the beginning when it was tough for me. I’m so glad I was here. Things were hard at the beginning but everyone stuck by me.

“We have two more games to play and we are going to give everything. We’ll enjoy those games and see how it goes.”

The final day of the (pre-playoffs) Championship season has taken place early this afternoon too.

Ipswich won promotion to the Premier League after a 2-0 win against Huddersfield, while Leeds missed out on automatic promotion.

Birmingham City were relegated despite winning, while Huddersfield were also condemned to relegation.

You can read more about that final day below.

Man of the match Declan Rice is first in front of the TNT Sport cameras.

He says that the game “was dominance”, but that “it was a big result because they’ve been in some top form, they’re a good team”.

“Goal, assist and three points, it’s just what we needed. I’m delighted,” he added.

Asked if it felt like it could be ‘one of those days’ before the Saka penalty, Rice replied: “It can. You look back at the Villa game, the other week when we had a few [chances] in the first half. I still think we can improve in the second half, could’ve been a bit more composed. But to win 3-0, get it over the line, it leads into next week and we are ready for it.”

“We’re embracing it. City are a machine, but we can only focus on us. We’ve had an unbelievable 2024, so look, anything can happen in football, surprises happen, miracles happen, we’ve just got to stay focused.”

98 mins: Shortly after Rice’s goal, David Coote blows the whistle. Another successful day for Arsenal, and despite some potentially controversial VAR decisions, you can’t deny it’s a deserved result for the current league leaders.

96 mins: GOAL! A deserved one for Declan Rice.

Arsenal win the ball in their half and Odegaard starts the counter, passing it across to Jesus. He holds the ball up on the edge of the box and spots the run from Rice; he slips it to him and his touch takes it past the defender before he blasts it past Travers!

95 mins: A late challenge from Christie on Odegaard, and he is finally booked. The fact that it’s taken this long is in itself poor refereeing from David Coote.