Arsenal 2-2 Bolton Wanderers 2004/05

[Applause] it's 503 days since Arsenal last lost the league game it's 42 years since Bolton won one [Applause] here Freddy lber back strain has eased he returns for Dennis BG camp in the only lineup change from Tuesday's European win Perez moves to the left and the Rees pushes up front with hry elad chu makes his full debut replacing in Henrik Pon as Bolton make two changes left back Ricardo Gardner is recalled for Anthony bares the referee is filled out from staffer who took Bolton's opening day victory over Chon by the way it's his fourth Premiership [Applause] season Cliff Richards was top of the pops with the young ones when Balton last won a league game at hybri but a famous Victory today would make it their best Premiership start and Aral win would equal newcastle's 1994 record of six in a row at the start of a Premiership campaign a lot of people thought that without Campbell at the heart of that defense Arsenal wouldn't get off to the sort of start they have the Defenders have proved them wrong this is [Applause] omry in behind jungberg but allowed to turn re just cut out and Lauren worldwide this is where lber was allowed to turn and J got the Block [Applause] in the best of communication between the two the German and the Cameroon International and a little bit of a European hangover for Arsenal in these opening moments they had to be patient against PSV einhoven in the week and instead of going gung-ho into the European prey as they did a year ago against inter when they were picked off at the break they were more methodical and now they have a chance hen Perez good goalkeeping by [Applause] escalin Arsenal's first opportunity that's out of [Applause] play hry through you put your house on him wouldn't you yal and blocked and then pz closing he's got a very good goal scoring record Robert pz against Bolton wonders he's scored in his last three Home and Away Vieira on speed back to him from duth now Nolan he's come to a more Central position here and will go for goal well not a bad effort at all Kevin Nolan drove it with power netted against Manchester United last week oh and but for the late Ben the wrong way Bon would have been ahead terrific [Applause] strike goal that was blocked by aacha and he has it again now Campo Nolan such a good player juth off Co andad St out wide he was unhappy that he was played there many times for Liverpool he didn't think it was his best role stinging in his criticism of the club's previous regime when he left to go to Bolton for this year lovely character J Jo Kota plays his football with a smile on his face oh and lemons missed it didn't seem to be under to bre pressure in there y slayman oh I'm not too sure Davis certainly Thrust out an arm re hry Nolan from Lauren and he's still going here gets the cross in and offun Gotti first time lawren got B in the game down the right hand side and It produced that result re with the corner jungberg in on yalin and Tor arriv nearly drops of theera this is Perez that was placed that was blocked catch it low Perez is this the moment that Arsenal finally step on the gas to on yal fre it given for the [Applause] challenge there's a dart of a cross in I thought the ball was there to be one to be honest but did he raise a hand as he went in yeah he did and the referee got it right Vieira again Bolton keeping their shape and discipline Arsenal can't find a way through maybe now Vieira to HRI there's the pace H into the penalty area and this time he does make it the deadlock is brok for Arsenal tier HRI just past the half hour mark gives them the lead beautiful ball as the move built up with speed and the Finish was so precise and tier HRI has his fifth goal of the Season between hunt and and Gotti and the Finish clip and [Music] true Cole pz terz Pier's continued his run here he is looking for Ron re Arsenal's best move of the game other than the goal yes gine didn't have to move too far enrik Pon coming on and elhad Sh also departing for Les ferdinand's [Music] emergence and Sam analiz changing his front two booze for the former to man he'll love that Les Ferdinand somehow lber kept it in ferand Nolan ferand was not top it off the ball and that's a terrific strike and the crossbar is rocking and Nolan claims a touch that should have given Bolton a corner his second tremendous thump of a ball in the game and it clipped the top of the [Applause] crossbar Campo spun wide pun was that hand by Vi his hands were raised to protect his [Applause] face it's a corner and Vieira and Arsenal's lead is a francha [Applause] one Ferdinand in there oh it's in and what a powerful Header by ji a huge header he rose so cleanly but where was the marking Sam madise has publicized this Fell's power in the air he wasn't picked up [Applause] thumped into the [Applause] net turned away found the space and crushed it in and I said the lead was a fragile one and they've worked hard for that [Applause] Balon re wins the foul y lovely first touch takes him away from gner pz was in the middle Robert pz has somehow got it in and Arsenal's lead is restored he squirted it in and Bolton we're back in the game for just three minutes the touch from youngberg was magnificent and the little drag back from pz beat yalin look at that though lber away from Gardner and he shuffled it into the back of the net Robert Perez he's scored in his last four games for Arsenal against Bolton and he has four this season Ferdinand aota pison on side much better game [Applause] now but chy again is in there and ferham was behind him and the height of Bolton and the power in the air is unsettling the reigning Champions off SEO [Applause] aota with it Layman Under Pressure got it away but it wasn't convincing was it now can they break here Bolton chasing the game re look for rry the ball had the wrong weight the pass was too heavy but C taking up a good position jur arriving it deserved better lovely run in by Freddy lber Berg camper drifted wide into space always looking there's the Run of lber there going to be a caution here for Lauren turn by P dragged him down [Applause] to Ferdinand onto pison the shot is in it trickled so very very slowly and boltim wanders and backing it again Arsenal undone by a ball to the heart of the defense in the air on by Ferdinand [Applause] and though it trickled slowly it trickled [Music] surely and Henrik pison gets his fourth of the [Applause] season in a by J Ohi bamp into hre chance here off the def in the last I think gas Carina dropped onto it may well have gone off and got [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] it U offending the referee filled out a culture what experience cultural diversity at Bolton these days pedison in there and Gotti with it and again hesitation of the r for Arsenal hero back forward onside pis they look for him again he's offside this time pison and Ferdinand have done enough damage in this second half to suggest that Arsenal will welcome back Soul Campbell he plays for the reserves on Monday and they'll be hoping that he comes through [Applause] unscathed [Applause] hry lovely bir camp and Gotti going with him he's dropped on the board did he handle it HRI Vieira deflected HRI still in there Away by J first man to it though is cliche for Arsenal Cole to kiche once again po header that away by got it under two minutes to go plus stoppage time and this is Adu [Applause] Arsenal will have two minutes of stoppage time to force the winner Moren tidily done the speed was back covering it comes to biram on the outside of Garner lber yal and dropped onto it and made it safe Aral a little bit lucky the way it came to bur Camp lovely drop of the shoulders and a very good point for Sam Allis and Bolton Wanderers they haven't had many here over the last 40 years J scoring with a thumping header to cancel out tier hre's goal and pedon after Robert pz had put Arsenal two on up securing a very good point as Arsenal's 100% record goes in a two2 draw I felt that um Arsenal is having real good possession which is unusual for them particularly at the home ground and I didn't think we were doing enough behind the opposition we were playing in front of them all the time so we put the two Lads on to basically Les to get the flick on and basically enrik to get behind the opposition more and of of course uh uh when we did that we we troubled them a little bit more did the European game in midweek play a part I wouldn't say that I feel that uh Bolton played well and uh they punished Us in an area where we were not really strong today in the air we conceded two goals in the air from set pieces and uh it's very disappointing but it's something you can work on easily you know but uh I feel especially on the second one we were a little bit nice everybody knows Les is a building in the air and uh of course we played on that in in the last 15 minutes give it up to to Les and try to F it on and that's how we got the second goal we should have won last week against Man United and uh you know I think we we're just getting what we deserve at the moment we uh work hard and we've got players in the team that can score goals so you know we've set the standards over the last three games on what we can achieve and hopefully we can carry that on throughout the season and good news as well about Saul Campbell almost now ready to come back how important is that yeah he's when um was the best players in in the squad but I think you have to give credit to Pascal and and K because they manag to play quite really well uh so far so um this is a team uh Team certainly is um but good performance by Bolton wanders and another master plan from Sam arise really Sam is the man I think he's got the mest touch when it comes to buying players and getting the best at them and keeping them hungry and when it comes to tactics he's very astute I think um two priorities when you go to hyb one you can't defend too far up the pitch and secondly you've got to get in about them in about them quick don't give them time and space to play no fluency uh no variation of tactics and this is right from the off this his Gary speed after 10 seconds he's right in there all right it's a free kick but those are the intentions and if the first man doesn't get you then the second man will get you lots of men behind the ball no space in behind it's into hre's feet first man doesn't get him the second man doesn't get him but the third man or the fourth man will get him and and Aral just didn't play I mean they hre scored a magnificent goal took it at his feet brilliant great great hit but Arsenal will be disappointed with the performance what about um the goalkeeper Jen lomman he looked a little bit edgy today didn't he well I think what ama's done is he's identified a weakness here and he's and right away they put them under immense pressure uh the ball was in there in the Box a lot of the time obviously no soul camel there but if you watch this early on this certainly doesn't inspire you I mean he should just come and deal with that and kick it but he delays it and what that gives you is a little bit uncertainty in the Arsenal defense this is a throw he comes he gets nowhere near this flapping all over the place that could end up in the back of the net but set plays a corner kicks he's always trying to get over the top of people again that could end up in the back of the net but you know equal eyes and go if you look at his position here what's a bad position that is I mean he's coming his goal he's trying to get over the top of one of his own players an Arsenal player and it ends up in the back of the net and what what happens when you're playing in front of that of course is you get indecision and uncertainty in the last 10 minutes Bolton could have won that match can I just remind you at this point that Jen lomman has never lost the prip match somebody gave you that St it wasn't me of course but but that's all right in the Premiership but when it comes to the big matches I mean there was talk of anger looking for another keeper in the summer and I can understand why we talking to goalkeepers mustach P was he I think he played I think he stood there occas I think we I think in seven days we've seen the best of layman and we've seen probably the worst of layman I think last week against Fulham I thought he was fantastic kept Arsenal in the game for for as long as it took Arsenal to score the first goal uh today I I totally agree with Alan uh he he was under pressure and he didn't deal well with that uh in the Premiership you really have to be brave you got to come if you come in you got to come with with everything he's sort of more concentrating about the players around and trying to push them out of the way instead of just committing yourself you get cell cell's going to make a difference come it's I think it's going to make he's going to make a difference it doesn't really matter when you're as good as Arsenal are at the moment and you're getting points from even the worst game they play it doesn't really matter that your goalkeepers just a little bit e but once you get into the champions and that's that's our priorities this season Once you get in there one little mistake is going to cost you the game and that's why probably yen lemman is not going to be there for a long time Allan uh Bolton wonders how high can they finish I don't think they'll finish top five but I can see them six seven or eight I mean the battl they've got some I mean they've played Liverpool Manchester United and Arsenal taking Five Points and and putting some remarkable performances go for cup spot possibly yeah maybe good dropped their first points of the Season today but will only be replaced at the top tomorrow if Chelsea beats spurs by 10 goals Fat Chance Bolton's excellent point at HB sees them remain third middlesbor visit Everton tomorrow the newly promoted Sides Now occupy the bottom three Palace have lost their last five games while West Brom and Norwich have drawn four and lost two of their six matches Blackburn's first win of the Season sees them move out of the Drop Zone how are you settling to England on and off the [Music] field I heard stories that perhaps your mother brought her own pots and pans did you worry about the weather before you came I didn't think it was that bad the goal you scored against Chelsea in the FA Cup last year was a a marvelous way to introduce [Music] [Music] [Applause] yourself people are suggesting this is the best Arsenal team ever what do you say to [Music] that you must be aware too that each game you play for the opposition it's the biggest game of the season [Music] this weekend Manchester City away their manager we're told is uh under some pressure it would be ironic if if a team like Manchester City were having problems would end your fantastic unbeaten run would it not one month from now it will be United at Old Trafford which could be game 50 these are good times for Arsenal Reyes in great form and they're welcoming S Campbell back from injury Gordon it's a great time anybody involved with Arsenal I think ason venger would even turned in and moved to Real Madrid because I think he knows the potential of the players there you go Real Madrid you get problems first thing you get problems went through but Arsenal you've got good problems great players to work with um moving to a new stadium and uh possibly a chance of being European Champion so it's a great time to be there but I think re has been fresh year I don't know if anybody could improve the team but he seems to improve them even more it looks like arson Wenger will sign an extension to his contract I think as Gordon says I mean why why go anywhere else um you know the excitement about the team he's still got he's still got young players still to come through as well young players who arguably could be in most of the other teams in the Premiership mov to ashber and Grove you know all the excitement of that and you have to say you know remember when he first came everyone went who Aron who everyone was this fell like he's never played who was he what an absolutely fantastic time as manager he's been for and just you know I think everybody in football just the the football that they played as as is it times as know not only W mouthwatering but breathtaking they're playing Manchester city today and wenger's been quite high in his praise of Shawn Wright Phillips says that one day perhaps he'd like to have him at Arsenal do you ever see that happening Peter that's good of him I think think I think that's an old trick of putting a player off before he actually I actually think he in two three years time he could play anywhere because he's very very talented he's very good player he's had his first uh goal for England um and you know he's just a player that he's so exciting and exciting to watch and you know as we say here we agree on that Arsenal is's a very exciting team to watch as well and he will fit in there but at the moment I can't see who he should replace I mean they've got so many good players there um so and for the time being I think for Shawn W Phillips it's it's the best play to be uh Manchester the city he can develop there and then see what happens for us um the good thing in football is that you can um make it better every year are people fair to criticize your temperament to be honest uh it's not very important to me how they judge me how they judge my temperament and for me it's uh important to win and uh to perform and um I think Arsenal has bought me because of my skills and uh I have to come out of my line and um without a temperament you're not brave enough to come out of from out of your goal and uh this is why theyve bought me and sometimes the refs uh might not see it U that I'm uh uh that I'm fouled and because of this uh I have to to tell them that they're wrong sometimes and even the strikers if a striker wants to uh attract me was uh punching me or something like this uh I have to attract him as well and um the outcome is that um my temperament uh is helping me they've beaten City the last 10 times they've played them but do the runs and reckles mean anything in the heat of the battle it might come now because uh we know that everybody's uh looking at us um to uh keep on with this unbeaten run uh but the end at the end uh it's more important for us to win the championship back to back and uh of course it's better not to lose because uh it gains you one point and uh in at the in the last season we had a run uh we had a a lead of I think 10 or 11 points and it was nearly the amount of games um we've draw so it's it's always better not to lose and it's just a magical thing I think and nobody wants to lose and uh now it might happen to us that Manchester City beat Beats us tomorrow uh because they are still capable to beat us but if we have a good day or if we perform 90% until 100% uh it's very very hard to uh beat us Arsenal Legend Bob Wilson says Layman was the most consistent Keeper in the Premiership last season arson Binger for one wouldn't disagree can be Mr angry can't you on the field but very calm off it as you can tell Frankie does take some criticism though is is it unfair um I think he's um I think he's quite a good goalkeeper and I think he's helped Arsenal to create this fantastic record so a lot of credit's got to go to him as well Jeff he came into a different back for last year I thought he settled in generally quite well he has made some serious mistakes especially in the Champions League last year that that heavily cost Arsenal but nevertheless most goalkeepers make mistakes I think the jury is still outting him a little bit Jeff he's a very good goalkeeper but I don't think he's a great goalkeeper as yet and my biggest complaint would be his temperament but that seems to be getting a little bit better he said that though himself didn't he yeah I mean when he used to come out it was as though how dare you be in my way this is my 18 Yard Box sort of thing and British goalkeepers have been brought up very differently from that people against him pushing them shoving them and he couldn't handle it at all and I've seen him a couple of times remember he threw the ball in one of the matches hit one of the plays in the back of the head Kevin Phillips yeah that's right Kevin whistle had gone hadn't it luy enough for him because he he could have been sent off but he Al he also pushed Ronaldo onto the r onto the running track in a in a game in I think it was a semi-final and uh you know Jeff I tell you I've never criticized Layman as a goalkeeper I think he's terrific he's good on shots he comes for crosses he comes out to sweep on the edge of the Box he's distribut ution is very very good the only question mark I've got against him is his temperament and it is suspect I don't care what anybody says and he said it himself he has improving actually he said he said what he does he said he has to do it for himself because it helps him right it may help him Jeff but it don't help his team I mean yet Charlie if you you know last week against Bolton for example both of the goals that they ConEd um initially came from from set plays now does Layman have any responsibility there well he said he said he he thought he would uh a second or Split Second I think he said that he was at fault I think he's been honest enough Jeff I have to say he was very controlled individual tactically I thought he was bang on I actually think he is quite good at coming for crosses but when that traffic like that is there now I can't I can't blame him for that it's not the tidiest Finish from pedon but he still takes the alien off and it's a difficult you can see his possession from behind you don't win the he can't be blame for this no he can't because there's no way he can to I generally think he is very good at coming for crosses and that's that surprised me for the German coming here and playing in Britain yes you'll find traffic and he he gets a little bit Moody because he has to come through but he still keeps coming Char he doesn't stop coming he still I give you a little bit of inside info when teams play against them they put people right in front of them particularly we saying there coming coming through traffic you get people in front of them we had games there at at HB fortunately if it was a tibr put putting people in front of him to Rattle them and he takes the bait and he took the bait and he literally shoves people how penalties have not been given he control well he did it last year I'll tell you what Jeff he did it last year with Robbie Keane right in the middle of the six yard box he actually throws him out the way gives away a penalty kick you know and he he is suspect on those things and I tell you what as well Jeff and I know I'm not this is not a wish okay during the European Champions League this year I believe that Layman will come out and make a Ricket of that proportion and that's only my opinion I hope I'm completely wrong but everybody everybody tries the same thing I've seen pedison in front of him and everything trying to make it he's the one who makes it difficult for him to come and try and take the ball from a corner kick and that a the big thing about it is he knows his problem he's working on it and I agree with ro I think he's one of the best in the Premiership and he's working on that side of the game because once you let that that Tak over we've seen him going up to referees that is Tak his concentration he's taking his Focus off his off his job doesn't rattle only himself and he's saying it helps him it's your fellow Defenders that it worries because they're seeing him getting all agitated and everything referees don't like do they the referees go against you as well what are you doing you're going to make everybody more aware of it and they're all going to do it more often in every see you've got a goalkeeper like say Pat Jenis for instance and it's all hectic and there's tension flying all over the place and Pat Jenners come out and he catches the ball and he looks so supremely in command that cams down your defense as well he starts shoving people and throwing balls at people then it's going to cause chaos in the defense but to be fair to him his record's been good and Mar's already put a couple of points in it he does sweep up well like Ray Clement used to do in the Liverpool side and his distribution is good the temperament is his main fault and if he can control that a we bit I don't think it'll be a problem