Experienced players saved the Bolton game.
Last season it was an experienced player who turned Arsenal’s season round.
When Arshavin played his first game, the Emirates was full. The official crowd figure was the same but everybody turned up to see him. All the seats were occupied. Stars create expectations, excite punters, and put bums on seats.
Against Bolton, two of Wenger’s babies made blunders that put Arsenal 2-0 down and then the experienced players turned the game round.
Rosicky is 29, Vermaelen 24 and Arshavin 28.
Rosicky fired home the goal that got Arsenal back into the game.
A foul by William Gallas, 32, began the move that led to Fabregas scoring. The most mature 22-year old in the business levelled it at 2-2, Vermaelen blasted in for 3-2 and Russia’s captain made it 4-2. These are proper, mature, experienced players who know how to keep their nerve and win a game.
When Bolton went 2-0 up, my first thought was : He can’t chuck the Stoke game now !
Now, having won 4-2 thanks to his experienced players, Wenger will chuck the Stoke game by playing a younger, weaker team in Sunday’s FA Cup tie at the Britannia Stadium.
If I don’t write about the Stoke game on Monday, that’s the reason.
Five Gooners phoned me yesterday and all talked about the Gallas tackle. Two said that Bolton have kicked Arsenal black and blue over the years.
Another, who was sitting right in line with the tackle, thought, “Shit, that’s a red card !”
A fourth asked, “Was it malicious or mistimed?”
I said, “If the score was 0-0 or 2-0 to Arsenal, I might have thought it was mistimed. But Gallas had just made a mistake, he’d just passed to Mark Davies.”
Another friend was in no doubt : “He stepped on his ankle. He meant it, absolutely. He went to do him. He meant it.”
Today’s Sam Wallace piece is titled Bolton rage after Wiley backtrack over Gallas.
Don’t get me wrong : I love William Gallas. He has been a tremendous player for Arsenal. I’ve said that from day one.