Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that his side needed to beat Bournemouth this afternoon in order to stay in the Premier League title race.

Leicester City reaffirmed their title credentials with a 3-1 victory away to Manchester City on Saturday, taking them eight points clear of the Gunners.

However, Arsenal ended a four-game winless streak in the league this afternoon by beating Bournemouth 2-0 at Dean Court, and Wenger acknowledged that it was a vital victory for his side.

"We had a strong start, with good finishing and we controlled the game. We beat a good side, it was three difficult points but three very important points for us because we had not won for a while," he told BBC Sport.

"We lost a bit of our urgency in the second half. We lost the killer instinct to get the third goal and on top of that Bournemouth are physically a strong team.

"It was a must-win game for us today. Leicester have made a big impression in the last week after their results. They suddenly become the favourite in the Premier League and it makes our game a big game."

The Gunners now sit third in the table ahead of next weekend's top-of-the-table clash with Leicester.