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  • Adebayor (88)
  • Date:2006-12-13
  • Kick-off:19:45
  • Venue:The JJB Stadium
  • Attendance:15311
  • Referee:Styles, R

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-1 ARSENAL: The referee blows the full-time whistle as Arsenal take the three points and move up to third in the table.

90mins

Wigan push for an equaliser as they pile into the opposition box for Baines' long throw, but they can't create an opening.

89mins

The fourth official indicates there will be three minutes of added time

89mins

Arsenal replace Walcott with defender Justin Hoyte

88mins

WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-1 ARSENAL (ADEBAYOR): Arsenal take the lead two minutes from time as Adebayor slots home after latching on to a beautiful pass from Fabregas.

86mins

Kirkland reacts angrily to Adebayor's challenge after the keeper comes out bravely to collect the ball from the striker's foot.

84mins

Lehmann comes off his line to collect a high ball before Camara can latch onto it.

82mins

Camara catches the ball sweetly as he smashes his shot just past the post after pouncing on a defensive error by Djourou.

80mins

Ljungberg is played in down the left side of the penalty box by Van Persie and forces a good save from Kirkland.

78mins

Baines picks up the pieces from Kilbane's corner but his cross is too high for anyone in the area.

76mins

Camara breaks onto a loose ball in the six-yard box and forces a save from Lehmann before Toure completes the clearance.

74mins

Arsene Wenger also takes off Flamini and introduces Cesc Fabregas.

74mins

Arsenal bring on Robin van Persie to replace Baptista.

72mins

Djourou commits a foul on Kilbane who takes the free kick and makes a decent delivery but is too close to the keeper

71mins

Arsenal have definitely been more direct in this half and are looking to use their pace and get the ball into the box to create some chances.

69mins

Walcott again demonstrates his pace with a driving run through the middle of the Wigan defence.

67mins

The Latics bring on Andreas Johansson for the injured Heskey.

67mins

Baptista fires narrowly wide from the resulting free-kick after curling the ball round the wall and worrying the diving Kirkland.

66mins

Wright is booked after clipping the heels of Ljungberg.

66mins

Walcott does what he does best, getting the ball and driving at the full-back. He pulls the ball back for Adebayor who can't make the most of the chance.

64mins

Clichy makes a driving run down the left-hand side, putting in a good cross which is headed out for a corner by Boyce.

62mins

Both sides are showing more conviction in attack with the game opening up a lot more.

60mins

Camara nearly beheads the oncoming Toure as the defender bravely heads clear a poor cross

58mins

Skoko is allowed time on the edge of the box as the ball sits up nicely and he fires a placed volley into the palms of Lehmann who collects the ball comfortably.

56mins

Arsenal again create a golden opportunity. Baptista, with the ball round the back of Baines, finds Walcott who runs in on goal. But the teenager chooses to square the ball to the sliding Adebayor who couldn't connect with the pass.

54mins

A great ball from Silva plays Adebayor in on goal but he places his shot straight into Kirkland's hands.

52mins

Wigan's three strikers are linking up well, McCulloch winning the flick on, Camara controlling and turning, then laying it off for Heskey who fires over the bar.

50mins

Heskey again causes trouble for Arsenal, using his pace and power to muscle past Djourou, but he can't get his pass through to Camara.

48mins

A fantastic throughball from Camara splits the Arsenal defence and puts Heskey one-on-one with Lehmann, but the ball bobbles and Heskey fires it into the goalkeeper's hands.

46mins

Kilbane's fine cross from the left was just too high for David Wright who couldn't make a connection.

46mins

Wigan restart the second half

45mins

HALF TIME: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-0 ARSENAL: Rob Styles blows the whistle for the break after a frantic end to the first half.

44mins

One minute of added time signalled by the fourth official

42mins

The game suddenly lights up as Landzaat skips past Silva, plays a one-two with Heskey but can't get on the end of it. Arsenal then hit Wigan on the counter-attack but fail to make the most of the situation.

40mins

Djourou awkwardly clears a good cross from Landzaat.

37mins

Camara recieves a neat pass from Kilbane and shows good determination after being knocked to the ground by Toure, getting up immediately and beating the defender to the ball before hitting his shot wide.

35mins

The Wigan crowd raise the noise level in support of their team as they see their side getting the best of Arsenal

31mins

Baptista is caught offside as he looked to latch onto a throughball from Gilberto Silva

31mins

Ljungberg just over-runs the ball and collides with the advertising board after failing to capitalise when it was three on two in the Wigan defence

29mins

Heskey puts the ball out for a goal kick after bringing the ball down well on his chest but he could not get his shot on target

27mins

Johan Djourou commits a foul on Denny Landzaat to give away a free kick down the right hand channel 30 yards from goal

25mins

Gael Clichy and Freddie Ljungberg link up well and create a chance for Adebayor who can only hit the ball against Hall.

23mins

Walcott wins a corner which Freddie Ljungberg plays short to Flamini who wastes the chance to create a chance to score

21mins

Potential England internationals Walcott and Leighton Baines are having a good battle, Walcott has twice got the better of the Wigan full-back with his frightening pace

19mins

Emmerson Boyce and Fitz Hall are looking a sound pairing in the Wigan back four, Baptista and Adebayor haven't had a sniff in the opening 20 minutes.

17mins

Good defending from Arsenal full-back Eboue, pinching the ball from Kevin Kilbane and nearly wiping out the cameraman in the process.

15mins

Kirkland comes out to easily catch a high cross from Walcott.

13mins

Wigan are getting the better of the Arsenal back four at the minute, piling the pressure on and enjoying the majority of the possession

11mins

Rob Styles gives a goal kick to Wigan after it was clear it should have been a corner to Arsenal.

9mins

David Wright just about clears a dangerous Walcott cross as he puts the ball out for a corner with a diving header inside his own six yard box

8mins

Kevin Kilbane fires in a 25-yard shot which is blocked by Gunners defender Emmanuel Eboue.

6mins

Josip Skoko curls an inswinging corner to the far post which is comfortably cleared by Toure.

4mins

First chance for Arsenal as Theo Walcott bursts past Leighton Baines but fires wide for a goal kick

2mins

The first free-kick is awarded to Wigan after Kolo Toure climbs on Heskey, which will be an interesting physical battle.

1mins

Referee Rob Styles gets the game underway as Wigan kick from left to right.

0mins

Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland is declared fit despite spending Saturday night in hospital with concussion, after their 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. Emile Heskey returns after serving a one-match ban at the weekend, but defender Paul Scharner is suspended

0mins

Arsenal go into the game looking to move up to third place in the league and close the gap on the top two. Arsene Wenger makes three changes after the draw at Chelsea, with Walcott, Baptista and Ljungberg all starting.

0mins

Wigan's line-up: Kirkland, Wright, Boyce, Hall, Baines, McCulloch, Landzaat, Skoko, Kilbane, Camara, Heskey

0mins

Arsenal's line-up: Lehmann, Eboue, Djourou, Toure, Clichy, Walcott, Flamini, Julio Baptista, Silva, Ljungberg, Adebayor

Match Preview

Wigan Athletic welcome Arsenal to the JJB Stadium, with the Latics hoping to improve on a recent run of form of just one win in five games.

Paul Jewell's side's only victory in the last month came with a 2-0 triumph at West Ham United a week ago, while at the weekend they drew 1-1 at Middlesbrough.

The point came at the expense of a worrying head injury to goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, who needed hospital treatment after a collision with team-mate David Wright towards the end of the first half at the Riverside Stadium.

Kirkland went into shock after suffering concussion and is highly unlikely to have recovered in time to face the Gunners, with Mike Pollitt set to step in.

Centre-back Arjan De Zeeuw and winger Gary Teale both missed the weekend action due to injury, while Luis Antonio Valencia suffered renewed problems after just ten minutes as a substitute.

Arsenal also drew 1-1 at the weekend, but Arsene Wenger's side earned their point from a creditable performance at champions Chelsea.

Wenger has refused to write off his side's title chances, saying after the Stamford Bridge performance: "We could have won it in the end and I feel a bit frustrated.

"We were in control, there was not much time left and the quality of our performance and our team spirit was absolutely tremendous."

Wenger's praise came with his side shorn of the services of Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky and Thierry Henry, as well as long-term absentee Lauren.

However, the Gunners are a massive 18 points off the pace set by Manchester United, although they would move up to third place in the table with a win over the Latics.


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Match Report

Arsenal climbed into third place in the Premiership table as Emmanuel Adebayor fired home the winner three minutes from time with a terrific finish.

But it was tough on Paul Jewell's side who were well worth a share of the points in a match which burst into life in the second half.

Emile Heskey, back after suspension, was desperately unlucky not to fire Wigan in front, but there were vital contributions from Latics keeper Chris Kirkland and Arsenal's Jens Lehmann before Adebayor got the winner, racing onto a great ball from Cesc Fabregas.

Carried off at Middlesbrough and forced to spend Saturday night in hospital, Kirkland was given a vote of confidence and named in the starting line-up.

And he re-paid manager Jewell's confidence with an excellent performance while Lehmann too earned his money.

Wigan had Paul Scharner missing after picking up a one-match ban and that meant a chance for Dutch star Denny Landzaat.

Defensive strongman Kolo Toure returned for the Gunners, while Theo Walcott, Freddie Ljungberg and Julio Baptista were included in the starting line-up.

Much to Wigan's relief, Thierry Henry - who banged in five goals against the Latics last season - was again among the absentees with both sides still having major injury problems.

Arsenal produced the first threat of the game with Mathieu Flamini firing over from the edge of the area. But they survived a couple of scares as Henri Camara's tricky footwork and speed caused problems for their defence.

He hammered in one cross aimed at Heskey which was turned away for a corner, and then Camara failed to get a clear contact in a goalmouth scramble after Arsenal had initially failed to clear Kevin Kilbane's deflected shot.

Adebayor tried his luck after Gael Clichy set up the strike but it flew well wide of Kirkland's left post without troubling the keeper.

Camara seized the chance for a snap-shot but it swerved wide of the target and Emmanuel Eboue was fortunate not to be punished for a sloppy pass which presented Heskey with the opportunity to shoot.

Lee McCulloch's control in the area let him down after Wigan had engineered another opening and it was goalless at the break with neither keeper called on to make a save in the opening 45 minutes.

But all that changed in a much livelier second half.

Wigan should have taken the lead when Camara threaded a superb ball through for strike partner Heskey. The ex-England striker knew precisely what he intended to do but, as he was about to chip over Lehmann, the ball bobbled wickedly and the Germany international shot-stopper got a hand to the mis-hit shot.

The Gunners then struck on the counter with Kirkland forced to beat out the shot from Baptista and he was involved in the action again, saving bravely from Adebayor.

There was another let-off for Wigan when Walcott got free on the right but he opted not to shoot and his pass inside failed to find Adebayor.

Lehmann kept out another effort from Josip Skoko, and Brazilian Baptista was just inches away from giving Arsenal the lead with a free-kick.

Lehmann did it again, beating out a fierce effort from Skoko, and the follow-up from Camara was blocked.

In a frantic closing spell, Kirkland saved from Ljungberg and showed his bravery to go down at the feet of Adebayor while, at the other end, Camara blazed over the bar.

Then, with time running out, Adebayor raced onto a great Fabregas pass, and hit his shot under Kirkland to break Wigan hearts.

Wigan Athletic

Arsenal

Corners

47

Fouls

107

Goal attempts

159

Shots off target

86

Offsides

13

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