Bolton dent Arsenal title hopes

LONDON: Arsenal’s title hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow yesterday when they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with relegation strugglers Bolton Wanderers.

Goals from Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires midway through the second half had put the champions on course to take over at the top of the table from Manchester United. But Youri Djorkaeff pulled one back for Bolton and Arsenal’s substitute defender Martin Keown then scored an own goal in the 84th minute. The draw left Arsenal in second place with 72 points from 35 games, trailing United, who have 74 points also from 35 games and play at Tottenham Hotspur today in the first of their final three games. In the race for the third and fourth places, which mean a slot in the Champions League qualifiers, Chelsea slipped up in a 1-1 west London derby draw with Fulham but rivals Newcastle United and Liverpool both secured victories.

A Nolberto Solano penalty gave Newcastle United a 1-0 win over bottom club Sunderland in the northeast derby, while Michael Owen scored four times, including his 100th league goal, as Liverpool crushed already-relegated West Bromwich Albion 6-0.  With two games to go, Newcastle are now third on 65 points and Chelsea are fourth on goal difference ahead of Liverpool, with both teams on 64 points.

Significantly, Chelsea host Liverpool in their final game of the season.  Bolton, whose French defender Florent Laville was sent off in the closing minutes, earned a valuable point in their battle against the drop — giving them 40 points, five more than third-from-bottom West Ham United, who play at Manchester City today.  But the result is a hammer blow to Arsenal’s hopes of retaining their title, which now rest on Manchester United slipping up in their final games against Spurs, Charlton Athletic and Everton.

Arsenal had been hoping to win a Treble this season, but were dumped out of the Champions League at the second group phase and have now handed United the initiative in the title race. They defend their FA Cup in this season’s final against Southampton on May 17 in Cardiff, but face mounting injury and suspension problems. Defender Sol Campbell starts a four-game ban that will end his season, injured skipper Patrick Vieira could also miss the rest of the season and three others — defenders Pascal Cygan and Lauren, plus midfielder Freddie Ljungberg — got injured against Bolton.

In other games, Everton strengthened their grip on a UEFA Cup place after 17-year-old England striker Wayne Rooney scored a stoppage time winner as they beat Aston Villa 2-1 at home. Everton stay sixth but move on to 59 points, still three ahead of rivals Blackburn Rovers who won 3-2 at Leeds United.  Defeat for Leeds kept them hovering above the relegation zone on 41 points, fifth from bottom.