Arsenal FC match reports

Bolton v Arsenal(4th round FA cup replay) The replay at the reebok stadium on valentines day feb 14 2007 was a footballing feast and helped put the glory days of the FA cup back in people's hearts.

the 2 teams served up a footballing masterpiece and it was a game filled with incidents. for the 1st 45 mins, arsenal totally dominated the game and could have easily been 3 nil up at half time. the only goal of the 1st half was scored by emmanuel adebayor after a neat passing move involving hleb, denilson, adebayor and rosicky.

the 2nd half saw bolton come more into the game but arsenal had a chance to kill the game off in the 62nd minute when bolton defender, benhaim, fouled julio baptista in the box. the resulting penalty was skied into high into the night by the arsenal captain for the nite gilberto silva.

bolton were lifted but still failed to make any notable incursion into the arsenal half except for stelios dillydallying on the ball in the box when he should have squared the ball earlier to his unmarked teammate allowing arsenal keeper almunia to gather.

a swift arsenal counter attack in the 77th minute saw adebayor round the goal keeeper and somehow managed not to find the empty goal, another let off for the trotters.

it was a nite when it seemed arsenal were trying their utmost best to throw it all away and they were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when bolton manage a equalizer in the 92nd minute from a corner kick in which abdoulaye meite stabbed the ball home. extra time beckoned.

the first period of extra time was devoid of notable incidents. the 2nd period of extra time saw ben haim sent off for a second bookable offence and freddie ljungberg put arsenal 2 1 in front after good work from jeremy aliadere. this was after julio baptista had repeated gibertos silva penalty miss trick when adebayor was sent tumbling in the box by nicolas anelka who was fortunate to escape with a yellow card. a swift arsenal counter attack found baptista and adebayor in the bolton half with only the goal keeper to beat. baptista squared the ball to adebayor to tap into an empty net to make it 3 1 to arsenal. game over.

next up for arsenal on saturday the 17th of february 2007 is blackburn in the 5th round of the FA cup at the emirates stadium london.