FOOTBALL Live

Sunday March 9, 2008 Finished JJB Stadium

Wigan Athletic 0 - Logo 0

Wigan Athletic

Arsenal

  1. Wigan hold Arsenal

    Wigan hold Arsenal

    Arsenal's title bid suffered a set-back after the Gunners were held to a goalless draw at relegation-threatened Wigan. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Wigan Athletic
    • Arsenal
    • 90'+5 There it is! All over at the JJB and Arsenal are held to a goalless draw! Great result for the Latics, and not a bad one for Manchester United! Arsenal's lead at the top of the table is just two points, having played a game more than United!
    • 90'+4 The ball falls to Koumas on the edge of the box! What a strike! Blocked on its way through! Handball! Not given!
    • 90'+3 Wigan on the attack! Valencia wins a corner... still time for a winner!
    • 90' Four minutes of added time to be played! There's still time!
    • 89' What a save from Kirkland! Fabregas is played in on goal by Adebayor, but the Spaniard is denied a late winner by the Wigan keeper who saves with his body!
    • 87' Here comes that change... Kilbane on for King...
    • 86' Fabregas! Oooh! He doesn't catch it well and his shot is dragged wide of the post!
    • 85' Superb defending from Gallas as Sibierski threatened to get on the end of a Valencia ball into the box!
    • 84' Wigan are preparing to make a change... Kilbane is set to come on...
    • 83' Van Persie side steps on the edge of the Wigan area... he unleashes a shot, but much to the relief of the home fans, it sails into the stands!
    • 80' Ten minutes left and time running out for the Gunners to nick a winner...
    • 77' Van Persie steps up... and hammers it over the bar!
    • 76' Sibierski talks himself into the book here... and RVP will have a chance to have a pop on goal from a free kick!
    • 72' Great ball in from Fabregas from the free kick... all it needs is a touch... but there isn't one and the ball lands in Kirkland's arms!
    • 71' King gets booked for a late-ish challenge on Senderos...
    • 66' What can Van Persie bring to this game? He's only had an hour of play in preparation...
    • 65' Arsenal make two changes... Toure and Van Persie on for Bendtner and Gilberto Silva... interesting move from Wenger...
    • 65' Senderos nearly gets caught out at the back... Sibierski is pulled up for a foul in the end...
    • 64' What an effort from Valencia! He connects really sweetly and forces Almunia to tip round the corner!
    • 61' Gilberto goes into the book for a trip on Palacios... he knows he's in the wrong there...
    • 61' Sibierski gets his head to a cross... he directs it goalwards, but that's easy for Almunia!
    • 60' It's not happening this time though... Arsenal clear, but Wigan are on the ascendency!
    • 59' Koumas wins another Wigan corner now! And the home crowd can sense something now!
    • 58' Lovely play from Wigan! Melchiott and Sibierski are involved before Koumas lashes a volley wide of the post!
    • 57' Almunia races off his line to clear a long Wigan punt through... but Gallas has his eyes on the same ball! The pair collide on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, although Gallas manages to clear in the end!
    • 55' Here comes that change... Heskey limps off and is replaced by Sibierski...
    • 53' Brown and Flamini have a problem with each other here after a tugging match... the Frenchman turns round and gives him a few "sacre bleus" before the ref runs over to diffuse the situation.
    • 52' Sibierski's warming up... and he's the most likley candidate to replace Emilio...
    • 51' Heskey's got a problem here... he's limping heavily and surely can't continue.
    • 50' Wigan are looking a bit ragged at the back after the break! And Arsenal could capitalise...
    • 49' Chance for Adebayor! From the free kick, Kirkland comes to the edge of his box, only for Scharner to head away... it falls to the Togo international, but his shot on goal is saved by the keeper, somewhere between the penalty spot and the edge of the box!
    • 48' Boyce shows his studs to Bendtner... but gets away with a talking to from the ref!
    • 46' Back underway at the Emirates... and no sign of Robin Van Persie at the start of the second half.
    • 45'+2 The corner is hit too deep though and there goes the half time whistle! Goalless as the teams head towards the dressing rooms!
    • 45' Heskey shows all his strength as he outmuscles Senderos before Gallas steps across to make the challenge! Corner to Wigan!
    • 42' Wigan might just be able to nick a point here... they've packed the defence and Arsenal are already starting to look a little frustrated.
    • 39' Fabregas and Heskey clash by the touchline! The Spaniard doesn't like the initial challenge so he pushes Heskey into a camera... he then reacts but there's nothing to it really, although Fabregas tries to make the most out of it by clutching his face... pathetic.
    • 37' Wigan can break now with King... oh dear, not like that they can't... King gives the ball straight to Hleb...
    • 36' Oooh! Fabregas forces Kirkland into a fine save with a decent header!
    • 33' Koumas delivers it into the box... it comes out to Brown! But his shot is poor and the danger passes.
    • 32' Heskey is pulled back slightly here and Wigan will have another chance to get the ball into the box from a free kick...
    • 29' Valencia looks dangerous today... and Clichy knows he has his hands full...
    • 28' Melchiott is beaten to it by Gallas and Arsenal clear their lines... disappointing set pieces so far.
    • 27' Valencia wins another corner for Wigan, who are holding their own so far...
    • 25' Bendtner is the first to go into the book today... for a challenge on Koumas that actually doesn't look too bad...
    • 23' Adebayor nearly pounces on a loose ball after Wigan fail to deal with the corner! Wigan hack clear in the end, but you just get the feeling Arsenal are going to score every time they go forward.
    • 22' Bendtner displays a lovely touch to control Fabregas's through ball... and he wins a corner!
    • 20' Nothing comes of it though and Arsenal regain possession of the ball...
    • 19' Down at the other end, Valencia wins a corner off Clichy! Chance now for Wigan...
    • 17' Arsenal are playing some neat football at the moment, but they seem to want to walk the ball into the net... a few shots on goal wouldn't go amiss...
    • 15' Bendtner brings a chorus of jeers out of the home crowd after he makes a hash of a cross... the ball bobbled on the uneven pitch before he swung his boot and it ended up coming off his shin!
    • 14' Senderos deals with a long Wigan ball forward with an uncharacteristic sense of composure... well done Swiss Tony!
    • 12' Valencia does well to make his way into the box... he plays the ball back out to Palacios! Oh dear, that's not the best shot ever seen... the ball bounces well wide of the goal...
    • 9' Heskey gets up well to head the corner clear for Wigan... it falls to Clichy who lets fly! Never troubling Kirkland though...
    • 8' Bendtner fancies his luck from 25 yards.... wide of the mark, but it took a deflection on the way through and it'll be a corner!
    • 6' Arsenal have really burst out of the blocks today... and they're being spurred on by a large number of their fans, who are in vocal mood after Tuesday's Champions League heroics...
    • 5' Just a quick word on the pitch... it's not very good - the markings of a rugby league game are still visible and already it's cutting up badly.
    • 4' Adebayor bursts a lung trying to get onto Bendtner's through pass.... he gets there, but his shot is blocked!
    • 2' No signs of a Euro hangover early on for the Gunners!
    • 1' Not even a minute on the clock before Fabregas plays in Adebayor! Must be! No! What a stop by Kirkland!
    • 1' Here we go! Underway in Wigan!
    • - Referee: Rob Styles (Hampshire)
    • - Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Senderos, Gallas, Clichy, Fabregas, Flamini, Silva, Hleb, Adebayor, Bendtner - Subs: Lehmann, Toure, Van Persie, Song Billong, Justin Hoyte
    • - Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Boyce, Edman, Valencia, Brown, Palacios, Koumas, Heskey, King - Subs: Pollitt, Taylor, Sibierski, Kilbane, Bramble
    • - Kick-off is at 16h GMT, so be sure to join us then for all the action!
    • - Wigan are desperate for points, albeit for very different reasons. Victory would give the Latics a huge boost in their bid to stave of relegation, while even a point would see them leapfrog Reading and Newcastle into 13th.
    • - With Manchester United not in Premier League action this weekend, the Gunners can take full advantage and victory would extend their lead at the top of the table to four points.
    • - Hello and welcome to euurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of today's big game at the JJB Stadium!

  • Summary

    • 90'+4 The ball falls to Koumas on the edge of the box! What a strike! Blocked on its way through! Handball! Not given!
    • 89' What a save from Kirkland! Fabregas is played in on goal by Adebayor, but the Spaniard is denied a late winner by the Wigan keeper who saves with his body!
    • 64' What an effort from Valencia! He connects really sweetly and forces Almunia to tip round the corner!
    • 58' Lovely play from Wigan! Melchiott and Sibierski are involved before Koumas lashes a volley wide of the post!
    • 49' Chance for Adebayor! From the free kick, Kirkland comes to the edge of his box, only for Scharner to head away... it falls to the Togo international, but his shot on goal is saved by the keeper, somewhere between the penalty spot and the edge of the box!
    • 39' Fabregas and Heskey clash by the touchline! The Spaniard doesn't like the initial challenge so he pushes Heskey into a camera... he then reacts but there's nothing to it really, although Fabregas tries to make the most out of it by clutching his face... pathetic.
    • 36' Oooh! Fabregas forces Kirkland into a fine save with a decent header!
    • 1' Not even a minute on the clock before Fabregas plays in Adebayor! Must be! No! What a stop by Kirkland!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Rob Styles

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Steve Bruce

    Captain: Emile Heskey

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Melchiot
    • Boyce
    • Scharner
    • Edman
    • Valencia
    • Palacios
    • Brown
    • Koumas
    • King Yellow Card Substitution Out (87′)
    • Heskey Substitution Out (55′)

    Subs

    • Sibierski Substitution In (55′) Yellow Card
    • Kilbane Substitution In (87′)
    • Bramble
    • Taylor
    • Pollitt

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Arsenal

    Manager: Arsene Wenger

    Captain: William Gallas

    On the Field

    • Almunia
    • Sagna
    • Gallas
    • Senderos
    • Clichy
    • Fabregas
    • Gilberto Silva Yellow Card Substitution Out (65′)
    • Flamini
    • Hleb
    • Adebayor
    • Bendtner Yellow Card Substitution Out (65′)

    Subs

    • Lehmann
    • Toure Substitution In (65′)
    • Hoyte
    • van Persie Substitution In (65′)
    • Song

    Injured

    • Rosicky
    • Diaby
    • Djourou
    • Walcott
    • Eduardo

    Suspended

    • Eboue