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Saturday, January 27, 2007

It's Bolton Again!

Arsenal are without Emmanuel Eboue, Jeremie Aliadiere, Alex Hleb and Robin van Persie, while keeper Manuel Almunia will play in place of Jens Lehamnn.

Also out are Freddie Ljungberg, William Gallas and Gilberto but in-form Julio Baptista may be given a starting berth.

Bolton striker El-Hadji Diouf is ruled out through suspension and will be replaced by either Stelios Giannakopoulos or Ricardo Vaz Te.

Defender Ricardo Gardner is also pushing for a recall.

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Rosicky, Flamini, Fabregas, Baptista, Henry, Adebayor, Almunia, Walcott, Diaby, Djourou, Hoyte, Aliadiere, Denilson.

Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Meite, Ben Haim, Campo, Giannakopoulos, Speed, Nolan, Anelka, Davies, Walker, Gardner, Vaz Te, Tal, Teymourian, Fortune, Fojut, Smith.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

ARSENAL and Bolton are facing each other in the FA Cup for the third season running. The Gunners were on route to winning the trophy in 2004-05, when they won 1-0 in the quarter-finals at Highbury with a third minute goal from Fredrik Ljungberg. Last season at this same fourth round stage, Bolton won 1-0 at the Reebok with a score from Stylianos Giannakopoulis six minutes from time. This is the 10th time the pair have been drawn against each other in the oldest, and arguably the greatest knock-out competition in world club football, and Arsenal lead 5-4.

The Gunners have a proud unbeaten record to defend at the Emirates Stadium, and were on a five-match winning run home and away, until Tottenham held their youngsters to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night. That winning streak included dispatching FA Cup holders Liverpool in the last round, 1-3 at Anfield, and following that three days later with a 3-6 League Cup triumph on the same ground.

An Arsenal player has lifted the FA Cup in three of the last five years, and on four occasions in the tenure of Arsene Wenger. They've reached the final in four of their last six attempts, and the semi-final on one of the other two occasions. Only Manchester United have won the Cup more times than Arsenal - United 11, the Gunners 10.

BOLTON WANDERERS have become something of a bogey side for Arsenal, having lost once to them in seven League and Cup meetings. But all four of their victories in that seven-match sequence have been at the Reebok. That includes this seasons League fixture on 25 November when Nicolas Anelka scored twice against his former club in a 3-1 victory. However the Trotters have not won at the home of the north Londoners since a 1-3 triumph after extra time in an FA Cup fourth round replay on 9 February 1994, when Jason McAteer, John McGinlay and Andy Walker scored their goals.

Sam Allardyce's side cruised into the fourth round with a 0-4 trouncing of League One Doncaster at the Yorkshire club's brand new Keepmoat Stadium. Two goals from Iran international Andranik Teymourian and one each for Kevin Davies and Idan Tal did the damage. Their reward is one of three all-Premiership ties in the last 32.

It's 49 years since the Trotters last won the Cup for the fourth time in their history. Quarter-finalists two years ago, they had to be satisfied with a last 16 berth last year when they were beaten by the eventual losing finalists West Ham. Now the Lancashire club are hoping to knock out top flight opposition for the first time since disposing of the Gunners twelve months ago.

From : BBC Sports

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