Chamakh hangs around

By Boris Mellor
September 12 2010

Most of us entered the ground expecting a 100% French back line (depending on Koscielny not playing for Poland). However, Wenger had decided to rest Sagna and Clichy and use Eboue and Gibbs. I never thought I would miss Sagna's crossing. A line up of Eboue Squillaci, Koscielny and Gibbs looked so very different to only a year ago.

A front line of Rosicky, Chamakh and Arshavin didn't seem that bad, and hopefully Bolton would play football. At half time a question mark hung over both those propositions.

The first half was scrappy, tetchy and frustrating, not because of poor refereeing, though it was poor, not because of Bolton's Italian style football (Italian style football? Yes breaking the game up with pretend injuries and stupid obstructions), but due to the fact that Arshavin had missed a hatful of sitters.

To go in level at half time was ridiculous; Arsenal had dominated almost all of the first 45 minutes, and then conceded a ludicrous goal just before the end of the half. Kos who had scored the first goal was more to blame than Almunia who hardly distinguished himself. Maybe Wenger's praise for the keeper in his pre match press conference had disorientated him. Whatever the cause Kos's poorly judged header set Bolton up for a gift goal.

Fifteen forty five moan

Thus the home crowd went in for its self briefing at 15:45 united in a general moan. One-one it should have been four nil bl**dy idiots. We were about to see a debacle, it had been a lousy half could it get worse? In the past we usually had to wait till the 89^th minute for a reply to that question, but we have Chamakh now so on 60 minutes it was resolved. Chamakh hard drive was turned for a corner, Fabregas's corner failed to clear first man, more groans, but eventually it found its way back to him.

Chamakh hangs around

Fabregas now crossed it efficiently and Chamakh hung in the air, looked around, tucked in his shirt, slicked back his punk haircut and then just when everyone thought the moment had passed headed the ball in. Boy that guy can head them.

The bleating starts - not the turning point

There it was at 60 minutes the turning point. But I was wrong, when I watched match of the day I discovered the turning point was the sending off of Cahill on 64 minutes. Apparently if Cahill had not been sent off Bolton would have overcome Arsenal and won the game. Arsenal's 17 shots to Bolton's four counted for nothing, it was Bolton that were about to win.

The game remained scrappy mainly due to the poor refereeing, and Arsenal had worked hard to get to 2-1. Then on 78 minutes Song scored from an almost impossible angle. Three-one, and suddenly the sun shone on what had been a tedious match. This was Arsenal's 1,000 Premiership goal under Wenger and it was about to get better. The announcer had lost count because he left this milestone unremarked.

Not chips with everything - 26 pass heaven

Ten man Bolton were tiring so Arsenal cheered them up with some exhibition passing, the crowd "whey hey" ed every ball. It definitely wasn't ole', it must be the Cockney translation, but I digress. The crowd managed 25 cheers before Fabregas decided it was time for some end product, he lobbed the ball over the Bolton back line and Vela ran on to it, enter whey hey number 26, followed by a roar as a brilliant goal by Vela, that wasn't a chip, made it 1001 Wenger Premiership goals.

This time the announcer remembered it was an historic occasion and proclaimed the 1001 goal.

This was Arsenal's 700^th Premiership game and 1212 Premiership goal, Wenger has 1001 of those goals, and 528 games, under his stewardship.