Bolton 0 – 2 Arsenal: Catalan chums put us within touching distance of top spot
Add comment January 18th, 2010
Bolton 0 – 2 Arsenal (Fabregas 28, Merida 78)
Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
Cesc Fabregas and Fran Merida are united by more than outstanding football ability. Both players left the comfort of their local academy (albeit the celebrated CF Barcelona) at just fifteen years of age to come to cold, rainy England in pursuit of first-team football. They both stayed with the same North London landlady, and both found themselves training with established internationals in their mid-teens. They’re both driven, determined characters – as competitive as they are assured of their ability and destiny. It is unsurprising, therefore, that they’re firm friends. Yesterday they were the men who scored the goals that take us within a tantalising three points off top spot. If we get the same result in the home fixture on Wednesday, we will lead the Premier League.
We’d missed Cesc dreadfully in his absence, and on returning to lead the side yesterday he was yet again outstanding. One barely noticed that the guy playing next to him, youngster Craig Eastmond, was making his Premier League debut. Fabregas had already been denied a clear penalty for a trip by Jussi “Juicy” Jaaskelainen when he scored the goal that gave us the lead. Just as one tippy-tappy move looked to be coming to an end, Fabregas changed the game with an instant shimmy inside and pass to Eduardo. Eduardo’s backheel came back in to Cesc’s path, and he finished low in to the bottom corner for his thirteenth goal of the season.
It’s an outstanding haul. He is our top scorer by some distance now, and unless Andrey Arshavin goes on a few Anfield-style goal-sprees, Nicklas Bendtner is much better than we remember, or Robin van Persie comes back from the dead, it’s quite likely he’ll end the season at the top of our goal charts. Cesc’s improved goal ratio is down to many things, but it’s predominantly due to the 4-3-3. Playing a holding midfielder – be it Song, Denilson, or even Eastmond – frees Cesc to cause havoc in the final third, combining with the likes of Rosicky and Arshavin and, inevitably, finding the net. We oughtn’t be too surprised by his goalscoring exploits – at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2003, he went home with the Golden Boot. As he matures, goals will naturally be added to his game. There’s still time for him to improve, even if it doesn’t seem like there is room. Cesc is the same age as Darron Gibson. It is extraordinary.
Bolton might have equalised were it not for someone called Matt Taylor and something called Karma. After he stamped on Cesc’s neck and pulled him up by his hair when the Spaniard correctly appealed for a second possible penalty, Taylor embarked on a series of quite remarkable misses. Perhaps it will be some comfort to Taylor that Karma is not punishment or retribution, but simply an extended expression or consequence of natural acts. Or perhaps not.
In the second half, with Eastmond tiring both mentally and physically, Merida was introduced and Diaby dropped back in to the holding role. The younger Catalan was quick to impose himself on the game, and eventually scored the crucial second goal. A Cesc-led counter attack ended with Eduardo’s cross being deflected into Merida’s path. His first touch, with his left foot, was immaculate, bringing the ball into line with his right so he could slot it beneath the keeper.
Two friends, two goals, two nil.
We weren’t brilliant yesterday, but we did enough. Manuel Almunia had one of his better games of late (no great achievement, I suppose), whilst Thomas Vermaelen did well to cope with Kevin Davies and support the floundering Armand Traore. Gael Clichy came off the bench to replace Rosicky yesterday, and one would imagine he’ll be back in the starting XI as of Wednesday’s rematch.
Andrey Arshavin and Eduardo switched positions, and both seemed happier – the Russian was far more involved in our build-up, whilst the Croatian provided two assists from his central role.
There is currently a three-way title race. We’re suffering badly from injuries, but we need to take every point we possibly can from an absurdly difficult run of fixtures. If we’re still talking about the title in a month’s time we’ll have done remarkably well. Arsene clearly believes we can be there. After the way in which we ground out yesterday’s result, some fans might start to as well.
