FOOTBALL: Arsenal 1-0 Bolton Wanderers (10.01.09): Late Bendtner strike saves toothless Arsenal

When the idea of a 39th game in the Premier LEague was floated by Richard Scudamore and co., one of the numerous questions was: Which world city would want a game that doesn't involve the 'Big Four'?" This game at the Emirates involved one of the Big Four and may well have had the residents of Hong Kong or Cape Town trying to find out how to get their money back.

Bolton manager Gary Megson named only four of a possible seven substitutes and awarded Chris Basham only his second appearance of the season; the first of which was two minutes against Sunderland in November.

Megson's lack of options showed in Bolton's approach, which often involved at least ten men behind the ball, the kind of which his opposite number, Arsene Wenger, has complained about many times in the past.

By the half hour mark, Arsenal had a 70-30 possession advantage, but they struggled to convert their dominance into chances. Robin Van Persie twice volleyed over from similar positions on the edge of the area, but otherwise the Gunners offered little threat to Jussi Jaaskelainen's goal.

Bolton's lack of players was not helped just before half-time, when striker Johan Elmander limped off to be replaced by Riga Mustafa. When the substitute was then substituted in the second-half, his disgust was obvious. Not that it made a lot of difference; Bolton's attacking threat was negligible.

That is not to say Gary Megson's men were completely chanceless. Five minutes after the break, an excellent crossfield ball by Jason Gardner was noded goalward from 15 yards by Matthew Taylor, but the effort was comfortably saved by Manuel Almunia.

The game was beyond the hour mark before Arsenal created their first clear chance; Samir Nasri, who has fitted very well into Arsene Wenger's quick-passing midfield, played a diagonal ball into the unmarked Emmanuel Adebayor in the penalty area. The Togo international had plenty of time, but rather inexplicably took a fraction too long and allowed Andy O'Brien to block his shot.

An excellent Arsenal move a few minutes later saw Adebayor back-flick the ball into the path of the oncoming Van Persie who, in the presence of a couple of Bolton defenders, controlled well, continued into the box and stabbed the ball goalwards, only to see the ball rebound off the post.

Arsenal's continuing advances eventually paid-off five minutes from time, when Gael Clichy played Van Persie in down the left-hand side of the box and his dinked cross was met at the backpost by substitute Nicklas Bendtner, who poked the ball home.

Arsenal did face a scare late on, when Kevin Davies found space in the area, but his effort from 8 yards out went straight into the arms of Almunia. A draw, however, would have flattered Bolton.

As for Arsenal, this result was crucial, particularly after Aston Villa's lunchtime win over West Brom. However, Arsenal's inability to consistently take teams apart, as frequently say as Manchester United or Chelsea, is the reason that their grip on a Champions League place is under continued threat from Aston Villa.

FOOTBALL: Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal (26.12.08): Arsenal once more forget the winning formula

Arsene Wenger could not afford to lose this game. Arsenal have already lost five games this season, two more than the whole of the last campaign. A home win would have put six points between Villa and Arsenal; further strengthening the former's chances of securing a Champion's League place for next season at the cost of the latter.

Yet Arsenal could very easily have lost. From the off, Villa were brighter, winning the lion's share of 50-50s in midfield, sending balls down the flanks for the ever-willing Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young. The space created in the middle was amply filled by supporting midfielders and even defenders; Curtis Davies should have done better with a misdirected header early on and Luke Young forced a good save from Manuel Almunia with a deflected 25 yard strike.

Arsenal lacked direction and accuracy; a stray pass on the break from Emmanuel Eboue which comfortably missed the target of Robin Van Persie typified the Gunner's poor start. At the other end, Villa were piling on the pressure, hitting the woodwork three times in the first half. Steve Sidwell headed a corner onto the upright, James Milner snook in at the far post only to see his right foot stab come back of the post and Curtis Davies was very unlucky when his turn and lob just inside the penalty area struck the crossbar.

But just three minutes after Davies' effort, Nigle Reo-Coker tried to be a bit too clever in clearing his lines, letting Denilson first block and then cooly slide the ball under the advancing Brad Friedel. A brilliant Bacary Sagna overhead clearance off the goalline prevented a quick equaliser from Ashley Young. The Gunners had a 1-0 halftime lead.

When Abou Diaby finished a flowing Arsenal move just after half-time to make it 2-0 and van Persie struck a post not long after, it looked like all three points were going back to the Emirates.

But this season you cannot do much worse than to underestimate Martin O'Neill's men and Arsenal's inability to see out a game came to haunt them again.

With 63 minutes on the clock, William Gallas committed a clumsy foul in the area while tracking Gabriel Agbonlahor. Gareth Barry drilled home the resulting penalty. The final half hour was, in reality, a relatively equal affair with few chances, but Arsenal failed to sure up the back line and in stoppage time, Villa centre-half Zat Knight found himslef in space fifteen yards out and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

It was no more than Villa deserved, especially considering their numerous first-half chances, but Wenger will be disappointed with Arsenal's gift of a first goal and conceding the second in the 92nd minute. Unsurprisingly, the referee bore some of the blame from Wenger in the post-match interview. Like Arsenal' inability to close out games, some things never change.