Arsene Wenger shouldered the blame after admitting that Arsenal’s title chances had all but vanished following defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
Wenger said his team’s hopes of avoiding a sixth successive season without a trophy were “minimal” after a 2-1 defeat at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday.
The result left Arsenal nine points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United with four games remaining.
Photo: Reuters
Although Wenger’s side, who entertain United at the Emirates Stadium next Sunday, can mathematically finish top, it will require an exceptional set of circumstances for them to overhaul Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Wenger did not mince his words after Tamir Cohen’s last-minute goal earned Bolton a dramatic victory to all but end Arsenal’s season.
The Frenchman said his third-placed team lacked maturity and experience, but admitted he was to blame for another unsatisfactory season.
Photo: EPA
“Our chances are minimal now, but we have to continue to fight,” Wenger said. “It is all very frustrating to get just two points from the last nine available, but that has been the story of our season. I feel the players have had an outstanding attitude for the whole season, but they are not to blame. If anybody is to blame it is me.”
Not since 2005 when they won the FA Cup have Arsenal secured silverware.
“Yes, it’s very unsatisfactory,” Wenger said. “On paper, it was one of the easiest run-ins we have had for a long, long time, but we didn’t take our chances many times and that is frustrating. We feel the potential is there, but we are in a job where you have to take your chances and be realistic.”
“We still lack something like maturity and experience in important situations. When you don’t win you are questioned about your principals, but if something is wrong in our team it is not that,” he said. “I’m convinced we are a good footballing side. We have not been stable enough defensively. We have conceded six goals this week and you can’t afford to concede six goals in three games in April and win the championship. Defensively we have been too frail.”
Bolton were unrecognizable from the team thrashed 5-0 by Stoke City in the FA Cup semi-finals the previous weekend.
Their players used the match program to apologize to their fans for their performance at Wembley and they certainly set about the match as if they had a point to prove.
Lee Chung-yong missed two good chances before they took a deserved lead in the 38th minute. Gary Cahill’s header from a corner was blocked on the line by Samir Nasri, but Daniel Sturridge nodded in the rebound for his seventh goal in nine games since arriving on loan from Chelsea in January.
Bolton were awarded a soft penalty 30 seconds into the second half when Sturridge went down under little pressure from Johan Djourou, but Kevin Davies shot weakly at Wojciech Szczesny.
Three minutes later Arsenal were level when Robin van Persie played a great one-two with Cesc Fabregas, who hit the post late in the first half, before scoring from the edge of the box.
A Jussi Jaaskelainen save denied Nasri in the 70th minute, but though Arsenal dominated possession they struggled to test the goalkeeper further.
Instead, it was the home side who struck when Cohen, on the pitch for four minutes, powerfully headed home a corner.
He celebrated by tearing off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt bearing a picture of his father, Avi, the former Liverpool player, who died after a motorbike accident in Israel in December — and he collected a mandatory booking for his actions.
“After last week, we wanted to show the fans we had the passion to prove to them that was just one bad day,” Sturridge told Sky Sports. “I have done my team Chelsea a favor today, but I came out here to work for Bolton and their fans.”
Bolton manager Owen Coyle said: “I think everyone knows how bad we felt after the FA Cup semi-final and it was important we showed our character today — and we did that.”
“We dealt Arsenal’s title hopes a big blow, but more important for us was our performance. I think we showed the real Bolton Wanderers today and went a long way to putting the smile back on our fans’ faces,” Coyle said.
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