England round-up: Arsenal almost there
Monday, April 29, 2002
Article summary
Arsenal moved five points clear at the top with victory at Bolton Wanderers FC.
Article body
Arsenal took a giant stride towards the FA Premiership title with a 2-0 victory away to Bolton Wanderers FC.
Five points clear
Goals by Fredrik Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord, both superbly laid on by Dennis Bergkamp, put the London club five points clear of defending champions Manchester United FC with two games each left to play. Arsenal - who are seven points clear of third-placed Liverpool FC - need only draw their match against United at Old Trafford in nine days' time to secure their first championship since 1998.
Ljungberg again
Arsenal, who face Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final on Saturday, started slowly at the Reebok stadium but they never looked back once Ljungberg had fired them in front after 36 minutes. The Swedish international latched on to Bergkamp's through-ball and shot low past Jussi Jaaskelainen for his sixth goal in five games.
Eleven straight wins
Wiltord made it two a minute before the break when, from another Bergkamp pass, he slipped the ball between the goalkeeper's legs and into the net. Ashley Cole almost made it three in the closing stages with a fierce drive against the crossbar but by that stage the north London side's eleventh straight league victory was already secure.
