EPL: Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers
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Arsenal v Bolton
Eduardo da Silva is expected to lead the line for Arsenal following a knee injury to Robin van Persie.
Defender Philippe Senderos is out for two weeks with a back problem but William Gallas, Jens Lehmann and Tomas Rosicky are all fit again.
Managerless Bolton could be without striker Nicolas Anelka, who is struggling to shake off a thigh injury.
Christian Wilhelmsson (ankle) is also a doubt as stand-in boss Archie Knox takes charge of Bolton.
Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Diaby, Adebayor, Eduardo, Almunia, Eboue, Walcott, Gilberto, Rosicky, Bendtner, Denilson.
Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Walker, Al Habsi, J O'Brien, Hunt, Meite, Michalik, A O'Brien, Cid, Gardner, Campo, Wilhelmsson, Teymourian, Nolan, Speed, McCann, Stelios, Alonso, Braaten, Guthrie, Diouf, Anelka, Davies.
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Arsenal, with the most wins in the Premier League (seven), defend their two point lead at the top of the table against a managerless Bolton side, with only one win so far.
Just goal difference is keeping the Trotters off the foot of the table. They've dropped 22 points, the same number as Arsenal have gained.
This match is being staged two days before the 58th birthday of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
It also comes three days after Bolton parted company with Sammy Lee. In his 170 days in charge, the Trotters won one, drew three and lost seven of 11 league matches. It was the worst record of all 17 clubs playing Premier League football over the same period.
Arsenal have never been beaten in a home Premier League fixture by Bolton, and are looking for a 50th competitive victory over a side that has been known in the past as the Gunners' bogey club. -
wow,3 more days to le boss bday!!
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woot. hope arsenal give him a big presssie.
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match started.
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I say 2-0 to Arse.Bolton is a rojak of disarray now.
Was contemplating 3 up..but nah..International games few days ago...
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Originally posted by lpx88:I say 2-0 to Arse.Bolton is a rojak of disarray now.
Was contemplating 3 up..but nah..International games few days ago... -
Currently goalless draw.
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quite dull i can say...and eduardo was good and adebayor should have scored with tt header..Originally posted by turbo_drift:Currently goalless draw. -
Toure scored on the 68th minute.
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Rosicky scored in the 80th minute.
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Full Time:
Arsenal 2 (Toure 68', Rosicky 80')
Bolton 0 -
yay! still top of the table! walcott really make an impact today! and adebayor..poor chap..he was really dog-tired.
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Great substitution by Wenger!
Splendid assist by Walcott n Rosicky scored!
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frankly speaking, adebayor is good at stealing ball n pace. but he suck at finishing.
whenever he get the ball, i was yelling "Pass to ur team-mate!" -
Gosh! what a match that was... The first half, Arsenal was playing really really bad! they were playing Bolton's game and it was mere boring stuff. Lots of temper flew during the first half and i'm sure many of u felt that Fabregas was really stupid to get the yellow card(and almost a red later on). Final words for the first half, BAD! *i'm sure u all become an "angry mob" in the first half*
Then came the 2nd half, immediately Arsenal almost scored but Eboue.... dunno where was he shooting.. terrible miss. The SUPER SUBS came along with Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky, THEY WERE REALLY GOOD AND INSPIRING. Then came the free kick, i'm sure u all hope that Toure would just blast it and IT REALLY WENT IN(all of us must have rejoice!). Fantastic free kick by Toure. Then the 2 SUPER SUBS came in to score with Theo crossing and nice flick by Rosicky. *then now we went crazy that we scored!!*
Adebayor was REALLY wasteful! The 1st half header, he would have scored if he used his head properly! and the 2nd one was the worse during the second half, at least he should have tried to score from that tight angle instead of holding it back AND HE FELL. HOW EMBARASSING AND CLUMSY! *we were laughing and wanting to kill him during the 2nd half*
The new stand-in man for RVP, simply couldn't do anything at all. The whole game i felt that he was rather quiet, maybe all he needs is time to adapt at Arsenal.
Man of the match: Toure. Inspiring defending and freekick.
Man missed: RVP!!!
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cant blame adebayor..his workrate was brilliant you know..I can tell tt he was really beat. he kept running and running just to help the midfielders. and indeed,motm goes to toure,solid defending and a goal for himself!Originally posted by akinos:Gosh! what a match that was... The first half, Arsenal was playing really really bad! they were playing Bolton's game and it was mere boring stuff. Lots of temper flew during the first half and i'm sure many of u felt that Fabregas was really stupid to get the yellow card(and almost a red later on). Final words for the first half, BAD! *i'm sure u all become an "angry mob" in the first half*
Then came the 2nd half, immediately Arsenal almost scored but Eboue.... dunno where was he shooting.. terrible miss. The SUPER SUBS came along with Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky, THEY WERE REALLY GOOD AND INSPIRING. Then came the free kick, i'm sure u all hope that Toure would just blast it and IT REALLY WENT IN(all of us must have rejoice!). Fantastic free kick by Toure. Then the 2 SUPER SUBS came in to score with Theo crossing and nice flick by Rosicky. *then now we went crazy that we scored!!*
Adebayor was REALLY wasteful! The 1st half header, he would have scored if he used his head properly! and the 2nd one was the worse during the second half, at least he should have tried to score from that tight angle instead of holding it back AND HE FELL. HOW EMBARASSING AND CLUMSY! *we were laughing and wanting to kill him during the 2nd half*
Man of the match: Toure. Inspiring defending and freekick.
Man missed: RVP!!! -
we can't blame his workrate, but we blame his finishing. If he can run all around the field, i prefer him to play as a Midfielder.Originally posted by felirox:cant blame adebayor..his workrate was brilliant you know..I can tell tt he was really beat. he kept running and running just to help the midfielders. and indeed,motm goes to toure,solid defending and a goal for himself!
*notice* i am not a so big fan of Adebayor.
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Ya ... Otherwise Arsenal would have won by 4 or 5 goals ...Originally posted by 798:frankly speaking, adebayor is good at stealing ball n pace. but he suck at finishing.
whenever he get the ball, i was yelling "Pass to ur team-mate!"
If you include the chance by Eboue ... -
I think Adebayor must go gym train his calf...his shots no power one. Sometimes i wonder why he must jump to head the ball when the ball is at his head level. He jump, his legs go up but head remain almost the same level...just now head overshoot the ball somemore...
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*Wenger delight at 11 straight*
Arsene Wenger hailed his Arsenal side after they racked up their 11th straight win against Bolton.
Second-half goals from Kolo Toure and Tomas Rosicky secured three points for The Gunners against managerless Bolton at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have now not slipped up in any competition since the 1-1 draw at Blackburn in August and are still unbeaten this season.
"I'm very proud because we play every game to win and I think all the wins we deserve," Wenger told Sky Sports.
"Today we got our success by being patient and keeping a high tempo and I feel there is a great spirit in the side which you can see when we play the game."
Change
Arsenal were struggling to break through a resilient Bolton backline in the first hour of the match before Wenger changed things.
The Frenchman brought on Rosicky and Theo Walcott and the goal finally came, before the pair linked up for the second with ten minutes left.
"They worked very well," Wenger said of the substitutions.
"It's always difficult to measure the work the team did before but Theo and Tomas brought something through pace, penetration and creativity.
"I knew before the game that we had a strong bench."
Focused
Wenger was pleased the two-week break for internationals did not affect his side's performances in any way.
He added: "You feel that the players are switched on straight away when they come back.
"They know that there's a big test and I must say they were remarkably focused before the game." -
*Toure fires Gunners*
Arsenal kept up their perfect Premier League record at Emirates Stadium with two second-half goals against Bolton.
The Trotters' temporary manager Archie Knox organised his troops well in the first 45 minutes as Jussi Jaaskelainen was rarely troubled.
But Arsene Wenger made a double change just past the hour mark - bringing on Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky - which sparked his side.
Kolo Toure finally fired Arsenal in front in the 67th minute when his free-kick from 25 yards found the bottom corner.
The substitutes combined for the second with ten minutes remaining as Rosicky finished from six yards out after Walcott's cross.
Early struggles
Arsenal were dangerous down the flanks in the first period and a cut-back from Alexander Hleb from the left almost picked out Emmanuel Adebayor in the six-yard box, but the Togo striker could not make clean contact and the ball was hacked clear.
The gangly Adebayor was again the target when Bacary Sagna swung over a cross from the right. This time his glancing header flew wide.
The visitors were happy enough to break up play whenever possible and also get physical when necessary.
And on 20 minutes, there was a flashpoint when Gavin McCann clattered into Sagna, with both feet in a sliding challenge.
Tempers boiled over and, following a brief melee, Fabregas and El Hadji Diouf were shown yellow cards by referee Mike Riley, along with McCann for the original foul.
The home fans were soon screaming for a penalty when Adebayor went down under a sliding challenge from McCann, but the referee was correct to rule the Bolton player had won the ball.
Arsenal slowly started to up the tempo in the final 10 minutes of the first half.
On 42 minutes, Croatia striker Eduardo - in for injured top scorer Robin van Persie - floated over a high ball from the left to the back post.
Adebayor was unmarked, but timed his jump all wrong and was only able to put a tame downward header behind.
Arsenal had a great chance to take the lead at the start of the second half. Bolton failed to clear from inside their own six-yard box, with McCann knocking the ball into the path of Emmanuel Eboue.
However, the Ivory Coast international rushed his angled shot and slashed it across goal and high into the stands.
A well-worked counter attack then saw Fabregas teed-up on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot was straight at Bolton keeper Jaaskelainen.
Adebayor then exchanged a neat one-two with Eduardo and struck the ball just wide of the top right-hand corner from 20 yards.
Key change
With 28 minutes left, Wenger introduced Walcott and Rosicky, for Eduardo and Eboue.
Fit-again Arsenal captain William Gallas came close to snatching the lead when he diverted a corner goalwards from inside the six-yard box, but Jaaskelainen reacted quickly to make a point-blank save.
However, Arsenal did not have to wait much longer for the goal to come. A free-kick some 25 yards out was tapped back to Toure, and the Ivory Coast defender drilled a low strike into the bottom left corner.
The relief around Emirates Stadium was clear, and the hosts were soon looking for the cushion of a second goal.
Adebayor raced clear and rounded the Bolton keeper, only to then theatrically tumble near the goalline as he looked to cut the ball back to Walcott in the centre.
The England Under 21 winger then turned provider with 10 minutes left. Walcott was fed in on the right side of the area by Hleb, and his low cross was turned in by Rosicky from close range. -
i am seriously wondering(and many pple too), how did Sagna's hair grow back so fast!!
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lucky dat referee, Mike R nvr costed us the match.
he is well-known for being a manure supporter for awarding penalties on many occasion.
hopefully he will not be the referee-in-charge when we face manu. -
that's whyOriginally posted by akinos:i am seriously wondering(and many pple too), how did Sagna's hair grow back so fast!!
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same feelings... actuali eduardo would've some chance if adebayor didnt waste so many... but can't blame adebayor cos last time we all wan them to shoot fast...Originally posted by 798:frankly speaking, adebayor is good at stealing ball n pace. but he suck at finishing.
whenever he get the ball, i was yelling "Pass to ur team-mate!"