Arsenal 2 Bolton 1:While Arsene Wenger might insist that failing to take part in next season's Champions League would not deal Arsenal a mortal blow financially, his rejoicing after Saturday's win had considerably strengthened the team's chances of finishing in the top four told a different story.
With a single point from four matches and only one goal, Arsenal faced being overtaken by Bolton when Nicolas Anelka scored against his old team for a third time this season. Subsequently, a combination of dozy Bolton defending, an inspired piece of play by Cesc Fabregas and Rob Styles' refusal to award Sam Allardyce's side a penalty for Emmanuel Eboue's handball enabled Arsenal to open up a gap of five points over their closest rivals, which they can extend to eight when Manchester City visit tomorrow night.
In the normal course of events this would have been another routine victory against opponents who have yet to win at Arsenal since the first division became the Premiership. In the context of Arsenal's recent slump in form, however, it was as if the Champions League itself had been won. Certainly Wenger's relief knew no bounds. "It is a big step," he enthused. "To lose the game today would have put us in a bad situation. With a team you live in a tunnel and sometimes you have to experience going down and flirting with Hell to see how much you can deal with that to become stronger."
Wenger has yet to become acquainted with Hell, Hull or Halifax but may be forgiven a rare lapse into demonic hyperbole. For a club of Arsenal's standing, missing out on the Champions League would represent a form of relegation and with no parachute payment either. Saturday's victory went a long way to assuring their presence in the qualifying stage of next season's tournament.
Whether Arsenal become another American outpost in the Premier League, the need to hasten the transition of the present team is acute. Wenger's apprentices thrived in the League Cup but in the league, in recent matches, they have lacked the sorcery near goal to turn the superiority into victories.
In the closing minutes on Saturday Fabregas split the Bolton defence with a through-pass which sent two substitutes, Abou Diaby and Julio Baptista, clear. Both went for the ball, one impeded the other and Diaby's shot was easily blocked by Jussi Jaaskelainen. This moment epitomised the contradictions in Arsenal's game which have arisen following the loss of Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie. The approach may be immaculate but too often the execution is haphazard. With Henry's future form and fitness not guaranteed Arsenal clearly need a ready-made source of goals while they wait for the buds to blossom.
In the meantime, the undergraduates should be required to study re-runs of Arsenal's winner here until they have learned what it represents in terms of vision, judgment and composure. At the start of the second half Fabregas gathered a pass from Gilberto, had Abdoulaye Meite lunging at thin air, wrong-footed Abdoulaye Faye and drove the ball inside the left-hand post. Since this was the Spaniard's first Premiership goal in 11 months he could do worse than study it himself.
After the way Bolton had begun Allardyce's players could have kicked themselves. Instead they kicked the opposition and Ivan Campo got himself sent off for clattering first Alexander Hleb, then Tomas Rosicky.
Yet it had all looked so promising when, after 11 minutes, Kevin Nolan stole to the left-hand byline to meet Nicky Hunt's long free-kick with a header across goal which Jens Lehmann could only pat down for Anelka to score. Hunt then switched off as he went to meet a centre from Emmanuel Adebayor, allowing Rosicky to nip in front of him to bring the scores level just past the half-hour.
Allardyce reckoned the referee's decision not to give Bolton a penalty was part of an ongoing conspiracy. "We know clubs like ours don't get those decisions," he said.
Guardian Service
