Declan Rice scored twice as Arsenal overturned an early setback to defeat Bournemouth and tighten their grip at the top of the Premier League table.
The visitors fell behind after a rare mistake from centre-back Gabriel, whose misplaced pass across his own penalty area was intercepted by Evanilson, allowing the forward to slot home for the Cherries.
Gabriel atoned before the break, reacting quickest to fire in a rebound after Gabriel Martinelli’s effort was blocked, restoring parity for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Bournemouth threatened to regain the lead, but Arsenal took control after the interval.
Rice, returning from a knee injury, struck from the edge of the area following a neat lay-off from Martin Odegaard to put the Gunners ahead.
The England midfielder then added his second after substitute Bukayo Saka cut the ball back from the right.
Teenager Eli Junior Kroupi reignited Bournemouth’s hopes with a superb long-range effort, but the hosts were unable to find an equaliser.
Antoine Semenyo, potentially making his final appearance for the club ahead of a reported £65m move to Manchester City, struggled to make an impact.
The win moves Arsenal six points clear of second-placed Aston Villa, though Manchester City can reduce the gap when they face Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal began the second half of the season in the same fashion they ended the first, recording a fifth consecutive league win despite not being at their fluent best.
Arteta rotated his squad, with Leandro Trossard and Saka initially on the bench, and still found a way to claim three points.
Gabriel’s early error briefly put Arsenal on the back foot, but his equaliser helped steady the side before Rice took charge after the break.
Saka’s introduction proved decisive, setting up Rice’s second goal, which marked the midfielder’s first Premier League brace in his career.
While the performance was not dominant, Arsenal continue to show the resilience needed to sustain a title challenge.
Bournemouth’s winless run stretched to 11 matches, their longest in a Premier League season, leaving them 15th in the table.
Despite the poor results, Andoni Iraola’s side again showed enough attacking threat to trouble a top opponent.
The Cherries registered more shots than Arsenal and created several first-half openings, while Kroupi’s strike highlighted the teenager’s growing influence.
However, familiar defensive lapses and a lack of cutting edge at key moments proved costly.
Frustration was evident at full-time as Bournemouth pushed for a late equaliser that never came.
With Semenyo’s future uncertain, the emergence of Kroupi at least offers encouragement during a difficult spell.
