Bolton 1-3 Arsenal – 14/02/07 – (FA Cup) 15 February, 2007
Posted by lasagnechef in Cup Games.trackback
It was a strange team that started with Gilberto captaining the side from centre back and Djourou filling in at right back. The busy schedule is really harming us but if we lost last night we would’ve had a well deserved break. Thankfully, we’re still in the FA Cup and will play Blackburn at 12.30 on Saturday. I was wondering how we’d do with this weakened side against the team that put 3 past us last time we were there. However Adebayor scored an early goal in the 13th minute to give us some confidence. Hleb and Denilson made some great little touches out on the right wing; it was beautiful, one-touch Arsenal football around the Bolton players. To ball came to Rosicky outside the box who tried to square it to Baptista ho would’ve been one-on-one. The ball was cut out by a defender but Adebayor was following up and tried his luck taking a shot at goal. It took a wicked deflection off Stelios and looped over Jaaskelainen’s reach making it one nil to the Arsenal. The credit for that goal must go to Denilson who was just brilliant in the build up.
We had quite a few chances and out quick movement on the break was really causing Bolton some troubles. Bolton were lucky just to be one nil down but they did have some chances of their own. Gilberto and Toure were great at the back dealing with everything thrown at them rarely forcing Almunia into action.
We nearly made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute when we were awarded a penalty. Baptista drove into the box and was brought down by Ben Haim. Gilberto stepped up to take it but blasted it way over the bar, nowhere near the target. Before the penalty I was thinking we should be at least 2 goals ahead so I thought the captain would step up and make things right. About ten minutes later Hleb came off for Ljungberg, both players just returning from injury and both players putting in great performances.
When the board went up for 3 minutes of injury time. I thought we were safe and going through but we lazily conceded a corner. Jaaskelainen and everyone came up for it, overloading the box and the Arsenal defenders couldn’t cope, in the end Meite squeezed it in at it was 1-1 with the game going to extra time. I couldn’t fucking believe it, it should’ve been about 3-0 by now but somehow we messed it up and it’s all even. Aliadiere replaced an excellent, but tired Rosicky to maybe try and nick a goal before the end but it wasn’t to be.
Justin Hoyte came on for Djourou at right back who had a great game there, as did other players who were out of position last night. Right at the begging of extra time Bolton nearly scored and hit the post, I just held my head in my hands just as I did when Heskey hit the post on Saturday. Bolton were on top for start of extra time, we’d been going at them all game and I think the players were feeling it. That was Bolton’s last chance though and when Freddie scored just before half time it was all over. Aliadiere picked up the ball in our half and made a great run down the left side of the field and finished it with a great ball to Ljungberg who scored with a great finish right into the far corner passed the ‘keeper. 2-1 now and it was another beautifully worked Arsenal goal.
The second half of extra time was quite strange, Arsenal were by far the better team and came so close to scoring on the counter attacking with Bolton pushing all their men forward. Arsenal got away with Adebayor charging towards an open goal with Jaaskelainen sprinting back to his box. Baptista was open in the middle but the pressure from Anelka chasing didn’t allow Ade the space to pass. In the end Anelka brought Adebayor down in he box and I don’t understand why he wasn’t show the red. It was a tackled from behind in the area as the last man with an open goal. He only got a yellow for it and another Brazilian Baptista blasted the ball over the bar from the spot again, I couldn’t believe it. Late in the game Bolton got another corner but the ‘keeper stayed in goal for this one as Baptista and Adebayor were waiting on the halfway line. Ljungberg won the corner and hoofed the ball up field with Baptista charging at the ‘keeper with Ade there for the pass. The Beast simply squared to Ade when he got up to Jaaskelainen and it was a simple tap in for 3-1.
It was a dramatic night with so many twists and turns. Also Tal Ben Haim got a second yellow late in extra time but Bolton were playing like they had 10 men anyway. Well done if you sat through all of that last night. Thanks to that win the next game is against Blackburn in two days time, build up to that to come. See ya.
First shot
Kinda worried about the game on saturday. quite a few of our lads would be knackered eh? *crosses fingers and hopes for the best*
I was totally unimpressed by Ben Haim. No idea why Chelsea are interested in that clumsy fool. When he brought down Hleb I was pissed off, I thought Hleb had a clear opportunity to unleash a shot that would’ve given Jaaskelainen trouble.
Baptista to me is one of the worst finishers ever. He should’ve scored in the first half when he was open by the right post but he blew that. After than on the counter-attack, he blew a few chances including one where he just fell down.
If you still haven’t seen the highlights, you can see them here.
Hleb was brilliant. the bal was stuck to his shoe with glue all night. And baptista…well…lets just hope it was an off night. i like the guy, he seems to be a genuinely nice guy from interviews, but i think he’s just not going to make it in the EPL. We’ll have to give him back to madrid and sell off reyes for 30 cents on the dollar (or 30 pence on the pound, for you Uk folk)
Well, my dream came true as TH14 didn’t and I predicted Arsenal win by 2-1. But it was 3-1.
If you know most of Arsenal players, you can’t say that that team was a weaken side. The only player who makes us look weak up front is your paper tiger, TH14.
lc, please shut up. Just because we won without Henry in the lineup doesn’t mean he’s a paper tiger. Champions League starts next week and I’d like to see a hand count of how many Gooners would rather have Baptista/Aliadiere in there instead of Henry. Anybody? Anyone? I didn’t think so.
should have been 6-1 to us! but we still got a good result in the end, hate to imagine what it would have been like if it were penalty shoot-outs.
Yeah, I don’t have too much faith in Almunia, especially in a penalty shoot-out against Jaaskelainen. Not to mention our misfiring strikers.
Sanfrangoon and all you yanks
There is no such thing as the EPL
It is the Premier League
Call it the PL if you must, we don’t call the NFL the USANFL, or the NBA the USANBA etc.
Gunner8,You are hilarious. That made me laugh. Hey give us a break! Not all us yanks are as dumb as sanfrangoon! Its just cause he’s a queer from san fran! Ha ha…
what?? arsenalist are u mad? how can u say u have no confidence in almunia? Granted he may not be the best keeper in the entire world but hes pretty decent. Hard to pick a heap of better keepers in the league. In the past games hes played has he made 1 outstanding mistake? He’s even improved his coming for crosses. Lay off the man will you. I will have no qualms about him taking over Jens although I also wouldnt mind having Carson at the club.
Yes Baptista has been poor. Even in the games he’s scored in, he looked out of his depth in them but popped up with goals. We need better finishers. Seriously. Could’ve cost us the game.
agree with justin. almunia was always very very good at stopping shots. (champions league final aside). it was his decision making and his dealing with crosses that made him suspect. it look slike he’s working that out though.
not queer in san frn, so much as vaguely un-butch.
A brilliant win and finally the lads beat Bolton (away).
Bravo bravo.
Justin, Sorry after that second goal he let in the Champions League final, I’m forever scarred. But I was referring more to having no confidence in him in a shoot out against Jaaskelainen and having to make saves to make up for our aim-for-the-sky strikers.
BTW, sanfrangoon, I visited San Francisco last year, wonderful city.
Gunner8, go easy on sanfrangoon, every media outlet in North America calls in the EPL (English Premier League) so the Barclay’s English Premiere League. Now, even though that may be incorrect, you can’t really blame us.
yeah same in malaysia.. i tink apart from england (where it might sound stupid), the premier league is called the EPL. Just a poll. Who here still hates Richard Keys, Andy Gray, David Platt and most of em cunts in the media.\? Well i do for starters. You guys should have read the shit that came out in the local papers today… Going on about how Titi has one of the worst attitiudes in soccer and also shit bout arsenal i didnt even bother reading. Wankers….
p.s. a ray of sunshine today. Richard keys who normally appears on a review show on the telly was replaced albeit temporarily today so at leats i didnt have to see his face
Justin, got any links so I can read some of the hate they were spewing? What were they saying about Henry?
BTW, all Gooners, I know that MLS sucks and has no talent, but if you are planning on picking a team to support sometime in the next decade, I urge you that it be Toronto FC.
Fucking litlle britainers.
Seeing as it’s the English Premier League, I don’t see the problem with calling it EPL. What difference does it make anyway? It’s a global game and you support a truly globalised team. So stop whinging about words like soccer, terms like EPL or whatever the fuck else.
Whoa. I didnt know this would be such a huge controversy! Good night! Let’s just all calm down and forget about the name issue. Let’s focus on the next game against Blackburn! Call it what you want, but Arsenal is still the best team in the league! Go Gunners!!!
I don’t get all the noise about Henry. it’s a competitive game and he’s not allowed to do a little trash-talking? if he were english everyone would simply chalk it up to his “gritty” nature and his “passion to win.”
I predict aliadiere plays up front with titi. with walcott on the right wing, and maybe lundberg on the left?
btw, what’ swith eboue? he’s not listed as injured. they keep saying he took a “knock on the ankle” but he’s been out awhile now…we could really use him as we hit the champions league. i like hoyte, but he ain’t champions league material.
Pabz you wanker, I am half yank albeit born and bred a norf London gooner, the Premier League is the name… …yes we call the Scottish League the SPA, but calling our League the Premier League is about inventing the sport… …like the FA in other countries it might be the SFA or whtever but inventing the sport gives us the right to be THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION and THE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!
Spain is La Primera Liga
France Ligue 1
Germany Bundesliga
Italy Serie A etc.
just get it right, Americans and Canadian’s seem to need Acronyms for eveything KFC, CIA, NWA, blah blah blah… …but just refer to it as the Premier League otherwise you are not talking about Arsenal!
Arsenalist, sorry I liked FC Dallas (Steve Morro is the manager and my mothers fam is from there, but Colorado are now USArsenal… …but oce you pick team I think you can not change unlike all the Chavski fans ho used to support manure.
Sorry for the rant but its Friday night and Arsenal is playing at home for my girlfriend so… …I am drunk and on The Cannon.
night all
Arsenal 2morrow
Almunia
Hoyte, Toure, Gallas, Traore
Walcott, Csesc, Flamini, Ljungberg
Adebayor, Aliardiere
Poom, Senderos, Clichy, Denilson, TH14
I could be wrong but in training yesterday this was the squad in the blue vests…
sorry mate dont have the links as the articles came out in the local papers
Inventing it has nothing to do with it… Fact is it doesn’t matter what people call it. EPL or Premier League… who cares.
But since Gunner 8 DOES CARE so much about semantics and insists we call it the Premier League… The Premier League is not a competition, but rather a bureaucratic body that ORGANISES a league called the Barclays PREMIERSHIP.
As for being authentic with the Premier League notion and therefore being allowed to call the Scottish Premier League the SPL… well in Scotland it was the Premier Division long before 1993. True it is now the Premier League (and the Scots quite happily call it the SPL), but since our competition is actually the Premiership, I’m really struggling to see what the problem is.
So call it the Premier League, the Premiership, the EPL, whatever. We all get the point. No need for getting irate.
Well, that sucked. This reminded me a lot of the CSKA Moscow game but with chances of less quality and promise.
Here’s some highlights I uploaded and a full blown blog entry.
I also wrote a Champions League Preview with predictions.
arslenal is my favorite club
its good arsenal tim my favorite club ARsenal
Am love ARSENAL