It was the ideal return from injury for Declan Rice as he notched two goals in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Bournemouth.
The Gunners moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory at the Vitality Stadium.
Rice had been expected to miss out having suffered a knee injury in the win at home to Brighton before the turn of the year.
He sat out the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, but was a surprise starting inclusion in Mikel Arteta’s lineup, which omitted in-form wingers Leandro Trossard and Buakyo Saka.
The north Londoners survived a whirlwind start from Andoni Iraola’s hosts, who put them under the cosh on the Dorset coast.
It was Gabriel, who made his own goalscoring return from injury in the 4-1 win over Aston Villa, who presented compatriot Evanilson with a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring inside 10 minutes.
The centre-back atoned for his error just six minutes later, lashing home as the ball ricocheted his way from a second phase after an initial free kick.
The home side continued to threaten in a game where both teams threw caution to the wind, and Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier both had David Raya scrambling in the visiting goal.
But it was Rice who would sweep his side in front nine minutes into the second period, after great awareness from Martin Odegaard to pick him out.
He had his second with 19 minutes to play, stroking home Arsenal’s third after a dazzling run and burst of pace from Saka down the right.
Cherries substitute Eli Kroupi crashed in a screamer just moments later to set up a grandstand finale, but the Gunners held on for a maximum return that sees them take full advantage of Manchester City’s faltering at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
