Arsene's Babies' Day Out

FA CUP 4th Round replay
Bolton 1
(Meite 92nd)

Arse 3 (after extra time)
(Adik Bayor 13th, 120th Ljungberg 109th)

'twas not a night for the faint-hearted; nor was it for the highly passionate.

The passionate would have done better spending the whole night spending (it was Valentine's after all) instead of ranting.

And the fain o' heart would have suffered massive cardiac failure that even Dr House and his Miracle team wouldn't been able to stop.

Half of Bolton seemed to fall into one of these two categories last night - the stadium was half-empty.

This was a bizzare match of two halves ... and another two equally bizarre, though smaller, ones added on.

If this was a boxing match, the judges would have scored it: Arse-Bolt-Bolt-Arse.

This was a match where not one, but two penalties were blasted into the terraces instead of into the net.

And not just by one, but two Brazilians.

And finally not by one, but two Arses.

Tips for 4D punters: 2222, 3113, 2020, 0202.
If you wanna share your winnings, please donate my share to MAKNA. Thank you.

Arsene left Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Mental Leman in London.

He had Walcott on the bench but did not play him, which I thought was a good decision.

The first 45 minutes had Arses all over Big Sam's people. We had Bolton dying the slow death of ultimate passing but then we failed to put them away for keeps.

Domination was so total that dominatrixes were orgasming spontaneously in front of the TV sets.

But it was somehow only miserably translated to a single measly goal by Adik Bayor in the 13th minute.

The timing itself had ominous undertones for the superstitious Gooner.

The goal itself had some luck over it - Adik Bayor's fierce shot hits Stelios G and deflected past Jaaskelainen.

Stelios G had a nightmare outing - in addition to this assist ....

• he hit the bar in the 42nd (pic)
  

• he let Almunia smother the ball at his feet when in a one-to-one position in the 49th.

• he was substituted in the 73rd.

Many thanks, Stelios.





Baptista missed a sitter from 8 yards out from a beautiful low cross from Rosicky in the 28th to make it 2-0 and after that Bolton managed to just screw up Arse's last passes into their box for numerous deft moves to come to a halt.

Big Sam's boys came out swinging in the second half after a right royal bollocking from the last great English manager.

Though they did not manage to dominate, they created enough chances to give Almunia a torrid time. Then came the penalty in the 63rd.

A wonderful ball by Clichy (who was excellent the whole match) beat the whole defence and freed Baptista down the middle, only for Ben Haim to bring him down just as he was about to shoot.

Replays show the Israeli getting maybe a stud on the ball but referee Foy (a Scouser, by the way) called it right.

Man of Steel, Gilberto took the spotkick but somehow miscued
and almost killed someone way up the terraces.

Encouraged, Bolton continued to attack and after Adik Bayor missed an open goal in the 85th (after robbing Campo at the halfway line and beating Jaaskelainen, he shot against the post from 6 yards), we conceded the equaliser - in injury time.




Adik Bayor slices onto the upright in the 85th.

It almost cost us the match.




It was a simple last-minute corner which found 3 Bolton attackers unmarked and Campo headed it down for Abdoulaye Meite to sidefoot home from 6 yards, thus rubbing it in for both Adik Bayor and Baptista.

It was extra-time, with penalties to follow if it remained tied.

Bolton started off brightly.

Arsenal brought in Aliadiere for an excellent but tired Rosicky and Hoyte for Djourou in addition to Ljungberg who came in for an injured Hleb in the 78th.

Arsenal looked pumped out in this period but Bolton couldn't convert their momentum into goals.


Then early in the second period of ET Ljungberg, who had been quiet since he got on, beautifully touched in a deft goal from an Aliadiere cross after the French youth beat 3 men on a mazy run in the 109th.




The Arse looked reinvigorated and started to dominate (with swagger) again when suddenly Bolton threw in another scare.

Haji Anelka chested down a clearance from a Bolton corner and sent a volley just over the bar from 12 yards.

Stung, the Arse resumed their raids in earnest and just four minutes later Ben Haim received his second yellow and was sent off.

Arsenal piled on the pressure and when Adik Bayor broke clear in the 119th, Anelka brought him down and gave away a penalty.

Baptista stepped forward to redeem Brazilian pride.

He fockin' missed too ... I couldn't believe it.

I don't know what the two Brazilians had against low-flying aircraft over Bolton but it must have been something really serious.

Anyway he made amends quickly by breaking away with Adik Bayor from an ensuing Bolton corner.

With Jaaskelainen cruelly exposed, Baps tapped the ball across to Adik Bayor and the ball was tapped home for our third at the very last minute.

Oh joy, oh such a relief.

We had broken the Bolton Jinx at last.

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