Bolton Wanderers (2) – (3) Arsenal
Gallas (61′), Van Persie (66′), Jlloyd Samuel OG (90’+1)
The Reebok Stadium, Bolton
What a comeback.
I didn’t actually catch the match, but had to watch Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Saturday and Bolton led after only 13 minutes with a header from Matthew Taylor. Diaby was then sent off after half an hour for serious foul play – did anyone manage to see what Diaby actually did?
So talk about up against it.
And just to really compound the misery, Taylor snatched another goal just before the break.
As every Arsenal fan knows luck hasn’t exactly been on our side over the last few weeks, and the looking at the half-time score you would think that with 10 men the game as a contest was over.
Try telling the players that.
The game was still 2-0 after an hour and Arsene decided to just go for it. Walcott came on for Senderos and Adebayor replaced Bendtner.
From then on the game was wide open.
Gallas scored just after the changes from a Cesc Fabregas corner, and Van Persie equalised with a penalty 6 minutes later after Alexander Hleb was fouled in the box by Tim Cahill.
At 2-2, the win was up for grabs and both teams seemingly went for the winner. But after managing to get two goals back Arsenal had the momentum and Cesc’s cross managed to creep into the net in injury time after Jlloyd Samuel’s attempt to clear.
Amazing.
On a soggy, wet pitch in Bolton and with 10 men for the vast majority of the match, Arsenal came from 2 goals down and won. Talk about character.
The result is so impressive for a number of reasons.
Arsenal have been written off for the Premier League title by many people (me included) but at the moment they sit 3 points behind Manchester United. Do I think we can still do it? Well if Arsenal can comeback from 2 goals down with only 10 men then this side are capable of doing something. They certainly suprised me anyway.
And currently form has been poor. So after 4 draws and a defeat you wouldn’t have high hopes of a win after trailing 2-0 at half-time. The team and Arsene deserve a hell of a lot of credit for the character shown to dig deep and get the 3 points. Especially against a Bolton side who are tough and know how to defend.
I’m still stunned.
There’s still fight in this Arsenal team yet and the nature of this result can only bode well for the Liverpool Trilogy coming up over the coming weeks.
Edit: You can see the goals online here.
You can see that the second from Taylor was particularly fortunate, taking a big deflection from Senderos and taking the ball away from Almunia. Another positive was that Hleb looked like he has found his form again.
And apologies for saying it was Tim Cahill, I think I was caught up in the drama!
Just want to say absolutly great comeback. Great spirit. God is a Gunner!!
But I hope nic bentner ever plays for the Arsenal ever again. When the subs were being made big Phil legged it off the pitch but nic just strolled off with a puss on his face. I hate that. work for the team and the manager who’s showed so much faith in you. Selfish git!
Great comeback. The boys and the manager deserve a lot of credit because we looked dead in the water at half time.
Let’s kick on now and finish strongly. Come on the Arse!!!
Diaby was rightly sent off for a reckless challenge. He went studs up and straight at the other guy’s knee. The orse f it was that he went for the guy’s LEFT knee which was nowhere near the ball. Correct sending off.
Lol I don’t know if you’ve realised but you said Hleb was fouled by Tim Cahill. Must have been caught up in all that excitement eh?
Diaby’s tackle was just above the ankle, but it was the standing leg, and could have resulted in a bad injury. Without malice but entirely justified as a red sadly. However the incident stemmed from a period of play where Bolton were being given license to do as they chose by the ref, and our boys didn’t know how to cope with their constant edge of cheating approach. A fantastic come-back but again also an illustration of a lack of an ability to play hard and fair(ish)! How i long for a keown, vieira or parlour tackle, where the ball is won fairly and the opponent left on the floor…..
Thought Hleb, Fabregas, Bendtner and clichy all played well, and theo definitely had a significant impact. A bit less honest and he could have rightfully had a couple of penalties too.
Flamini was sensational. This guy is so important to Arsenal and we need to make sure he’s with us next season!
Great character from the lads, especially in those conditions. They could have easily just strolled to a defeat and used the sending off as an excuse but to comeback was fantastic. I am really proud of the lads today.
Theo Walcott made a big impact when he came on, and as someone has already mentioned could of easily had a couple of penalties, the guy is too honest! He surely deserves a start against Liverpool instead of Diaby or Eboue.
Great comeback. Sorry but I saw the game on setanta. We were shocking for 60 mins and it was one of the worst performances i’ve seen defensively. We should have been four nil down before we got one back. The result should not gloss over what could have beeen a shocking result against a bolton side which are a pale shadow of the one under fat sam. Our back four were all over the place. Our midfield four were non existant. Flamini rallied but was badly robbed for their second. This result will be important mentally before liverpool but really our weaknesses at the moment are there for all to see. Don’t get carried away by the result. This was bolton.
Terribly lucky win. I hope Arsene sees that he needs more experienced players next season. There are no inspirational leaders in the team. And no lethal finisher. Other teams are not afraid of Arsenal when they meet. They tremble against Manu and Chelski.
The game was live on Setanta?!
And lucky win? I’ll take those over unlucky draws mate!
Two words…Superb Comeback!!
Still can’t believe it…
I started watching the game on 16th minute when Arsenal was 1-0 down and the commentators was fking Arsenal around like they always does..and the first word from my mouth was “DAMN!”..we were 1-0 down again and so early…so early game me some hope to keep watching.
Then came Diaby’s stupid and unwanted tackle and it could have caused much serious inury although the bolton prick made so much fuss about it..not that bad compared to the tackle on Eduardo..correctly red card..I believe Diaby can be a good prospect but he needs more games..which will be best for Arsene Wenger to send him out for loan.
After the sending off I kept watching with no much hope..and came Taylor’s goal..damn why did the Arsenal players (clichy and flamini) passed around the ball so near to the goal and they was punished..deflection off gallas not senderos..2-0 down and a man down..i switched to discovery channel and realised there was no hope.
After a while i switched back to the game..hoping for a miracle and damn i was proven loser for not watching the game fully..it was 75th minute and arsenal was 2-2 (great comeback!!)…and i prayed from that point to the end for a winner, just seconds before Fabregas’s deflected shot i was thinking that i will take even a scappy or own goal..and bang goaallll!!
Damn that was huge relief after the draws and loses plus it was a superb comeback! Great to see the confidence in Van Persie penalty and he got a goal which will be a great boost for him. All players showed the hunger and passion to win and a great character to comeback from our bogey team with 2-0 down and 10 men in a horrible condition away from home. Everything and everyone was againts Arsenal getting something out of the game (including me!) but the proved everyone wrong and crafted a great comeback to turn around bad form..hope they will carry on the confidence into the triple header with liverpool and defeat MU at old trafford…and till the end of the season!
Only one area Wenger should change which is to start Walcott instead of Diaby on the left..ahead of Eboue..he was electrifiying and his pace will trouble anyone..and he is getting better and better with each game, never had a bad game at all this season..just love the way he ran and created the chance for Van Persie but VP missed the shot totally.
Overall a great relief and hope this win will bring the lads back to the form which they had before and push MU until the end and win the title! 6 points behind and they still have to play at Stamford Bridge and we have to play them at OT.
ARSENAL ROCKSS!!!!!!!