Kolo Toure maintained Arsenal’s hopes of winning the FA Cup by heading home a late equaliser against Premiership rivals Bolton to secure a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
Bolton, Arsenal’s bogey team, had gone ahead in this fourth-round tie after a goalless first-half through Kevin Nolan’s 50th minute shot, which capped a well-worked move from the visitors at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal, who have now won just once in eight games against Bolton, were on their way out of the Cup when Cote d’Ivoire defender Toure stole in at the back post 12 minutes from time to head in Cesc Fabregas’s free-kick and set up a replay at the Reebok Stadium.
”I felt we lacked a little bit of sharpness and focus in the first-half,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports afterwards. ”The pace of our game was too slow.
”They then had a chance to kill the game off but domination-wise and chances-wise, second-half it was all us,” the Frenchman added.
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce was pleased by his side’s display, although he rued a missed chance from Nolan at 1-0 that could have sealed the tie.
”It looked like we were going to hold out but it was a terrific performance,” he said.
”The turning point for me was when Kevin Nolan tried to go round the keeper. That would have made it 2-0 and I don’t think Arsenal would have come back from that.”
Earlier on Sunday, Premiership champions Chelsea eased into the last 16 with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.
First-half goals from Andriy Shevchenko, Didier Drogba and John-Obi Mikel saw the Blues overpower Forest, twice winners of the European Cup but now in League One, the third division of English professional football.
”We have to play these matches in a serious and professional way. If you don’t do it you give hope to your opponents and today [Sunday] we did our job well,” said Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.
”In the first half the game was over and that is what we needed with games coming up against Blackburn and Charlton.”
Forest manager Colin Calderwood said: ”I have learned a great deal from this match, but I don’t think I can take any positives from it. We had hoped to be able to come here and compete more than we did.”
Elsewhere, West Bromwich Albion stayed in the competition with a 3-0 win away to West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Goals either side of half-time from Diomansy Kamara and Kevin Phillips put Albion, chasing promotion to the Premiership, in a strong position against their fellow Championship side before Zoltan Gera added a third 12 minutes from full-time.
”It was a fantastic away performance,” said Phillips. ”And it could have been a lot better if we’d taken all our chances.”
Manchester City saw off Southampton 3-1 at Eastlands.
The Saints took the lead through Kenwyne Jones before City made it 2-1 before half-time, thanks to former England international striker Darius Vassell and Joey Barton.
United States international DaMarcus Beasley made the game safe for City 20 minutes from time.
But the result was partly overshadowed by City manager Stuart Pearce’s post-match announcement that he had accepted the part-time post of England Under-21 manager.
”I have been offered the job and I have accepted it,” said former England captain Pearce. ”Now, it is down to the club and the FA to both be comfortable with the situation.”
The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup takes place Monday. — AFP
