Arsenal 2-1 Bolton Wanderers, March 20th 2004.
As Ivan Campo blasted over the bar in injury time, a collective sigh of relief echoed around Highbury, as it ensured that Arsenal maintained their 9-point lead at the top of the Barclaycard Premiership. Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp both scored superb goals to put Arsenal 2-0 up inside the 1/2 hour, but an Ivan Campo goal soon after set up a tense second half. Fortunately, Arsenal fought hard and held on for the 3 points.
Arsenal started very brightly, with their slick passing game aided by a sprinkling of rain before kick off. In fact, for the first half an hour, Bolton barely had a kick. Henry, Pires and Cole looked dangerous down the left, while Edu and Vieira stroked the ball around the centre of the park with great confidence. Arsenal had Bolton on the ropes when Thierry Henry turned inside the Bolton half and unleashed a powerful curling shot. Jaaskelainen was beaten, but the ball, much to Henry's chagrin, hit the bar.
Before long, Arsenal conjured up a piece of magic. Edu chipped the ball neatly into the feet of Bergkamp, who laid the ball off with his first touch to the onrushing Pires. The Frenchman, enjoying a goal spree at the moment, cut inside and curled the ball right-footed into the top corner of the net. He made it look easy, just as he did early this season against Liverpool.
Arsenal then really began to assert themselves. Ashley Cole was denied from close range, while Henry had a curling effort cleared off the line. Emerson Thome nearly headed into his own net, before Arsenal made it 2-0. Pires sent Henry away down the left and he sent a pin-point cross onto the right foot of the rejuvenated Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutch master struck the ball beautifully, beating Jaaskelainen at his near post.
Bolton, never a team to give Arsenal an easy game, began their fightback. Kevin Davies, who proved so successful earlier this season against Arsenal, started to compete in the air while Arsenal were perhaps guilty of dropping off Bolton a little bit. Jay-Jay Okocha saw more of the ball and Stelios Giannakopoulos threatened down the left. Their efforts were rewarded when Ivan Campo struck home from close range, the ball having fallen kindly for him in the box. Before the end of the half, they nearly drew level when a cross from the left was met by a Stelios header which clipped the woodwork.
The second half proved quite equal, although they few clear-cut chances for either team. Bolton threw everything they had at Arsenal. Kevin Davies headed wide when completely unmarked and Stelios' delicate chip landed on the roof of Lehmann's net. Too many balls seemed to drop uncontested to Campo and Okocha in midfield and Arsenal had lost their momentum. But as is often the case at Highbury, because Bolton were chasing the game, they became vulnerable on the counter attack.
Henry volleyed ambitiously towards goal from distance but Jaaskelainen made a fine save. After a succession of quick passes, the ball reacehed Bergkamp on the right, who advanced into the area. Having worked some room for himself, he sliced wildly over the bar. Soon after, Pires did the same when the Dutchamn had set him up. As the game became more stretched, Bergkamp began to exert his influence on proceedings. When sent through on goal, he squared the ball to substitute Freddie Ljungberg who slipped at the crucial moment and subsequently failed to convert an easy chance.
In this half, the Arsenal fans became increasingly frustrated with the performance of one man in particular; and no, I'm not talking about Gilberto. The referee, Graham Barber, seemed quite incapable at times of making the simplest of decisions. Although this period of refereeing leniency has been seen as a breath of fresh air by fans, pundits and players alike, there is little excuse for simply failing to apply the laws of the game. He failed to book Campo after 3 deliberate handballs and a few cynical fouls. Meanwhile, when Henry raced away down the right only to be scythed down from behind by Bruno N'Gotty, he dismissed the seemingly justified penalty appeals. It was an absolutely shocking second half display from the man with the whistle.
The second half seemed to drag on forever as tensions inside the ground increased every time Arsenal lost possession and Bolton advanced. The final ten minutes were lit up by the will to win and brilliance of a young man from the Ivory Coast. Most managers would advise their central defenders not to race up the field in the final minutes of a crucial game, but on two occasions, Kolo Toure did just this. The applause that greeted this display of passion and desire was rapturous. Two minutes of injury time passed without too much drama however, and, as Henry raced away to the corner flag, the whistle went for full time.
Not only did we today equal the record of 29 undefeated top-flight games from the start of the season, but we also extended our Premiership winning streak to 9 games. But, let's face it, do records really mean anything? We broke countless records last season but didn't win the League in the end. As the Arsenal mantra goes at the moment, "We've won nothing yet."
(Player Reviews and ratings to follow.)
As Ivan Campo blasted over the bar in injury time, a collective sigh of relief echoed around Highbury, as it ensured that Arsenal maintained their 9-point lead at the top of the Barclaycard Premiership. Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp both scored superb goals to put Arsenal 2-0 up inside the 1/2 hour, but an Ivan Campo goal soon after set up a tense second half. Fortunately, Arsenal fought hard and held on for the 3 points.
Arsenal started very brightly, with their slick passing game aided by a sprinkling of rain before kick off. In fact, for the first half an hour, Bolton barely had a kick. Henry, Pires and Cole looked dangerous down the left, while Edu and Vieira stroked the ball around the centre of the park with great confidence. Arsenal had Bolton on the ropes when Thierry Henry turned inside the Bolton half and unleashed a powerful curling shot. Jaaskelainen was beaten, but the ball, much to Henry's chagrin, hit the bar.
Before long, Arsenal conjured up a piece of magic. Edu chipped the ball neatly into the feet of Bergkamp, who laid the ball off with his first touch to the onrushing Pires. The Frenchman, enjoying a goal spree at the moment, cut inside and curled the ball right-footed into the top corner of the net. He made it look easy, just as he did early this season against Liverpool.
Arsenal then really began to assert themselves. Ashley Cole was denied from close range, while Henry had a curling effort cleared off the line. Emerson Thome nearly headed into his own net, before Arsenal made it 2-0. Pires sent Henry away down the left and he sent a pin-point cross onto the right foot of the rejuvenated Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutch master struck the ball beautifully, beating Jaaskelainen at his near post.
Bolton, never a team to give Arsenal an easy game, began their fightback. Kevin Davies, who proved so successful earlier this season against Arsenal, started to compete in the air while Arsenal were perhaps guilty of dropping off Bolton a little bit. Jay-Jay Okocha saw more of the ball and Stelios Giannakopoulos threatened down the left. Their efforts were rewarded when Ivan Campo struck home from close range, the ball having fallen kindly for him in the box. Before the end of the half, they nearly drew level when a cross from the left was met by a Stelios header which clipped the woodwork.
The second half proved quite equal, although they few clear-cut chances for either team. Bolton threw everything they had at Arsenal. Kevin Davies headed wide when completely unmarked and Stelios' delicate chip landed on the roof of Lehmann's net. Too many balls seemed to drop uncontested to Campo and Okocha in midfield and Arsenal had lost their momentum. But as is often the case at Highbury, because Bolton were chasing the game, they became vulnerable on the counter attack.
Henry volleyed ambitiously towards goal from distance but Jaaskelainen made a fine save. After a succession of quick passes, the ball reacehed Bergkamp on the right, who advanced into the area. Having worked some room for himself, he sliced wildly over the bar. Soon after, Pires did the same when the Dutchamn had set him up. As the game became more stretched, Bergkamp began to exert his influence on proceedings. When sent through on goal, he squared the ball to substitute Freddie Ljungberg who slipped at the crucial moment and subsequently failed to convert an easy chance.
In this half, the Arsenal fans became increasingly frustrated with the performance of one man in particular; and no, I'm not talking about Gilberto. The referee, Graham Barber, seemed quite incapable at times of making the simplest of decisions. Although this period of refereeing leniency has been seen as a breath of fresh air by fans, pundits and players alike, there is little excuse for simply failing to apply the laws of the game. He failed to book Campo after 3 deliberate handballs and a few cynical fouls. Meanwhile, when Henry raced away down the right only to be scythed down from behind by Bruno N'Gotty, he dismissed the seemingly justified penalty appeals. It was an absolutely shocking second half display from the man with the whistle.
The second half seemed to drag on forever as tensions inside the ground increased every time Arsenal lost possession and Bolton advanced. The final ten minutes were lit up by the will to win and brilliance of a young man from the Ivory Coast. Most managers would advise their central defenders not to race up the field in the final minutes of a crucial game, but on two occasions, Kolo Toure did just this. The applause that greeted this display of passion and desire was rapturous. Two minutes of injury time passed without too much drama however, and, as Henry raced away to the corner flag, the whistle went for full time.
Not only did we today equal the record of 29 undefeated top-flight games from the start of the season, but we also extended our Premiership winning streak to 9 games. But, let's face it, do records really mean anything? We broke countless records last season but didn't win the League in the end. As the Arsenal mantra goes at the moment, "We've won nothing yet."
(Player Reviews and ratings to follow.)
