Arsenal were buzzing tonight. Their movement and passing were as precise as they've ever been this season., and were it not for Emmanuel Adebayor having an off-day (and Eduardo not doing much better), they would and should have had a two goal advantage going into the second leg.

Against Blackburn, Ade had a shocker, but came up with a late goal. Today against Milan, Ade was slightly less shocking (only just), but failed to score, somehow putting a header against the crossbar from point blank range after a great cross from Theo Walcott. This was in the 93rd minute of the game, and it ensured that Arsenal would get no reward for there endeavour.

His other contribution (or lack thereof) was a simple square pass to Fabregas, who was unmarked and right in front of the 'keeper, which he overhit. The ball went frustratingly away from Cesc's run, and deprived us of what would very likely have been a goal.

And what endeavour it was! Flamini was bossy and tidy, Hleb ran and dribbled all over the pitch, and Cesc produced some pinpoint balls. The interplay between the three was especially magical to watch, and they were complemented well by the overlapping Sagna and Clichy.

The defence was excellent overall, perhaps not as impressive as Milan's, but enough to keep Kaka, Pato and Seedorf completely quiet. Toure had to go off early injured, but Senderos came on and had a stormer.

Theo had a nice cameo, running at the tired Milan defence, and Bendtner caused some troubles with his height and touch.

Milan's lack of ambition was surprising. Arsenal outplayed them, no questions asked, but apart from Pato's attempts, there was very little else. Kaka was largely anonymous, apart from a few threatening crosses, and Seedorf was very, very deep the entire game. They should have been playing for an away goal, and Arsenal will be kicking themselves at having dominated a defensive team, but not having scored.

Well, I suppose this all makes it more exciting for yours truly! I've got my hands on an away ticket to the San Siro, so it's going to be a tense encounter there! 

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table to 5 points today, which a 2-0 win over Blackburn in London. Senderos set them on their way quite early, heading home an Eduardo corner in the 7th minute, after some awful marking from Blackburn. Arsenal then dominated the next 20 minutes or so, without scoring, and that allowed Blackburn to come back into it. Rovers couldn't really fashion any chances though, and the Arsenal defence was excellent. Then late on, Alexander Hleb (who had been very good) found space on the right and squared the ball to Adebayor (who had been very shit), and the Togo-stick took either a really brilliant or awful first touch with his left, and thumped the ball home with his right. Game set and match.

Hleb excepted, the best players on show were the defensive ones. Adebayor can't be expected to be amazing in every match, but he was really crap today, although much improved in the second half. Flamini had a very strong game and was really influential. Cesc was craft, if subdued, and Gilberto and Eduardo were erratic but OK. Gilberto doesn't seem like he will be here next season.

The defence though was excellent. Lehmann was calm and solid, Sagna was his usual supercharged, all-action self, and Clichy was solid and alert. Senderos continues to grow in confidence with every game, and his goal was the icing on the cake in this performance. Gallas however was exquisite. Every tackle and interception was excellent, he read the play flawlessly, and made a few drives upfield trying to spur on and support the attack. He was especially important when the team kept conceding possession and gave Blackburn the advantage - he popped up time and time again to win back the ball, and allowed the team to keep its head.

For the first time in a long while, the main Arsenal centreback has the ability to play on either side of central defence. Gallas normally plays on the left when Kolo Toure is in the side, but has been equally adept and impressive on the right side, something which has allowed the defence to stay sharp and settled.

There were previously always problems on this front. Tony Adams preferred the left side of central defence as well, and this worked fine with Steve Bould or Martin Keown complementing him. Adams was accomplished enough to not let playing on the other side be an issue, but his preference was well known. Sol Campbell then arrived, and he too preferred Adams' part of the defence. However, they overlapped for only 1 season, most of which Adams was injured for. Campbell was truly god awful when played on the right-side of central defence, but luckily this was not a problem, as Kolo complemented him perfectly. Senderos too, like Campbell and Adams before him, prefers the left-side, and as a result the Campbell-Senderos partnership was one of the worst seen in recent years.

So after the hiccups and injury problems of 2006/07, the Arsenal central defence finally looks like a top notch unit. Toure and Gallas were hailed as a potential "dream patnership" when the latter signed, and although it took a season to realise that dream, it has happened. Gallas is imperious at the back, and the club finally have a range of good options in central defence. Because of his versatility, Kolo-Senderos, Kolo-Gallas, and Gallas-Senderos are all viable options.

And don't forget about Johan Djourou. He played on the left-side in Arsenal's win at Old Trafford last season, but plays on the right for club and country when paired with Swiss teammate Senderos. His return from injury will be much appreciated methinks.

Sky might have awarded Man of the Match to Emmanuel Adebayor, but Mathieu Flamini was the really outstanding player in this game.

That's not to say that Ade was bad - he gave their defence a torrid time as usual, and of late he always looks like he's going to score. His header, the opening goal, was perfect, and set the wheels in motion.

However it was Flamini who provided the cross for that goal, making a wonderful run from midfield down the right, before taking his time to choose his options, and delivering an arcing, dipping cross that was perfectly weighted for Adebayor to run onto.

Flamini has been in good form for a while now, tackling, passing, and occasionally running with the ball. He's also happy to drop the "Arsenal approach" once in a while and have a shot from distance when he sees the opportunity, and adds an element of directness when the play is too intricate.

It was these qualities that saw him add the coupe de grace with a magnificent long range goal. Cesc passed the ball square to him near the left-centre, and what happened next seemed almost scripted. Mathieu took a single touch to set himself up, and fired a thumping, bending shot with his right foot high into the far, opposite corner. There was absolutely no hesitation on his part, and it was the sign of a player in form.

The crowning goal came from Cesc, and was his first league goal since November. Nicklas Bendtner brought down a high ball and cushioned it perfectly for Cesc to stab home with his left foot. Cue overexuberant celebrations where the rest of the team, especially Adebayor, did their best to congratulate Bendtner in some sort of show of solidarity.

It was a great performance, and Newcastle were helpless. I think they managed just one shot on goal, and Keegan will once again be wondering what he needs to do to make Michael Owen once again look like a top striker again.

As for Flamini, he can't sign a new deal fast enough. It's not just his tackling, intercepting and attacking play that his made him outstanding this season, it's his leadership and enthusiasm. The 4 starting midfielders - Cesc, Flamini, Hleb and Rosicky have a great friendship amongst them, Senderos and Clichy have been there a long time as well, and Flamini has started to boss them all. They're all familiar with each other, and the Flamster keeps them alert - telling them to mark people, making sure they're aware on free-kicks and corners, and keeping a watchful eye on any gaps that open up. He's also got a real fighting spirit, and has gotten involved in all the scraps this season - his feistiness is a tremendous asset! 

Having been vanquished in the FA Cup on Saturday, Kevin Keegan's men return to the Emirates Stadium in what will probably be a much changed encounter, in terms of both personnel and tactics.

Keegan has struggled to provide any kind of attacking impetus, which is what he's known for. Granted, it's only been two games, but all they've managed is a single, solitary shot on goal.

They passed well enough against Arsenal on Saturday, before being taken apart after Adebayor scored the first, but that was a cup-tie, and the league will be different, because there are points at stake.

So it remains to be seen whether Keegan will ditch his attacking mindset and come in an go with a 4-5-1 and try to battle for some kind of result. After all, he wouldn't want his comeback to have ended before it's even begun.

Arsenal will change a few personnel around - Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte both started at the weekend, and I expect them to be rested.  Almunia will return as well. With injuries to Rosicky and Van Persie, I don't expect too many changes elsewhere in the side. Theo will feature as a sub, but might even be in contention to come in for Hleb.

GK: Almunia

RB: Sagna
CB: Gallas
CB: Senderos
LB: Clichy

RM: Hleb/Theo
CM: Cesc
CM: Flamini
LM: Diaby

ST: Adebayor
ST: Eduardo

As for Newcastle, they always have ever-changing team news, but today's lineup should look almost exactly like the one at the weekend (4-4-2):
GK: Given, RB: Carr, CB: Taylor, CB: Rozehnal, LB: Enrique, RM: Milner, CM: Butt, CM: N'Zogbia, LM: Duff, ST: Owen, ST: Smith

There's not too many changes that Kevin can make, but Rozehnal might be better equipped to handle Ade's aerial threat. They will probably start Smith, because he grafts and can drop deep to make it a 4-5-1 when needed, but if not then Viduka will have some part to play after returning from injury.

Well, the title is oversimplifying it a little bit, but let's not lose sight of everything in the midst of all the fallout from the Adebayor-Bendtner incident, and Spurs' champagne-spraying celebrations (as if they'd won the Champions' League or something).

The Carling Cup is, and always has been Arsenal's 4th priority. The Carling Cup, as Juande Ramos told us recently, was Tottenham's No. 1 target, and Dimitar Berbatov even said this was their "match of the year".

Hence we saw an extremely pumped Spurs team, at home, on the cusp of a Wembley final, playing a disjointed Arsenal side that have the slight distractions of competing for the league, and being in the Champions League AND the FA Cup.

The Spuds haven't won in this fixture since 1999, and that pathetic record of theirs was bound to end sometime. This was the perfect opportunity for it - at home, Carling Cup semi-final (which they messed up last year), and against their local rivals' second/youth side. They played like it was their "Match of the Year", and sadly we played like it was our lowest priority competition. However, while defeat is somewhat (only slightly) palpable, the scoreline was the shocking bit.

And on that, I have nothing to say other than "WHAT THE FUCK?". At 2-0 I shook my head, but though OK there's a chance. At 3-0 I grimaced, and at 4-0 I burst out laughing from the sheer absurdity of it all - who would have thought? Spurs up 4-0 against the Arsenal in a cup semi-final. Happily for them the record books will not tell us that the Carling Cup is a mickey mouse tournament, nor that Arsenal played a secondary side, but that's the price of losing.

Credit to them, they were excellent on the day, and quite clinical, but some of the Arsenal players were god awful. It wasn't even that weak of an Arsenal side, with Gallas and Sagna drafted in because of injury, and Hleb playing on the right to add some creativity. Fabregas even played most of the game after Denilson had come off injured after 20 minutes. Some of the players just did not seem up for it, and captain William Gallas particularly was awful.

Arsene Wenger gave in to the temptation of including some senior players, understandable given the size and nature of the fixture, but I understand completely his regrets in not letting some of the youngsters have a go and playing the players that he did, because some of them were just not in the game. 

The players will have to respond at the weekend against Newcastle, and it will be difficult with the cloud of the whole Bendtner-Adebayor clash hanging over them. Adebayor's behaviour was seriously, seriously out of order, and no matter how much he's done for the club, striking a junior teammate in public, in a game such as that, is completely unacceptable. While Bendtner is a cocky, mouthy lad, he is one of the family, and i'm sure the players and other people within the club are just shocked by what Ade has done.

There is some serious patching up to do.

Under Sam Allardyce, Bolton were a dirty, cynical, and dangerous team. In the post-Allardyce era, they are no longer dangerous. And so Arsenal faced a dirty, cynical Bolton on Saturday. With Sammy Lee already sacked (his "more expansive" style of football essentially = crap), coach Archie Knox was appointed caretaker, and he did what so many teams do against Arsenal - clog up the midfield, and get his players to kick and scrap as best they could to keep the scores level.

Shorn of Nicolas Anelka, their only genuine attacking threat, through injury, Bolton never once looked like threating, and although they managed to keep the scores level for an hour, Arsenal were already in their second half ascendancy when they took the lead.

And that moment was all about Kolo Toure. Those who've followed the Arsenal steadily for the last two years or so would have noticed an ever increasing tendency by Toure to take speculative thumps from anywhere between 30-60 yards out. From time-to-time they'd force the 'keeper into a save, often even resulting in rebounds for the strikers. But most of the time it would just leave you wondering why perfectly good free-kick positions were wasted; it was always a familiar pattern, someone standing on the ball, and Toure running in to thump it high, wide, or into the wall. So often the entire sequence was messed up, and there would be missed kicks, or the coordination problems, and he couldn't even get the shot away. Yet Kolo still seemed to be on a mission to thump in a long ranger.

Well, last week against Sunderland he thumped one that came back out off the post, and that was perhaps a sign of things to come.

Yesterday, without the prodiguous left-foot of Robin Van Persie, they needed to improvise for a free-kick outside the box. 3 Arsenal player waited patiently around the ball when the free-kick was given. Then, when the whistle blew, Cesc Fabregas rolled it to Mathieu Flamini, who cushioned it into the path of the onrushing Kolo, who in turn drilled a low hard shot perfectly into the bottom far corner of the goal. It went through the legs of two defenders, and the Bolton 'keeper had no chance.

And that was, as Ian Grant descibred, the "unblocking of the drain". The football flowed after that - Adebayor wasted two chances, one with a poor shot, and the other with an absolutely horrendous messup. Gallas had chances, and Theo zipped past 4 Bolton players before putting in a low cross that no one was alert to.

But the second goal did come, and it was the two substitues who combined for it. Hleb showed great awareness to play the ball to a just-onside Walcott. It was a hard, high pass, and Theo did fantastically well to control it, turn a defender inside out, and then square another low-cross in from the right. Rosicky had made a great run in, and he showed excellent technique to deftly flick the ball across the keeper into the far post with his instep. 2-0 to the Arsenal, and that was the game.

Hleb was oustanding, and the team played well overall. Eboue continues to look uncomfortable on the wing, and Adebayor was extremely, extremely wasteful, but had an immense team contribution over all. 11 straight wins now, but the real tests will come over the next two weekends - with games against Liverpool and Manchester United. 

So here is the story in short:

1. There was a lot of pre-match buildup including - "Bolton are Arsenal's bogey team", "Arsenal's 'pretty' footballers can't handle Bolton's thuggery", "Allardyce spurts bravado bullshit and slags Wenger off". This included the usual rubbish about Bolton's "honest" English players, Wenger's diving foreigners and all sorts of usual xenophobic nonsense that the English press loves to throw up. Wenger stuck to his guns (as he always does, and said that they would play football and try to win.

2. The story of the first-match was - Bolton going up 1-0 through Kevin Nolan early on, Arsenal equalising for 1-1 through Kolo Toure late on. Both teams were wasteful, but it was a tense, tight affair.

3. The story of this match was a little more complex. I'm tempted to use bullet points, but i'm too lazy: Arsenal played football, and how. Mesmering passing and dominant possession throughout the first half resulted only in a one goal lead. Hleb, Denilson, Rosicky and Adebayor all combining beautifully in the build-up, and the Togostick scoring with a left-footed shot via a deflection off Stelios. Diaby and Denilson were magical in the centre of midfield, controlling the play, going in for tackles, and above all always moving the ball around. This lead was almost lost just before half-time when Stelios hit the bar. Time for a new paragraph.

The second half was a little bit more even, but not much at all. Arsenal lost a bit of their flow and rhythym but still controlled the game. Baptista showed great Brazilianity to win a penalty, which Gilberto slammed high into the roof... of the stadium. Still 1-0 to the Arsenal. Bolton's influence on the game was increasing, but Arsenal countered well, and Adebayor sprinted through on goal, neatly rounded the keeper, and with the goal COMPLETELY at his mercy, he fired the ball in.. to the post, from where it rebounded away to safety. Still 1-0 to the Arsenal, but things get more tense now. Then, the predictable happened. As a few Arsenal counter-attacks and half-chances were again wasted (Baptista was particularly guilty), Bolton equalised in the 92nd minute. How? Through a corner of course, because Arsenal were once again "brilliant" with their set-piece defending (although to be fair they actually were for most of the game). With Bolton keeper Jasskalainen mucking about with Toure on the penalty spot, three players queued up unmarked at the far post, the ball was headed in, and Meite stabbed it home. Pandemonium. End of normal time, and end of paragraph.

Extra-time started off with the Arse looking nervous, and I really feared for the result. I am always confident that we can win penalty shootouts when Almunia is involved, but getting to the end of extra-time seemed like it was going to be a problem, especially when stand-in centreback Gilberto flicked a cross towards his own goal, fortunately it hit the post and was sent to safety. The first-half of extra-time ended without further event, and with both teams looking tense and tired, penalties were very possibly on the cards. Not to be so however, and two substitutes combined to give Arsenal the lead. Jeremie Aliadiere showed great pace and skill to run about 45 yards, beating about 4 or 5 players along the way, and tapped a neat ball into the path of the onrushing Freddie, who a la 2002, took the ball in his stride with his right foot, and struck a perfect early shot with his left that was only ever destined for the far corner. 2-1 to the Arsenal.

Bolton surged forward in search of an equaliser, and with their keeper up for another corner, Arsenal broke, Adebayor was clean through on goal, and Anelka fouled him from behind in the penalty area. Why was it not a red card? There was no keeper in sight, so Adeabyor had a clear goalscoring opportunity and Anelka was the last man, and he made no attempt to get the ball. All that he got was a yellow. Perhaps the referee didn't want to send off a second Bolton "footballer" after dismissing the dirty, smelly and irritating Tal Ben Haim earlier on, but it's not Arsenal's problem that people like Tal Ben Haim exist is it?

Anyways, Baptista stepped up to take the penalty, and obviously him and Gilberto are having some sort of "Best Brazilian" contest, and the Beast being his humble self, he decided to let Gilberto win and smacked the penalty even harder and more inaccurately than Gil. Still 2-1.

Then finally, Arsenal got their deserved scoreline. Baptista broke through on goal, tried to round the keeper and messed it up, and ended up "passing" the ball to Adebayor who tucked it home. He deserved that second goal, and Arsenal deserved their scoreline, and Bolton deserved absolutely nothing but a loss and a lesson in football, both of which they got.

Full time: Bolton 1 - 3 Arsenal, and Blackburn await in the next round on Saturday. This was one of the most exciting games of the season, and for both excitement and quality of football, patches of it sensational.

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Almunia (8/10) - So solid, so composed. Is this really Almunia? He's good in these phsyical games, because of his temperament. People tend to always have a go at Lehmann, especially Bolton. Almunia just gets on with it, which helps the team. His shot-stopping has never been in doubt, but this season his aerial ability, judgement and command of his area have been super.

Djourou (7/10) - Played at right-back to try and combat aerial attacks and did well. Was surprisingly declared fit after his suspected "broken nose". Started to disappear later on, and was apparently injured and subbed off for Hoyte.

Toure (7.5/10) - Some people said he struggled, but he did well. He must be exhausted, but he's such a force at the back with his pace and power. He's looked a bit out of sorts and positionally suspect, but he's always there, and always trying to drive the team forward. Got beaten by Anelka once, but didn't give him a sniff after that.

Gilberto (7.5/10) - Another oustanding performance filling in at the back from Gilberto. Very composed, and turned in a great performance, although he almost scored an own goal. He never looked confident for the penalty, and the miss was no surprise.

Clichy (8/10) - Just oustanding from the zippy Frenchman. Another one who must be completely shattered, and there's really very little relief in sight for him with Gallas still injured and Traore not being ready to play week-in, week-out yet. So quick, so alert and composed on the ball even if his passing and crossing are still off the mark. Really has come into his own over the past month or so. Was such a threat going forward and combining with Rosicky, and providing instant pace and presence on counter-attacks.

Hleb (8/10) - Immensely classy player, and never afraid to take on a game. He ran at Bolton time and time again, and was instrumental in setting up the opened. Not often the man who gives the final pass, but almost always the facilitator of it, he really is a special, unique talent. There aren't many dribblers like him, and he gives this team a whole new dimension on the right. Worked back to help out the fullback and central midfielders as always. 2/10 for the haircut thought.

Denilson (7.5) - The youngster was brilliant. What a find. So strong, so skillful. Together with Diaby he ran the show for the first 70 minutes or so, and played commitedly for all 120. Had a few lapses, but he's only 19. He plays Wengerball properly, and if Bolton's midfield is supposed to be tough, then this kid is a monster in the making. Happy birthday!

Diaby (7.5) - Time and time again, it seemed like Patrick Vieira had somehow been secretly smuggled back in to London and was playing for the Arsenal. Using his physique and winning the ball and gliding past players just like Le Grand Saucisse used to, Abou seems to have recovered well from his injury. He had quite a few awry passes, but found his feet soon enough, and was really dominant. Didn't break Campo's foot this time, but there'll be time for that at the Grove.

Rosicky (8/10) - Man of the match by a long way for the first 60-70 minutes, he faded from the game after. He tormented the Bolton defence, tackled well, and generally created almost everything in that amazing first half. He was all over the place, but always in the right place at the right time. Bolton couldn't get near him, and his style of play is perfect for situations like these. He's stronger than he looks, and almost always looks to turn and face when receving the ball so he's always got time, always got space, and is always seeing the game. Avoided all sorts of challenges, and rarely ever lost the ball. Would have been man of the match if not for Adebayor's superhuman efforts.

Baptista (4/10) - Nonsense. Wasted chance after half-chance, didn't combine well with anyone, was sluggish, and didn't look at all confident. Tried too hard at times to make up for playing shit, but this was often at the expense of teammates, especially late on where Adebayor was open in space and all that was required was a simple square ball, but Baptista dribbled and shot his wasy to nowhere. Showed bad decision making in quite a few situations, but encouragingly doesn't seem to let it get to him. Did a tricky stepover to win a penalty, but took a horrible penalty late on. I am convinced that he looks just like a Ninja turtle, but the question is... which one?

Adebayor (9/10) - Just immense. Ran from the first minute to the last minute (that's over 2 hours!). Combined well with everybody, scored two well deserved goals, but missed a sitter in the second half that would have settled the result. He's quick, he's strong, he's tricky, and he gives 150%. It was unbelievable how he just kept on running all game. Gave the Bolton defenders so many problems, and tracked back equally well, including one situation late on where he sprinted back some 60 yards to dispossess Diouf (or was it Anelka?). Man of the match by a long way. Has found his space in this team, and he loves being here, and we love having him here.

Ljungberg (8/10) - 8!! EIGHT!!! OCHO?!?!?! Yes - 8/10, because he deserves it. Not just for that super finish (which only he could have scored), but because of the way he led and guided the team when he came on. People may say he has nothing to offer anymore, but his experience is immeanse. Just watch how he dispossessed a few Bolton players, tracked back, and the positions he took up in attack and the way he tried to use the ball (not always succesfully albeit). Made two great fouls (one resulting in a booking) that were again down to experience - he made the fouls early on, before the Bolton players could leave their own halves, and both would definitely have resulted in very dangerous counters. We love you all over again Freddie!

Aliadiere (7/10) - On for Rosi in extra-time and had a profound effect on the game, setting up Freddie. Very sharp, inventive and quick. His fresh legs turned the game, and he ran at Bolton time and time again, and held the ball up very well on the flanks.

Hoyte (6/10) - Did his job, but was shaky against Diouf and Anelka. Came on for the injured(?) Djourou.

So that's the story. It's special to see this new Arsenal team developing, they all have skill, they all have camaraderie, they all love being there, and they're all about giving 150% effort. Guys like Hleb and Rosicky can easily act like primadonnas with the amount of skill that they have, but they play the game in full - attack and defence (unlike say - Pires, or quite often Henry). This is the future, and in a team full of technicians, this kind of attitude is the key to success.