Bolton Wanderers 2 – 3 Arsenal

1 – 0 Taylor (14)
2 – 0 Taylor (43)
2 – 1 Gallas (62)
2 – 2 van Persie [pen] (66)
2 – 3 Samuel [o.g.] (90)

Sent Off: Abou Diaby (31)

The recent dip in form was brought to a timely end in the most adverse of circumstances at The Reebok Stadium yesterday. At a ground where title dreams have been extinguished in the past, the irony of keeping the faint flicker alive of this season’s flame is not lost nor the hammer blow to Bolton’s survival hopes. A good day all round. Until you look at Abou Diaby’s tackle, that is.

In the opening exchanges, Arsenal dominated possession as each side traded half chances. It was no surprise given recent weeks when Bolton took the lead just before the quarter hour. Steinsson was freed on the right with Clichy outnumbered and his powerful centre was met by Matt Taylor, ahead of Kolo Toure. The ball went close to Almunia’s leg who perhaps could have reacted quicker but such was the pace, any intervention would have more than likely put the ball into a different corner of the goal.

The goal did not galvanise Arsenal into action for the match simply settled into its previous pattern with the host’s content to play counter-attacking football and to cede possession. The Arsenal defence and midfield duly obliged by condensing the play in the Bolton half. Bendtner and van Persie had chances but these were spurned.

The turning point in the match was Diaby’s dismissal. In the minutes leading up to it, the tackles had become sterner and not just from Bolton, Arsenal refusing to shirk under the usual physical intimidation in the fixture. However, that cannot be any defence for the Frenchman. He missed the ball and caught Steinsson on his trailing ankle. The Icelandic international is fortunate not to have received as serious an injury as Eduardo. People may argue that conditions play a part in these things. Perhaps they do but whatever the case may be, Diaby showed poor judgement and technique; that is unarguable. He will get a deserved three game ban for his dismissal, perhaps increased by one more, as he appeared not to leave the pitch immediately. Arsene defended him immediately after the game calling the tackle, ‘protective’, dismissing comparisons to Taylor’s last month. The Birmingham defender was higher and the outcome more serious but Diaby’s technique was just as poor.

In those circumstances, it would not have been a surprise to see this game drift away but Toure and Bendtner went close before Taylor seemed to seal the points for the hosts when his shot deflected off Gallas’ heel into the net just before the interval. Flamini had a glorious chance to reduce the arrears but shot high over the bar from around the penalty spot.

The second half saw Bolton decamp to the Arsenal half, making their numerical advantage tell. A succession of corners were defended well or hacked away such is the case in these circumstances. On the hour mark, Arsene changed the formation to bring on Walcott and Adebayor for Senderos and Bendtner, 4-4-1 became 3-4-2. The results were almost immediate as a Fabregas corner was flicked on at the near post by Campo into the path of the unmarked Gallas to volley home at the far post.

The game changed in an instant; Bolton’s confidence drained, Arsenal’s grew. Within five minutes, Adebayor had laid the ball into the path of Hleb whose dance through the area was brought to an agricultural halt. Van Persie had not had the best of afternoons with his shooting but deserves immense credit for not only having the strength of character to take the spot kick but also for the comprehensive manner of its despatch.

From that point on, if there was to be a winner, it would not be the hosts. They could not deal with the threat of Walcott on the right. The midfield pulled Bolton all over the place but a succession of half chances went begging. As Gary Player said something similar to ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get’; it proved to be the case for Cesc Fabregas as in the ninetieth minute as his shot ricocheted off two defenders before entering the net.

The strength of character, which had rightly been questioned, shone through. It is hard though to say problems have been ironed out. Gallas and Senderos had fewer harum-scarum moments than Toure and the Frenchman but that was possibly to do with Bolton’s style of play. Toure had a decent effort in the first half and looked OK at Right Back, as he adjusts during Sagna’s absence. The resting of Eboue though suggests to me that he may be in that position on Wednesday not the Ivorian.

Up front, Bendtner and van Persie seemed to link well with each other but then Adebayor and RvP linked well in the second half. The crucial thing is that the heads did not drop and persevered until the end, getting their due reward. Three deserved points and a massive boost to confidence ahead of the Liverpool games. The costly nature of the points recently dropped is evidenced by United’s demolition of Villa yesterday evening but the key thing is that the dip in form has been halted. Whether that is a permanent end to the inconsistency remains to be seen but the world seems somewhat sweeter this morning.

‘til Tomorrow.

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