Bolton Wanderers Vs Arsenal - Match Preview

“We are in a very interesting situation where we are fighting for the title and yet I am always sitting in a position where you force me to explain why we fail,” said a stony-faced Arsène Wenger at his press conference on Friday.

“For me it's not a comfortable situation because we are fighting in a period where the most important thing is to have belief in what we do and you keep saying 'why have you failed to win?'

“Let's just play for it first and have a go. For me it is important to give absolutely everything until the last game of the season and to be proud. Then, as I have said many times, if there has been somebody better we will have to accept that but, at the moment I don't accept that there is somebody better.”

Those three paragraphs sum up Arsenal’s position perfectly.

They themselves placed the high jump bar to an unprecedented level and have then been pilloried for knocking it off with their trailing leg as they leapt for gold.

Right now it looks like they must settle for a podium place in the main event but the competition is not over. During the past couple of months, Manchester United have provided Wenger’s men with ample opportunity to bridge the gap at the top – they did so in midweek at Newcastle.

Arsenal’s failure to take these chances only make their current predicament doubly frustrating but it does not make Sir Alex Ferguson’s side any stronger – only the position they occupy.

The midweek draws at St James Park and White Hart Lane helped push Chelsea up to second and gave them a scent of the title once more. The Stamford Bridge side have what Arsenal lack – momentum. But both have the opportunity to take points off Manchester United in direct confrontations in the final few games.

Arsenal’s comes next Sunday at Emirates Stadium. It is sandwiched between a couple of tough trips – Bolton this weekend and Stoke in a fortnight.

While the form, fortune and football fraternity are all doubting Wenger’s side right now, three straight wins would put them back in touching distance of the title.

That is why the manager wants the usual ‘blame game’ to start once the title race is over.

And that simply has not happened yet.

“I have no doubt at all we can win all five games,” said Wenger.

“We have a good basis because we are consistent. As you know, we have played 16 games without losing so what I feel is most important for us now is to keep the belief and to win.

“I am convinced that if we win our five games we will win the Premier League. But the target right now is just to win the next one so let’s focus and give absolutely everything to do that. This title will go to the most solid team, mentally. Not necessarily to anybody else. The mental part of the belief is the most important thing to have in the last five games.

“We have beaten Chelsea already and, in our plan, we have to beat Man United now for sure. But even then they can drop points [elsewhere] as well so let’s just win the next game when we go to Bolton.”

Abou Diaby (calf) is the only new absentee for the trip to the Reebok Stadium which Tomas Rosicky will also miss due to sickness. Thomas Vermaelen is in training and Lukasz Fabianski (shoulder) is out for the season. Those four are the extent of the injury list at the Club.

Crucially, Bolton will have Daniel Sturridge back in their side on Sunday. The striker has hit six goals in his eight Premier League games on loan from Chelsea and was sorely missed in the 5-0 defeat to Stoke in the FA Cup Semi-Final last weekend.

Owen Coyle’s side have had a highly-creditable campaign but that Wembley defeat will surely taint the memory and, perhaps, their end-of-season form. But they have won their last four games at home keeping clean sheets in three of them.  Arsenal will not presume weakness.

“Bolton have done very well,” said Wenger. “They have just had a massive disappointment, certainly but overall they have been one of the teams above expectations.

“They would have been thinking about going to the Cup Final and the disappointment must be huge for them. How they will respond I don't know but we have to focus on our own performance in a game of this stature.”

Arsenal are unbeaten in 2011 but have drawn five of their last six games. It was a similar run of stalemates that cost them the title in 2008 when they were leading the table well into March. The only difference this time is that they had most of those games under control.

Earlier in the week, Robin van Persie called their failure to hold on to a lead “almost criminal”. Wenger both disagrees and sympathises.

“I can accept that he feels that way but it is not criminal,” said the manager. “However I use that word sometimes as well. It's how he feels because he is committed to the Club and the team.

“And certainly it is difficult to comprehend. But I think it's a little bit through a desire to do well. What happened to us in the Carling Cup Final was not quality, just nerves, and it happened again against Tottenham and Liverpool.”

Forgive me for donning the rose-tinted spectacles but perhaps that is where the general perception of Arsenal actually may help the team this weekend.

The wider football world feels the team have blown their title chances so maybe the shackles can come off and the early season away form can return.

Either way, Arsenal cannot be discounted just yet. While the expectations have been extinguished for now, at least the hope remains.

Andrey Arshavin denies any rift with manager Arsene Wenger

 

Andrey Arshavin has denied rumours of a rift between himself and Arsene Wenger after speculation about his future at the club.

Arshavin has struggled to find his best form this season for Arsenal and was left out of the starting-line up against Tottenham in midweek, leading to speculation that he could be set to leave The Emirates this summer.
Despite admitting he has not been at the top of his game this season Arshavin has denied rumours of any rift with Arsene Wenger.

“It is not true. We have absolutely fine relations,” Arshavin said, according to the Daily Mirror.
Arsenal look destined for a sixth successive season without a trophy and Wenger is reportedly set for a summer clear-out which has cast doubts over the long-term future of Arshavin, who cost £15 million from Zenit St. Petersburg in 2009.

Arshavin has been criticised for his form this season, though he has provided 11 assists in Premier League matches, second to Cesc Fabregas with 13, and has also chipped in with 10 goals in all competitions.

Sir Alex Ferguson claims Chelsea are in a stronger position than Arsenal in the title run-in

 

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea are a stronger team than Arsenal due to their experience but concedes Arsene Wenger's men are the better footballing side.

Chelsea currently sit second in the table on goal difference after a mid-season blip had dented their title aspirations. Ferguson maintains his side capitalised fully on Carlo Ancelotti's men slipping up but warns the current champions are in a better position than Wenger's charges to mount a late surge.

"I said a few weeks ago that Chelsea would be our main challengers. Now they are above Arsenal," Ferguson told reporters.

"I have that slight preference for Chelsea because their fixture list is a wee bit easier but they have to come to Old Trafford and that's not going to be easy for them. Chelsea are far more experienced than Arsenal.

"Chelsea are a strong team with strong experience. That's the difference between the two teams. Arsenal are the better footballers but Chelsea are the better, stronger team.

"At the beginning of the season Chelsea were favourites to reclaim the Premier League, but a mid-season slump saw them lose momentum allowing United to gain an advantage.

"We all get blips in a season. Chelsea were odds-on at one point for the Premier League and then they hit that blip. But credit to us – we took advantage of that."

Manchester Unted face Everton on Saturday but Ferguson has praised the way David Moyes has guided his side to seven games without defeat, despite having a host of key first-team personnel sidelined.

"Everton have done exceptionally well considering David has had a mountain of injuries in the last few weeks, being without Cahill, Arteta, Saha and Fellaini but still turning out the results. David keeps motivating them."

Darren Fletcher is set to make his return from injury and Ferguson has revealed the Scot will takes his place in midfield once he is fully fit.

"In big games, important games, Darren has excelled over the years because he has the knowledge and discipline to carry out a job, whatever I want him to do," said Ferguson.

"When he does come back, he will go straight into the team."

West Ham’s Scott Parker received the Football Writers' award on Friday, while United captain Nemanja Vidic came third. Ferguson maintains the midfielder is deserving of the accolade.

"Scott Parker has certainly done a good job at West Ham,'' said Ferguson. "He's probably the player who's driven them on, motivated them to be where they are and still with a chance of staying up.

"They've got a mountain to climb – they go to Chelsea. But he's been the driving force in that West Ham team. In a way it's a good thing to recognise the good pros in the game."

"It's nice to recognise somebody outside of the celebrity clubs in the Premier League, the teams who are getting all the publicity like United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham."

Ferguson reflected on previous winners, one in particular, Tottenham midfielder David Ginola, who scooped the award in 1999, and maintains the Frenchman was a surprise considering his side won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League that season.

"I remember when we won the treble, David Ginola got it. He was a nice player, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against David Ginola at all, but I thought it was an insult to Manchester United. How can we not have had one player who had a better season than David Ginola?

"I suppose at the time you picked David Ginola, we still had four games to go, and may had won nothing,'' he added.

Following Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier’s hospital admission, fellow Premier League managers have come out in support of the Frenchman. Ferguson believes age is the determining factor of managerial illness - rather than stress as a result of the job.

"Some mornings I wake up with aches and pains and I worry what it is,'' said the 69-year-old.
"I sometimes say to my doctor: 'I've got a pain here and a pain there.' He says: 'It's your age, you're growing old. You have to pay attention to your health when you get older. It doesn't come without penalties.

"Modern nutrition and lifestyle mean people live longer but it doesn't guarantee complete health all your life. I had a pacemaker put in seven years ago. That was the first indication that your body is not working the same as 20 years ago."

Szczesny hoping Wenger doesn’t need to buy

 

Wojciech Szczesny hopes he has done enough to convince Arsène Wenger that the Arsenal manager doesn’t need to buy a goalkeeper in the summer.

Wenger has already hinted that he may not require a new acquisition following Szczesny’s remarkable, and somewhat unexpected, rise to prominence this season.

The confident Pole turned 21 on Monday and, after starting the campaign as the third-choice keeper at the Club, admits he is relishing his opportunity to impress on the big stage.

“I'm doing my best,” he said. “Whatever decision the manager makes at the start of next season is completely down to him, but I will do my best to cement my position in goal.

“I will always look at this as my ‘breakthrough’ season and I want to cement my place in the team for a long time.

“Whatever happens this year, next year will be very important for me personally and for Arsenal as well.”

Szczesny returned from the finger injury he sustained in Barcelona to make his first appearance in over a month against Liverpool on Sunday. A smart save from Luis Suarez in the second half coupled with a relatively unflustered afternoon saw him fit seamlessly back into the Arsenal side.

“I still felt a little uncomfortable,” he said. “I wear a special protection but it didn't cause me any trouble against Liverpool.

“I had my finger strapped for four weeks and I couldn't do anything with it. I just prayed for it to be fine after four weeks.”

Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool - Match Preview

Arsenal’s title challenge suffered another dent as Liverpool snatched a point in a controversial tale of two penalties.

Robin van Persie looked to have sewn up a vital win with a coolly-dispatched spot-kick in the eighth and apparently final minute of stoppage time added on after a sickening injury to Jamie Carragher.
But with 101 minutes on the clock Dirk Kuyt restored parity with the last kick of the game after Emmanuel Eboue pushed Lucas Leiva.
It was another disheartening blow on home soil and it was probably ill-deserved. Arsenal had made most of the running without ever looking at their best and went closest before that frantic finale when Laurent Koscielny crashed a header against the crossbar.

When the dust settles, Arsenal will find themselves six points behind Manchester United with six games each to play. The leaders travel south on May 1 but Arsène Wenger’s side need favours from other teams now.

And they need to win their own games too, starting with Tottenham in the North London derby on Wednesday.

Ultimately this will go down as a frustrating day but it will also be remembered as a poignant one. Before the match the whole of Emirates Stadium rose in tribute to the late Danny Fiszman as well as the 96 victims of the Hillsborough Disaster which unfolded 22 years ago this week.

The Emirates was especially colourful on this sunny Sunday afternoon as the dark coats of winter made way for replica shirt sleeves. And Arsenal’s fans had an extra spring in their step after discovering that Wojciech Szczesny and Johan Djourou were back in the starting line-up. There was a third change as Andrey Arshavin made way for Theo Walcott and, with Alex Song also fit and among the subs, Wenger’s squad had virtually a clean bill of health.

It was just as well given the identity of their opponents. Liverpool are a very different beast from the one that squandered a winning position in the reverse fixture on the opening weekend of the campaign. And in Andy Carroll they have a beast of a striker who has already scored a winning goal here this season – for Newcastle in November.

Carroll’s much-touted strength in the air was expected to be Liverpool’s main threat but the England man was beaten to a high ball in the fourth minute as Diaby rose to glance Cesc Fabregas’ inswinging free-kick past the far post.

There were tit-bits for the visitors to snack on in the opening moments – Luis Suarez warmed up Szczesny with a low free-kick before Carroll headed tamely over and then wide. But Arsenal started to take a grip with Eboue offering dynamic support from right back behind the usual suspects.

A savage snap-shot from Walcott surprised Reina in the 13th minute and the Liverpool keeper got nowhere near a Van Persie corner four minutes later as Koscielny soared above him and Carragher to crash a header against the bar. Djourou was first to the rebound and nodded down for Walcott to wallop a shot against Kuyt’s arm but the penalty shout was rightly turned down.

Carroll was increasingly isolated at the other end as strike partner Suarez dropped back to help. And although Liverpool couldn’t stem the flow of Arsenal’s forward movement, they did deny them the space to carve out gilt-edged opportunities.

Fabregas and Van Persie linked up twice in three minutes just before the half-hour mark. First the captain picked out his team-mate with a clip over the top – a tactic deployed so successfully at Blackpool last weekend – but Van Persie was marginally offside as he drilled the ball past Reina. Then a one-two on the edge of the box left Fabregas in a decent position but he dragged his left-footed effort wide.

By now Fabio Aurelio had limped off and Walcott looked to expose his replacement at left back, Jack Robinson. But it was the man stationed behind him, Eboue, who fired the last meaningful shot of the half after drifting into the area and collecting Fabregas’ pass. The Ivorian’s low effort hit Martin Skrtel and looped past Reina before spinning just wide.

After a half-time talking to, Liverpool emerged from the break with far more purpose and Szczesny was relieved to watch Suarez’s effort fizz past his right-hand post. But the visitors lost their second defender of the afternoon just before the hour when Carragher was stretchered off after a horrible collision with John Flanagan.

That gave Arsenal time to regroup and they improved after that long delay. Walcott just failed to pick out Van Persie with a low cross and the Dutchman saw an attempted lob flick off a defender after Fabregas had picked him out with a searching pass.

Van Persie was first to Nasri’s resulting corner, guiding a header into the side-netting at Reina’s near post. Arsenal were getting closer without ever looking totally convincing.

Suarez was though. Pushed on after Carroll’s departure, the Uruguayan tested Szczesny with one curling effort and then saw an ever better chance snaffled by the Polish goalkeeper.

By now Wenger had brought on Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner for Walcott and a tiring Jack Wilshere. Song would follow them on before the end.


There was plenty of time for one final push.

Gael Clichy’s raking cross was met by Van Persie’s flick header but Reina plucked it out of the air. Then the Liverpool keeper stood up brilliantly to deny the Dutchman as he went clean through five minutes from time. Fabregas worked the rebound to Bendtner but Reina was equal to his dipping volley too.

Suarez almost made Arsenal pay but sliced a golden chance high and wide from a narrow angle.

The fourth official’s appearance offered hope: there would be EIGHT minutes of stoppage time thanks to Carragher’s injury.

And after Reina dealt authoratively with a succession of crosses, the chance Arsenal craved arrived when Spearing clumsily brought Fabregas down inside the box with the clock showing 97 minutes.

Up stepped Van Persie. Calm as you like he slotted the ball to the bottom-left corner while Reina chose the other way.

Cue pandemonium.

But there was a horrible twist in the 101st minute. Suarez's free kick was blocked, Eboue pushed Lucas in a race for the loose ball, another penalty was awarded and Kuyt levelled it up.

It was the final kick of the game.