| Home team | Score | Away Team |
|---|---|---|
Bolton
|
2 - 3 |
Arsenal
|
Last updated: 29th March 2008
90+5 FULL-TIME Arsenal produce an astounding comeback to win the game 3-2 despite being down to 10 men. An incredible performance and this could just put Arsenal back in the title race.
90+1 Justin Hoyte is coming on for Van Persie as Wenger looks to protect his lead. You'd have no idea Arsenal were a man down the way they've played since Gallas scored, but they need to protect the three points right now.
90 - ARSENAL GOAL!!! Who would've thought? Fabregas flicks on a pass from Hleb, it takes a couple of deflections and Arsenal look to have won it. Bolton must be devastated.
90 - We're going into the last minute and all credit to Arsenal.
87 - Davies wins the ball by Arsenal's corner flag but his cross is straight at Almunia. Arsenal counter-attack and Flamini puts a cross in for Van Persie, whose finish is pretty poor, to be honest.
86 - Walcott stays up in the area when others might have gone down. Good to see, but Arsenal still need to find a goal from somewhere.
84 - "Kevin Ramsey needs to learn a valuable lesson about counting your eggs before they hatch," says Kirk Williams, while Andrew says "there's more sting to come in the tail of this season's story yet". It's all Arsenal at the moment - they could be right.
83 - McCann has a long range effort but it's not troubling Almunia. A minute earlier, Arsenal had broken free but Campo did well to stop Flamini.
80 - Hunt picks up an instant injury in a collision with Hleb and goes off for Rasiak. Walcott just did some brilliant work down the right, but it's little use when your team-mate fires miles wide. Still 2-2.
78 - Stelios and Hunt come on for Bolton, with Diouf and Taylor going off.
76 - The Arsenal fans are very happy, as you might expect. "Words cant describe how happy i am as an arsenal fan right now, this is the arsenal we know and some of us love, the arsenal with fighting spirit, the arsenal that is capable of winning the premierleague, come on the gooners!!!" says Josh Churchill.
75 - Bolton take a deep free-kick and it causes a minor stir, but nothing to get too excited about.
73 - Anthony in Middlesex predicted a 3-2 win at 2-0, so I'll give him credit for being the most perceptively optimistic fan in the world. Still a bit of work to do yet, lads, but Arsenal look the more likely right now. Adebayor just chipped one over.
70 - Looks like you lot were right about Walcott and (to a lesser extent) Adebayor. Ndima in Zambia said that's what Arsenal needed and looks like he was right.
68 - ARSENAL GOAL!!! The comeback is complete as the Dutchman coolly fires into the corner. Game most definitely on - let's have your thoughts.
67 - ARSENAL PENALTY Cahill brings down Hleb after some neat play. Stonewall. Van Persie is stepping up.
66 - Another Arsenal corner, but it's easily dealt with by Campo this time around.
62 - ARSENAL GOAL!!! Well, the subs may not have done it, but Arsenal finally got a corner of their own and it found a way through for Gallas to fire home. Game on?
60 - Walcott and Adebayor are on - and Wenger looks like he means business as Senderos has gone off along with Bendtner.
59 - I've hardly had time to record your thoughts with all these Bolton attacks but when you get something from a Trotter you have to respond. "Firstly to the ManUre fans I'd like to say thanks for nothing - get off our page! Secondly I'd like to thank the Lord for making it rain, thirdly thanks to the Bolton equipment manager for finding some shooting boots for Matty Taylor," says Jamaican Bolton fan Kevin Ramsay.
57 - Cahill so nearly adds a third! He clearly fouled Toure to head the corner at goal, but Almunia does well to keep it out.
56 - Almunia fouls Davies and it's just - just - outside the area. Almunia can consider himself fortunate there. Diouf puts a deep free-kick in and Bolton get a corner.
55 - Good news, Walcott fans. He's finally warming up and Adebayor is too.
54 - Diouf gets a Mascherano-esque yellow as Bolton take a freekick near the sideline. It's thrown in but Almunia collects without too much trouble.
54 - Bolton nearly grab a third as Almunia fumbles a low cross. Arsenal are in a lot of trouble right now.
52 - Nice shot from Fabregas. The Bolton fans cheer because it's missed the target, but it was a strong effort from long range.
50 - Another Bolton corner. "We are well out of this game now and the title race," says Steven Fairback and I think he's right. Bolton get another corner, but it eventually comes to Almunia.
47 - Bolton win a corner and take it short, ending up with a fairly tame shot wide. Arsenal's heads are well and truly down right now.
45 - KICK OFF Arsenal get the game restarted. It's going to need to be something special this half if they're to stay in the title race.
The replays of Diaby's challenge are on and it really was comparable to the Eduardo incident. It'll be interesting to see the response to this one. In other news, I owe Bolton fan Amy Lee an apology for suggesting she was male before - humble apologies. The United fans are still laughing it up with the exception of Ben Dalton, who would actually relish an exciting title race. Arsenal fan Alex Dalton (any relation?), meanwhile, has a message for the United lot: "Good sportsmanship has died with you my friends." Shame on you all, chaps. I'm still not hearing much from the Bolton lot.
HALF-TIME Blimey, the United fans are loving this. Even the Liverpool fans are having fun with it now: "i think the final score today will be 4.1 to bolton and a hat-trick for mathew taylor," says Abdouelillah Lounici. I wouldn't bet against it the way things are going. Everyone seems to want Walcott on, so maybe he can give the visitors a cutting-edge.
45 +2 - Flamini fires it just over on the stroke of half-time. A decent effort, but no use to Arsenal right now.
45 +1 - Davies picks up a yellow card but that's unlikely to prove much consolation for the Gooners. Toure's cross on the right of the area is blocked and goes out for a throw. If Arsenal have a plan B, they'll need to reveal it soon.
43 - BOLTON GOAL!!! Well, that shut me up. Taylor hits one from just outside the area and it takes a nasty deflection off Gallas, leaving Almunia stranded. Any optimistic Arsenal fans left? It's looking bleak...
42 - An Arsenal fan bites back, with Andrew Pratten saying: "Come on United fans, grow up and stop getting your mums to write the sms's for you..." Don't think I've forgotten about the game, by the way - there just isn't all that much to report right now.
41 - "Diaby's challenge is the sort that Arsenal have been seeing and complaining about all season," says Ryan in the US and I'd be inclined to agree if I hadn't already taken a bit of stick for posting that Man United fan's views earlier on.
38 - Fabregas tries a shot from the edge of the area but goes to place it and Bolton get it away easily.
36 - Can Arsenal recover? Kamran Hussain fancies them for a 3-1 win. That looks optimistic the way things are going - there's not too muich happening in the way of Arsenal attacks right now.
32 - Bendtner has a shot and Arsenal show a bit of resolve. They'll need plenty of that to recover here.
31 - A Bolton fan writes finally, thanking me for making his day. I'd thank Bolton and the weather first off, though. "is it finally time for Bolton to get a win?! What do you think the final score will be?" It could just be Bolton's day indeed, although Steinsson's had to limp off.
30 - RED CARD!! Diaby's been given a straight red and Wenger doesn't seem to be complaining. It really was a shocker, and Steinsson could easily have broken his leg.
29 - Are there no Bolton fans out there? It's all Arsenal and United. Garry Cotton reckons "Arsenal's main issue is letting in cheap goals at the back" and he may be right. Toure's doing his best to put things right up the Bolton end though, and has a couple of decent efforts. There's still hope, Gooners.
27 - Bolton have another chance as a free-kick drops to Taylor amid confusion in the box. Arsenal escape.
25 - It's all happening on the inbox front now. More United fans enjoying Arsenal's decline and others saying it's a shame Arsenal have collapsed. It's not over yet boys - as 'Wright stone' points out, there's still super Walcott on the bench. He reckons he should've started.
23 - Not too much happening in the game but I have had a thought from a Manchester United well-wisher: "My name is zack in nairobi and I am a man united die hard. I don't want arsenal to take the league neither do I want bolton to go down. I hope bolton wins, I put my bet on them." He may just get his wish, but Arsenal are camped on the edge of the Bolton area right now.
22 - Arsenal get behind the Bolton defence largely thanks to the efforts of Toure. It's a corner... and Cahill gets it away with a little help from his friends.
20 - Bolton have a corner and it's come from Fabregas giving it away again. He played a lovely little pass a minute or so earlier, too. Arsenal clear the corner without any trouble, so the little maestro can breathe a sigh of relief.
Let's have your thoughts. I haven't had anything through yet and it's starting to get interesting - hackett.robin@gmail.com.
17 - Arsenal are making plenty more mistakes again and Fabregas is looking unusually lax. Megson's lot must be loving all this rain.
14 - BOLTON GOAL! The hosts had done very little, but there was the merest hint they were starting to get back into it. A brilliant throughball from Diouf plays in Steinsson on the right wing, who whips in a cracker for Taylor to head home. Looks like Wenger has another headache...
11 - Hleb is fouled in the middle of Bolton's half and looks ludicrously wet at this stage in the game. The free-kick is decent, but just eludes Bendtner. I was half-tempted to do a rain is pouring/old man is snoring joke, but Arsenal are making it a bit more interesting now, so I'll leave it.
10 - Bendtner's won a corner. His shot was blocked after Flamini played it out wide to Hleb in space and the Belarussian played it into the box. Corner comes to nothing, though.
9 - Arsenal nearly score! But then it turned out it was offside anyway. Van Persie was in on the left of goal, but Al Habsi made a good stop. Didn't look offside, and that was better from Arsenal.
8 - Still plenty of Arsenal passing and still plenty of Arsenal giving it away. Is this the rain or is it confidence?
5 - Arsenal make another mistake as the ball zips off the wet surface. Wenger's lot are at least trying to play nice football, but they won't get far if they keep giving away possession like this.
3 - Bendtner has a run on goal but O'Brien does well and the keeper picks it up easily.
1 - Bolton kick off ...but give the ball back to Arsenal fairly swiftly. The Gunners are trying to knock it about a bit, but make a mistake before long. Fabregas gives it away to Guthrie, who tries a fairly underwheling cross-shot.
The teams have come out and it looks downright unpleasant at the Reebok - they're bringing umbrellas out on the pitch while they take photos.
Team news Robin van Persie starts up front with Adebayor on the bench. The Dutchman will need to find form and fitness again soon if Arsenal want to win anything this year. Toure finds himself at right-back after Sagna picked up an ankle injury against Chelsea, with Senderos coming in at centre-back alongside Gallas - Eboue, once Wenger's first-choice right-back, doesn't even make the starting line-up this week. Not as much to report for Bolton, but Kevin Nolan is suspended, which could be a big blow for Megson. Samuel gets his first start of the year, Al Habsi is continuing in goal, Campo gets another start in midfield after apologising for his outburst and Davies and Diouf will be charged with the responsibility of breaking down the Arsenal defence.
Bolton Al Habsi, Steinsson, Cahill, Andrew O'Brien, Samuel, McCann, Campo, Taylor, Guthrie, Davies, Diouf. Subs: Walker, Hunt, Giannakopoulos, Cohen, Rasiak.
Arsenal Almunia, Toure, Senderos, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Flamini, Fabregas, Diaby, Bendtner, Van Persie. Subs: Lehmann, Adebayor, Eboue, Justin Hoyte, Walcott.
Referee Chris Foy
Welcome to skysports.com's live commentary from the Reebok Stadium as Bolton host Arsenal. You can get in touch throughout the game on hackett.robin@gmail.com to let me know your views. Arsenal have failed to win any of their last five Premier League games and many see the defeat to Chelsea as the end of their title hopes for this season. Will they finally pick up three points today and, if they do, will it be any use to them at the end of the season? Bolton, meanwhile, haven't won in the league since the start of February and, without Anelka, look to be in a lot of trouble. Under Sam Allardyce, The Gunners hated trips to the Reebok - can Gary Megson's men force a result against Arsene Wenger's out-of-form side?
Andy Gray fears for Fulham and Bolton, but says Reading and Birmingham aren't out of the woods yet.
Kammy is full of praise for Hull City as the Championship race reaches a gripping climax.
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Everton | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Fulham | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Hull City | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Manchester City | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Manchester United | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Newcastle United | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Portsmouth | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Stoke City | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | West Ham United | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Wigan Athletic | 0 | 0 |