Bolton Wanderers 2 // Arsenal 1
BOLTON // Late goals at Manchester United tend to come in the period that has become known as Fergie Time. Arsenal are developing their own unwanted equivalent. Wenger Time is perhaps the prime reason why a trophy is not bound for the Emirates Stadium.
As Bolton celebrated Tamir Cohen's 90th-minute winner, Arsenal were trapped in their own time warp.
Like Newcastle United, like Birmingham City, like Tottenham Hotspur, like Liverpool, Bolton had pounced at the last against Arsenal. All have struck at a stage of the game when there is little or no scope for a comeback.
In this year's title race, there is none now for Arsenal. Nine points down with four games to play, they are out of contention.
This was the culmination of a traumatic two months. These were two teams with Wembley wounds, but the psychological scars of Bolton's 5-0 thrashing in last week's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Stoke City seemed to have healed faster than the damage to Arsenal's morale.
Incurred in February's Carling Cup final loss to Birmingham City, it has not yet recovered: only Leyton Orient and Blackpool have been defeated since then.
With every subsequent setback, Arsene Wenger has become ever more animated, a picture of exasperation. He has been deemed a man in denial, arguing his side remained in the title race when others counted them out.
Now, however, he spoke with candour, admitting this was part of wider failings.
"Our chances are very minimal now," he said. "It is very frustrating because we should come home this week with nine points and we have two. It is very unsatisfactory because that's one of the easiest run-ins we have had for quite some time.
"We didn't take our chances. The potential is there. We still lack something that is called maturity, experience, calm in key situations. If someone is to blame, it is me: I choose the team, I pick the players."
The ones he selected illustrated their excellence on the ball and their failings without it. They fashioned and missed chances and conceded twice more at set pieces.
They could have scored a surfeit of goals, Jussi Jaaskelainen making fine saves from Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri while the captain also fired a shot against the post.
Yet having started by playing some delightful football, they conceded.
Seconds after Wojciech Szczesny denied him a goal with an outstanding block, Lee Chung-yong took the resulting corner. Gary Cahill rose unmarked to head and, while Nasri used his knee to clear the ball off the line, it only went as far as Daniel Sturridge. He headed in his seventh goal of a productive loan spell at the Reebok Stadium.
Arsenal's profligacy threatened to be more costly. Twenty-nine seconds into the second half, Johan Djourou was deemed to have tripped Sturridge just inside the box.
Kevin Davies's spot kick lacked both venom and direction and bounced back off Szczesny's legs.
Arsenal's response was swift and emphatic. Van Persie roamed infield with purpose, finding Fabregas and inviting the Spaniard to tee him up. The captain did so, the vice-captain picking out the corner of the net.
Thereafter, it was a test of nerve as much as an examination of ability.
Bolton emerged triumphant. Szczesny saved well from Johan Elmander but Cohen headed in the subsequent corner.
"A very emotional winner," said Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager. "It was fitting Tamir got it, given he lost his dad [former Israel defender Avi who died in a motor-cycle crash in December]."
It places footballing trauma into perspective but, as Coyle said: "What we had to do was come out and give a big performance." Bolton did that; Arsenal, over 90 minutes and 34 games, have been found wanting.