EPL Sunday FEB 11 ~ Game 27

zocoss SG

Full-Time:

Bolton 2 - 1 Fulham

Arsenal 2 - 1 Wigan

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Lucky Arsenal Earn Late Victory But Little Credit

Arsenal left it late to maintain their unbeaten Emirates Stadium record after coming from behind once again to see off Wigan 2-1. A brilliant strike from Denny Landzaat had given Latics a shock half-time lead, but the Gunners produced their customary late rally to secure victory through a Fitz Hall own goal and a Tomas Rosicky header six minutes from time.

With Bolton having won earlier in the afternoon, Arsene Wenger knew there was little room for manoeuvre in the race to stay in the Champions League places and take advantage of Liverpool's unexpected defeat at Newcastle on Saturday.

Theo Walcott had been recalled to the starting XI, and looked lively down the Arsenal right during the opening exchanges. It needed a timely sliding challenge from Emerson Boyce to stop the 17-year-old collecting Cesc Fabregas' through ball.

There was an early chance for Wigan when a left-wing cross from Julius Aghahowa was deflected through to Emile Heskey at the far post - but the former England striker could not steer his volley back on target. On 10 minutes, Walcott's low pass across the area was just too far ahead of Julio Baptista, arriving at pace towards the penalty spot.

At the other end, Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann had to be alert to parry a decent strike from Landzaat - a warning of what was to come. It should have been 1-0 to Arsenal on 15 minutes as Baptista released Walcott down the right. His cross was just too far ahead of Fabregas - but fell right into the path of Thierry Henry at the far post, six yards out.

However, the normally composed Frenchman somehow contrived to balloon the ball high over the crossbar with his left foot. Neither he nor the fans behind Chris Kirkland's goal could quite believe it. Slowly Arsenal started to mount a sustained period of pressure.

On 22 minutes, Lee McCulloch pulled back Baptista to concede a free-kick in a central position, 25 yards out. Henry struck the effort well, and Kirkland had to stretch down to his right to save. Rosicky's low cross from the left was then almost sliced into the Wigan goal by Boyce.

Arsenal were on top, but without really giving the visitors' defence too much concern as the choice of final pass was poor. Wigan then took a shock lead on 35 minutes with a brilliant strike from Landzaat. Arsenal failed to clear their lines following a determined run by Aghahowa into the right side of the box.

Landzaat [left] and Baines celebrate Wigan's opener

The ball fell to midfielder Landzaat some 25 yards out. The Dutchman took one touch before smashing a fierce strike past Lehmann into the top left corner. Not for the first time this season, Arsenal found themselves trailing at home. And in first-half stoppage time Heskey was within inches of making it 2-0. He latched onto McCulloch's pass into the area and shot goalwards - but Lehmann got just enough of a touch for the ball to bounce back off the right-hand post.

Arsenal broke quickly - and Henry headed wide from Gael Clichy's centre. Just after the restart, Johan Djourou had to be taken off for treatment on what looked like it could be a broken nose following an accidental clash with Heskey. With Arsenal a man short at the back, the ball was chipped through for the ex-Birmingham striker - but Heskey looped his angled shot over. On 51 minutes, Djourou had to be replaced. Striker Emmanuel Adebayor came on and Gilberto dropped back into defence as Wenger reshuffled his pack.

Clichy darted into the penalty box, and went down in a crowd of blue shirts. Referee Paul Dowd was unmoved. As the hour mark approached, Arsenal upped the tempo and the home fans responded with an increase in volume. Josip Skoko sent a rasping, angled effort just over from 20 yards after Wigan broke down the left.

The hosts, however, continued to press and forced a succession of corners. Wenger made a double change with 24 minutes left when Mathieu Flamini came on for Justin Hoyte and Walcott was replaced by Jeremie Aliadiere. Emmanuel Adebayor saw a well-taken effort ruled out for a marginal offside call.

Heskey got ahead of Flamini - and looked to have been bundled over inside the box. The referee, though, waved away the appeals. With nine minutes left, Arsenal felt the benefit of the official's decision 10 minutes from time, when Flamini was generously ruled onside and the Frenchman's cross was slid into his own net by Hall.

Wigan boss Paul Jewell was clearly furious, but his anger turned to despair moments later when a superb move involving Adebayor and Baptista was finished off by Rosicky's flying header.

There was no time for Wigan to respond and the defeat leaves them just five points off the bottom three.

Henry and Chris Kirkland were then involved in what looked a heated exchange of words.

zocoss SG

9 players booked. Lehmann collects another for time wasting and will now miss the Carling Cup final against Chelsea.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Hoyte (Aliadiere 67), Toure, Djourou (Adebayor 51), Clichy, Walcott (Flamini 67), Fabregas, Silva, Rosicky, Julio Baptista, Henry.
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Denilson.

Booked: Toure, Henry, Lehmann, Rosicky, Clichy, Fabregas.

Goals: Hall 81 og, Rosicky 85.

Wigan: Kirkland, Hall (Haestad 90), Boyce, Jackson, Baines, Taylor (Valencia 87), Landzaat, Skoko, McCulloch, Heskey, Aghahowa (Kilbane 87).
Subs Not Used: Filan, Unsworth.

Booked: Baines, McCulloch, Hall.

Goals: Landzaat 35.

Att: 60,049

Ref: P Dowd (Staffordshire).

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FURIOUS JEWELL SLAMS DOWD

Wigan manager Paul Jewell blamed referee Phil Dowd for costing his side victory and potentially £50million in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal. The Barclays Premiership strugglers were leading 1-0 through Denny Landzaat's long-range strike when Emile Heskey appeared to be brought down on the edge of the penalty area by Mathieu Flamini late in the second half.

However, Dowd ruled no foul had been committed and Arsenal equalised moments later from a Fitz Hall own goal before Tomas Rosicky snatched victory with five minutes to go. "I thought we should have had a penalty which would hopefully have made it 2-0," said Jewell, whose side are just five points above the relegation zone.

"It is penalty. He (Flamini) puts his hand on his shoulder. Why would Emile want to go down? Some of the officials don't understand the game. "He (Dowd) has cost our team the points. It could cost us £50million."

The Latics boss was also unhappy his side were temporarily reduced to 10 men for Arsenal's equaliser - which was set up by an offside Flamini - as midfielder Josip Skoko's return after treatment was delayed by Dowd.

"One of our players was having treatment, Dowd didn't let him back on and then it looked like offside for their goal," he added on Sky Sports 1. "I don't like blaming referees but why is our player not allowed back on the pitch after receiving treatment? Even the fourth official doesn't know why he has not been allowed back on and if the officials don't understand each other we've got no chance.

"I'll be in trouble (for his comments) but no doubt these fellas (the officials) will have a game next week." Despite his criticism of the officials, Jewell was pleased with his team's performance.

"Whatever we got would have been a bonus. I thought our players were great today," he said. "We have had a sticky run in the last few weeks but we have to show that [determination] for the next 12 games and if we do that we will be comfortable."

Gunners chief Arsene Wenger hailed the determination of his team. "I felt we deserved it because we did fight until the last second and we have shown again fantastic fighting spirit and character," he said. "It was a good Wigan side and they could have won as well, they hit the post at 1-0 and after that there were one or two situations that could have gone both ways."

Asked whether he thought Wigan could have had a penalty, Wenger told Sky Sports 1: "Maybe, yes. I didn't see it again. It was difficult to see and very difficult to say. The referee was close. It's not for me to decide that."

Jens Lehmann is out of contention for the Carling Cup final with Chelsea this month after being booked for time-wasting, though Wenger admits Manuel Almunia would have started that match anyway.

"I would not have played him (Lehmann) anyway. "I feel he wanted to show that we can also waste time and the referee didn't like it." Rosicky admits the Gunners must learn to start games better.

"We need to try to improve that, because it's always difficult to try to come back in every game. "We got the three points today but we know we could have done much better.

"It's probably the closest to losing the unbeaten record here but Wigan played quite well and have some good players. They are not easy games in this league. "It's always great when you can turn a game around but we need to start better from the beginning."

zocoss SG

Points after all matches on Feb 11.

2 pts: turbo_drift, felirox, anhydrouscoppersulphate, zocoss, T.Ryousuke, stevenliew, used.

1 pts: pervertboi, finoq, mcfadden, lpx88, a-Lost-9uY

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Scoreboard after Feb 11 matches:

1. a-Lost-9uY 15pts

2. anhydrouscoppersulphate 15pts

3. T.Ryousuke 14pts

4. stevenliew 13pts

5. used 11pts

6. zocoss 11pts

7. felirox 6pts

8. pervertboi 6pts

9. lpx88 5pts

10. yellow_monkey 5pts

11. finoq 5pts

12. stan 4pts

13. sand king 4pts

==========Relegation Zone==========

14. turbo_drift 4pts

15. lpx88 1pts

16. mcfadden 1pts

,

used SG

to be honest, arsenal deserved to win. wigan tt they could cling on to their lead but i say the goals they conceded were unfortunate

T.Ryousuke SG

What Wigan did is to play the offside trap, you can count how many times Arsenal was offside until Flamini one. They are really gamble till the last moment. On the 2nd goal, Rosicky and Baptista had past all the defenders who r really hope they are offside. Arsenal win it becos they never giveup, Wigan had to learn that offside is not always successful, and it's up to the linesmen to give or not becos sometime the passes may hit the defender b4 the striker got the ball, and so its dun consider offside.

As for the panelty, we already know that Fifa ruling is cannot use video to help the referee and linesman, so these kinda of error is ongoing. The more they argue the more fine they kana, so LL.

T.Ryousuke SG

Wigan manager Paul Jewell kana charge by FA.

zocoss SG

WIGAN TO REGISTER DOWD COMPLAINTS

Wigan boss Paul Jewell maintains he has the support of a number of "big figures" inside the game as he prepares to take on the might of the Football Association and Premier League.

Jewell and Wigan today came out fighting as the furore in the wake of Sunday's 2-1 Barclays Premiership defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium rumbled on. Wigan are to write an official letter of complaint to the Premier League, the FA and referees' chief Keith Hackett in relation to the conduct of referee Phil Dowd.

In a statement, the club 'allege that a number of their players were verbally abused in an aggressive and menacing manner by Mr Dowd'. Jewell, meanwhile, is to contest "tooth and nail" a charge of improper conduct issued by the FA for his on-the-pitch rant towards Dowd.

A second charge is likely to follow for his post-match comments as he roundly condemned the performance of the Staffordshire official. The FA gave Jewell until February 28 to respond, but he delivered his reply just over four hours later, with the backing of several Premiership bosses.

"We, as a club, will be fighting this tooth and nail," insisted Jewell. "We owe it to our supporters to fight this, because if I just shrug my shoulders and do nothing when I feel an injustice has been done, it would be letting them down." Jewell added: "I have been overwhelmed with the support I have had from inside the game, big figures who I respect a great deal.

"They have told me in no uncertain terms that I must take this all the way, and that's what I intend to do." Jewell's emotions ran high after the loss to the Gunners, albeit understandable given the circumstances. The 43-year-old was initially incensed at Dowd's failure to award his side an 80th-minute penalty, and with Wigan leading 1-0.

Mathieu Flamini pulled Emile Heskey back by the shoulder, yet Dowd has apparently claimed he saw nothing more than contact between two players. That could have led to Wigan taking a 2-0 lead and a red card for Flamini, who moments later set up the equaliser - an own goal from Fitz Hall - from an offside position.

In between, Dowd further angered Jewell by not letting Josip Skoko back onto the pitch after he had received treatment, leaving the Australian to watch from the sidelines as Arsenal made it 1-1. After berating Dowd on the pitch at the final whistle and pointing an accusing finger, Jewell later claimed the official had made "a catalogue of mistakes".

Jewell, whose side remain five points above the relegation zone, added: "He has cost our team the points - it could cost us £50million. "Referees just do not realise the significance of football matches. "I think some of them consider it to be more of a hobby and they do not take it as seriously as we do as managers and players. "I just do not understand where they are coming from."

But it is Dowd's own conduct that is in the spotlight as Jewell maintains the 34-year-old used foul and abusive language. After the game, Jewell said: "He is telling our players to F-off and stuff, which I do not mind because it is a man's game. "But then he is telling me that I will be sent into the stands for having a go at him. It cannot all be one way."

The Latics will want answers from English football's two governing bodies, as well as Hackett with regard to Dowd's behaviour. Hackett today explained the four match officials on duty at the Emirates Stadium were all in contact with one another throughout the game.

Although there is no recording, the FA will call upon the fourth official and the two assistant referees for their views.

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