Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice heaped praise on Martin Zubimendi following the Gunners’ 3-2 Premier League triumph over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
The north London giants secured a fifth consecutive league win after a solid performance on the road. Rice was the standout player for the Gunners as he scored his maiden brace in the English top-flight.
There were several other big performers. Zubimendi was one of those. Speaking after the game, Rice had fond words to say about his midfield teammate, who was a key catalyst behind the victory on the South Coast.
The England international described Zubimendi as ‘unreal’ after a strong defensive shift against the Cherries, he told Sky Sports (via Metro):
“I think don’t underestimate to come from La Liga to come into this team. He’s not the biggest player or the strongest, but his brain, the way it works, allows the team to function in such a good way. He’s been unreal.
“He’s played so many minutes for us, the way he gets on the ball, obviously he’s Spain’s No.6 at the minute and rightly so, you see the quality he brings, the calmness, the composure, the way he thinks.
“It’s been great to play with him. I’m learning a lot and we’ve built a really good partnership, so long may that continue because we’re both young, we’re both fresh and we want to keep building that together.”
Zubimendi has been a revelation for the Gunners since his move from Real Sociedad last summer. He has quickly adapted to the demands of the Premier League and has been one of the signings of the campaign.
Against Bournemouth, he was solid in the centre of the park. Despite a nervy start, the Spaniard completed 90% of his passes with 94 touches. He made five clearances, won seven duels alongside 12 recoveries.
The 26-year-old also made a couple of tackles and lost possession only nine times. He had lesser attacking responsibility with Rice back in the team, but still stood out whenever the Gunners were under pressure yesterday.
Zubimendi and Rice have formed one of the best midfield partnerships in the division, and keeping the duo fit will be essential to the club’s prospects of ending their two-decade-long wait for the English top-flight title.
Arsenal will be back in Premier League action against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night. The reigning champions have been far from their best this campaign, but the Gunners can’t afford any complacency.
Arne Slot’s side will be determined to dent Arsenal’s title hopes by picking up a positive result. The Gunners must turn up with another strong showing to beat the Reds for the first time in the league since February 2024 (3-1 win).
