Wednesday 20 January 2010

Bolton stun Emirates and Arsenal respond

The line up saw Clichy and Denilson return for Traore and Eastmond. The game started very much a la Everton, there just wasn't the drive and tempo in the Arsenal game that should be present in a side going for the top of the table spot.

Bolton took a shock lead, some hashed defending led to an up in the air Clichy clearance being diverted towards Cahill by Davies, Cahill put it home firmly. We then had a few chances, Eduardo fired just over, Arshavin just wide. A shocking bit of tackling from Denilson that gave Bolton their second via the penalty spot, Denilson getting nowhere near the ball and chopping down Lee in the box, Taylor converted, two nil down with only around half an hour gone.

Thus far it had been a performance that has lacked all the ingredients needed for winning the title. Our defending has been shabby, our attacking play has been too laboured and in front of Bolton's banks of four. There was a real lack of pace in our play and I hate to say it but at at 2-0, the word complacency sprang to mind.

After the second Bolton goal we finally started playing. The tempo was upped, we started playing with more directness and desire. Eduardo missed a great chance twelve yards out with the goal at his mercy after fantastic Fabregas work. Knight almost flicked a header into his own net, it bounced back off the bar and away to Bolton's great relief. Finally the pressure paid off, Rosicky drove towards goal in the inside right position, he then unleashed an unstoppable rasping drive into the top right. Half time couldn't come too soon for Bolton, 2-1 it was at the break and how important it was to get this goal back so that we were within touching distance.

It didn't take long for the scores to become level. Gallas won the ball in midfield, the Bolton man went down and stayed down, the ref played on quite rightly, it broke to Cesc on the edge of the box who took it on and slipped the ball home brilliantly from a tight angle, 2-2 the score. Cesc had been by far our best player on the night, he almost got our third, forcing a fantastic Jaaskelainen top over.

The best goal came third, the ball broke to Thomas Vermaelen who belted it in off a post with the outside of his left peg, a cracking half volley, 3-2 and we led for the first time. Unfortunately Abou Diaby then went down injured and stayed down, the treatment came and he then went off, very worrying indeed given our ever increasing number of midfielder injuries. For the third time this week Fabregas was denied a stone wall penalty as he edged the ball past Jaaskelainen, and he was clearly brought down, the ref bottled it and gave a goal kick. The goal that allowed a little bit of relaxation before the whistle came after an attempted one two between Arshavin and Eduardo, the ball broke to the Russian who slammed it home from six yards out, 4-2. A majestic fifth almost followed as a fabulous dribble from almost half way by Arshavin, he beat Knight and was through on the keeper, a good low save kept him at bay for once.

This was a roller coaster of a football match and we are now top of the league. I don't think we'll stay there that long if we start games as we did tonight though. The man of the match was undoubtedly Cesc Fabregas, inspirational and at the heart of everything good we did, Arshavin was also more involved, Almunia also dealt well with the aerial challenge that Bolton pose. On the negative Diaby's injury is potentially a massive blow, hopefully he'll be back soon, while Denilson is clearly not capable of filling the central defensive midfield slot. If Arsene needs to provide the team with any motivation in future months then he should make the team watch their performance for the first half an hour today over and over again. I shouldn't whinge when we have three points though.

Finally there is a beautiful poetic justice about today's win. I am sure the media will be full of pathetic whinging about Gallas' tackle that led to our equalising goal, it was a yellow card in my eyes, nothing more. Given all the horrendous tackles and injuries that Bolton have inflicted upon us over recent years they have no right to complain. They are a dire footballing side that has been characterised by long balls and cynical thuggery, they deserve no luck from the beautiful game, I feel no sympathy for Bolton.

20 comments:

Unknown said...

this arrogant wenger will cost us the title dearly becoz of his stupidity of not buying average quantities instead of proven quality players

Anonymous said...

any truth in the rumours of Dzeko being in the stands?

Unknown said...

this arrogant wenger will cost us the title dearly becoz of his stupidity of buying average quantities instead of proven quality players

Anonymous said...

Bunch of negative pricks, what more do you want?

Anonymous said...

Do you need a cloth Danny, you seem to have egg on your face

Barnet Gooner said...

So we came back from 2-0 down to win the game by the two clear goals we needed to get the 3 points and go top and still the negative whingers are out in force... How about celebrating the fact that having gone behind we had the determination to turn it around... Would we have done that 2 seasons ago??? Of course not. So those of you who think you know better than the manager why don't you fuck off to Spurs where you'd really have something to moan about...

Anonymous said...

shut your pie hole danny. arsenal top of the league. enjoy it boys.

Anonymous said...

whinning about wenger. the man has managed a team rocked by injuries to the top of the league. come on you gooners!!!!!

Anonymous said...

suck my fat one danny

ArsenalBiH said...

@ Barnet Gooner

"fuck off to Spurs where you'd really have something to moan about..."
priceless LOL

Unknown said...

Bolton must be happy to have a taste of their own medicine

Anonymous said...

densilson is pure crap.

Anonymous said...

any bolton fans here? oh dear your players r too soft.. we are Arseanl men against Bolton sissy boys. LOL

Anonymous said...

Well said about Bolton getting a taste of what they've been dishing out all these years. Remember a match 6-7 years back when we were 2-0 up and they took out 3 of our players and drew 2-2.. Fuckin payback!

Anonymous said...

To all those who keep saying: buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy buy
We are top of the league and have spent close to nothing in the transfer market. But i guess you will never be satisified no matter what.

What fantastic fighting spirit the boys showed. Now if only some fans could get behind the team and stop whinging like a bunch of ninnies

Ray Parlour's Perm said...

Denilson looks drunk out there. I can't believe at one point I thought he was better than Song.

Eduardo is like a guy who hasn't been laid in a long time and has completely lost all his confidence. Right now he couldn't score if he was in a whorehouse with a fistfull of $100 bills.

Obsinho said...

That may be true of Eduardo, but his value to the team is much like RVPs at the start of the season. He's holdin up the ball, moving the back 4 out if place and working his ass off.

So he may not get laid himself, but he will certainly use that money to make sure everyone else sees plenty of action!

Unknown said...

yes we did win but we still need a striker over 6ft or at some point we are gonna hit a brick wall.

1979gooner said...

agree about Eduardo,

he's not quite there pace or sharpness wise,

but he is playing very well for the team, he is holding it up well and moving cleverly in the right areas

Anonymous said...

good article. nice win. nice to be on top. lets stay there. agree with obsinho about eduardo.

rahul