LONDON – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his side’s “extraordinary” performance as goals from Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice clinched a vital 3-0 English Premier League win against Bournemouth on May 4.

The Gunners’ fourth straight victory meant that they are now on 83 points with two games remaining.

It ensured that second-placed Manchester City will not be able to knock them out of pole position this weekend, even if they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers – that result was unavailable at press time.

Pep Guardiola’s City were on 79 points heading into their match, but would still have a game in hand on Arsenal by the time the final whistle blew at the Etihad.

“The performance we had I think it was extraordinary,” said Arteta on TNT Sport.

“We played probably the best first half we’ve played all season – the way we played, the courage that we showed, how positive the team was in every action.

“We could have gone up three, four, five easily. But we scored one.

“Then credit to Bournemouth, they changed things and the game became more open. They are really brave in the way they attack, they are direct and have a lot of threat in the box. But I thought we were clinical when we had our chances.”

Saka’s penalty put Arteta’s side ahead on the stroke of half-time at the Emirates Stadium, before Trossard and Rice then struck in the closing stages to secure the points.

Chasing their first title since 2004, Arsenal’s 26th Premier League victory this season equalled the club’s top-flight record for a single campaign.

The Gunners gifted the title to City last season after a blowing an eight-point lead in the closing weeks. But they have learnt from that meltdown, winning 14 of their 16 league games in 2024 to stay firmly in the hunt.

Arsenal travel to Manchester United in their penultimate game next weekend before hosting Everton in what they hope will be a potential title clincher on May 19.

Before all that, though, they proved that they were focused on the task on hand.

Arteta was a childhood friend of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola back home in Spain, but there was no room for sentimentality with the title on the line.

Arsenal made the breakthrough just before half-time, thanks to a rather fortuitous penalty.

Kai Havertz was played in behind Bournemouth’s defence and the German’s first touch took him past goalkeeper Mark Travers, before he fell to the ground and referee David Coote pointed to the spot.

A lengthy VAR (video assistant referee) check followed and the decision was allowed to stand, despite Havertz appearing to have dragged his foot to initiate contact with the leg of Travers, when it would have been simpler for him to convert the chance.

Saka then calmly rolled the penalty into the net, his season’s 16th league goal that was met with relief around the stadium.

“The honest answer is I haven’t seen any of the incidents because I knew you were going to ask me,” Arteta added when asked about the controversial VAR call.

“They said ‘Do you want to see it?’ and I said no. So I can’t give you an honest answer.”

Bournemouth were more adventurous after the break and Dominic Solanke had a chance but his angled shot was easily saved by David Raya.

Arsenal then doubled their lead, with Rice setting up Trossard in the 70th minute for a clinical finish.

There was still anxiety, though, and a crazy goalmouth scramble ended up with the ball in Arsenal’s net. But Solanke was adjudged to have impeded Raya with minimal contact.

In the end, Rice blasted home from close range in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Arsenal cruised to a victory that kept their title dreams alive.

“I can sense that we are embracing it,” he said on TNT Sport of the title race.

“Man City are a machine and they don’t lose many. But anything can happen in football. Miracles can happen and we just have to stay focused.” AFP, REUTERS