skip to content

  • Kick-off: 17:15
  • Venue: Reebok Stadium
  • Attendance: 24409
  • Referee: Dean, M

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: BOLTON WANDERERS 3-1 ARSENAL: Bolton stop the recent rot and Nicolas Anelka is the hero, as his two goals look to have ended his former club's title hopes.

88mins

Fabregas lets fly from 30-yards but the effort sums up the visitors night, as the ball clips the angle of post and bar.

86mins

It's definitely not Arsenal's night, as Adebayor sees his shot on the turn smash against the upright.

85mins

Fabrrgas swings in a free-kick from the right, but Meite this time clears his lines as Wanderers continue to be stubborn at the back.

83mins

Bolton make their final substituton, as El-Hadji Diouf makes way for Ricardo Vaz Te.

80mins

Arsenal now look a beaten team and it looks like their title hopes are all but gone.

78mins

Bolton break again, this time on the left but Diouf can't quite pick out Stelios with his cross.

76mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 3-1 ARSENAL (ANELKA): Anelka latches on to a Nolan through ball and after showing a burst of pace, slots it past Lehmann and into the far corner.

73mins

A second change from Arsene Wenger as Alexander Hleb replaces Freddie Ljungberg.

71mins

A free-kick is swung in by Diouf, the ball is flicked towards his own goal by Toure and Lehmann pulls off a flying save. The rebound lands to Anelka but his shot is kept out on the line by the Gunners keeper.

68mins

Great play from Adebayor on the edge of the area, dragging the ball past Campo but his final shot is poor and roles into the arms of Jaaskelainen.

65mins

Campo does brilliantly down the right, cutting into the box he goes down after a nudge from Clichy but the penalty appeals are waved away.

64mins

Toure is the seventh player into Mike Dean's notebook after his blocks off the run of sub Stelios.

62mins

Arsenal are now dominating possession and Bolton are being forced to further and further back towards their own goal.

60mins

Yet another caution as Philippe Senderos is shown yellow after a pull back on Diouf.

60mins

Arsenal make their first change as Julio Baptista replaces Mathieu Flamini.

59mins

Campo becomes the fifth player booked after a blatent trip on Clichy.

58mins

A quick break from Arsenal now sees the ball fall to Walcott on the edge of the box, his shot loops over the bar after a defelection off Ben Haim at full stretch.

57mins

A rare second half break for Bolton sees Speed spread the ball to Campo on the right, but the Spaniard's cross is too close to Lehmann.

54mins

Walcott shows his blistering pace down the right and his cross picks out Ljungberg, his header beats Jaaskelainen but crashes back off the post.

52mins

Nolan tries a risky backpass and Jaaskelainen is forced to hack clear from the edge of the box under pressure from Adebayor.

50mins

A quick break down the left from Clichy, the full-back slides a ball to Fabregas on the edge of the box and his shot is palmed away well by Jaaskelainen.

49mins

Ljungberg is back on after treatment and Bolton haven't been able to take advantage of their temporary man advantage.

47mins

Another clash sees Ljungberg down the deck needing treatment after a coming together with Davies.

45mins

Bolton get us underway again and it will be interesting to see how the enforced changes will effect the home side.

45mins

Bolton are forced into a half-time change with Nicky Hunt replaced by Stelios Giannakopoulos.

45mins

HALF TIME: BOLTON WANDERERS 2-1 ARSENAL: An amazing end to a fiery first half with two injury time goals and the second half promises to be a cracker.

45mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 2-1 ARSENAL (SILVA): Arsenal respond instantly and Fabregas' right wing cross is headed in by Gilberto.

45mins

What a goal from Anelka, the former Arsenal man fires in a right-foot strike which whistles into the top corner.

44mins

After a shakey spell, Bolton almost break to great effect but Campo's through ball is well intercepted by Toure.

43mins

Bolton are forced into a change after a hamstring injury to Quinton Fortune, so Ivan Campo enters the fray.

40mins

Another good move from Bolton and Diouf is involved again, his cross is from the right this time but Lehmann collcets comfortably.

38mins

Another flash point as Fortune runs into Walcott with the ball already over the touchline and the South African is booked.

36mins

Arsenal just can't clear their lines and this time it's the impressive Diouf who fires in a shot, but it's straight down the throat of Lehmann.

34mins

Bolton swing in another corner and Lehmann flaps at the ball but gets it to the edge of the box.

32mins

Arsenal have been shaken by the goal and how Bolton have unsettled them and Fabregas' over hit ball over the top highlights that.

30mins

Lehmann is now cautioned after foolishly moaning to Mike Dean that he was fouled as he tried to collect the ball from a Bolton corner.

28mins

It's end-to-end stuff at the moment and with the tackles flying in, you wouldn't bet against a red card in this game.

25mins

Freddie Ljungberg is the latest player booked as the game starts to get heated. The Swede is cautioned for moaning at the referee at what looked a perfectly good challenge from Faye.

25mins

After winning a couple of 50-50 challenges, Bolton create another half chance but Diouf's volley is well wide after Hunt's right wing cross.

22mins

Davies is the first player to go into the referee's book after a shove on Eboue, but the Arsenal players feel the card should have been red.

20mins

Wanderers are struggling to clear their lines and Jaaskelainen is called into action again, punching clear under pressure from Adebayor.

19mins

This time Arsenal's quick break comes down the left, Gael Clichy's cross finds the head of Adebayor but his effort deflects of Tal Ben Haim and goes behind.

17mins

A long ball over the top nearly catches Bolton out, Adebayor tries to latch onto it but Jaaskelainen is out quickly to clear the danger on the edge of his box.

15mins

Kevin Davies and Abdoulaye Faye miskick the ball in their own area and Nicky Hunt is forced to scramble the ball away.

14mins

Diouf tries to break through Arsenal's last line of defence, but Toure shows his quality by standing up and knocking the Bolton player off the ball.

12mins

Arsenal try to respond quickly, Eboue swings in another cross from the right towards Adebayor, but Jaaskelainen does well to collect under pressure.

9mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 1-0 ARSENAL (FAYE): Diouf swings in a corner and Abdoulaye Faye heads home at the near post, unmarked from six yards to nudge Bolton in front.

7mins

Emmanuel Eboue shows his blistering pace down the right and is fouled by Fortune, but the referee waves play on but Eboue's cross is cleared by the Wanderers backline.

6mins

Kevin Nolan shows Bolton's intent in the midfield after a strong challenge on Fabregas, ref Mike Dean gives Arsenal a free-kick in the middle of the park.

4mins

Bolton respond to the early Arsenal chance and El-Hadji Diouf beats Fredrik Ljungberg on the byline but Kolo Toure blocks the cross.

2mins

Theo Walcott gets down the run and his pace causes Bolton problems, eventually Cesc Fabregas crosses into the box and Emmanuel Adebayor heads goalwards but straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen.

0mins

Arsenal gets us underway looking to keep their title hopes alive, while Bolton are seeking an end to a disappointing run.

0mins

With no Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor gets a start for the Gunners. Theo Walcott also starts for the visitors. Team: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Silva, Flamini, Ljungberg, Adebayor.

0mins

Abdoulaye Faye comes into the midfield for Bolton, with Quinton Fortune handed a start at left-back. Team: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Ben Haim, Meite, Fortune, Nolan, Faye, Speed, Davies, Anelka, Diouf.

Match Report

Nicolas Anelka scored his first goals since an £8million move from Fenerbahce and immediately staked a claim for goal of the season.

Anelka had previously gone ten Premiership matches without a goal until his spectacular first-half effort.

And he ensured Bolton's first victory in six games with an excellent second after a glorious pass from Ivan Campo.

But the Gunners, who haven't beaten Wanderers in the league at the Reebok since 1992, will feel they deserved at least a point.

They hit the woodwork three times in the second 45 minutes and carved out other good efforts.

But their remote title hopes took another dent with this defeat as Bolton climbed back to third.

It could have been different had Kevin Davies been sent off for a push on Emmanuel Eboue.

However, he and Bolton survived to make it a happy day for the Lancastrians.

Thierry Henry's absence enabled Theo Walcott to start a Premiership game for only the second time.

Bolton welcomed back proud new dad Kevin Nolan, brought Abdoulaye Faye into midfield and relegated Idan Tal and Campo to the bench.

Walcott was soon in the thick of the action and a teasing cross after just 90 seconds allowed Emmanuel Adebayor to test Jussi Jaaskelainen from close range.

Walcott then played in Eboue whose cross was almost turned into his own goal by Nicky Hunt.

It was against the run of play when Wanderers took an eighth minute lead. From their second corner of the game, El Hadji Diouf curled in a cross, Kolo Toure lost his marker and Faye powered home a close-range header.

An Arsenal break down the Bolton right ended with Abdoulaye Meite and Gary Speed clearing crosses at their near post with the balls heading for the bottom corner.

Then came the flashpoint. Davies clearly caught Eboue with a late tackle though it certainly wasn't a leg breaker.

The Ivory Coast international immediately confronted the Wanderers striker who pushed his opponent in the chest.

Eboue crashed to the ground and both Davies and referee Mike Dean were surrounded by Gunners players.

Just what the incident had to do with Jens Lehmann who was 30 yards away only he knows.The outcome was customary Arsene Wenger apoplexy and a yellow card for Davies.

The card was brandished again soon afterwards to Freddie Ljungberg and
not surprisingly Lehmann for dissent.

And from one incident Arsenal's habitual fears about travelling to the Reebok manifested themselves again.

But Bolton were in trouble before the break when Quinton Fortune and Hunt went down injured at the same time. They were then forced to defend the corner with only nine men.

Jinxed Fortune was unable to continue while Hunt hobbled on until the break.

With four minutes of stoppage time both sides scored. Anelka collected Davies' hopeful cross-field pass and then cut in from the left wing before unleashing a brilliant strike beyond Lehmann.

However, Bolton were still re-organising when Gilberto Silva headed in a Cesc Fabregas cross to give Arsenal hope. Nolan later admitted his marking had been as poor as Toure's earlier.

It might even have been 2-2 but Ljungberg couldn't quite connect six yards out.

And Arsenal certainly should have been on level terms early in the second half. Jaaskelainen made a great save to keep out a 20-yarder from Fabregas while Freddie Ljungberg headed against a post from Walcott's cross after the teenager left Faye stranded.

It seemed the Londoners must equalise. Instead, Bolton broke away, Campo, playing at right back, threaded through a great pass and Anelka finished the outcome.

There was still time for Arsenal to hit the bar but their Reebok curse struck again.

Bolton Wanderers

Arsenal

Corners

711

Fouls

118

Goal attempts

1014

Shots off target

24

Offsides

10

advertisement

advertisement