Arsenal Delight in Overcoming Bolton Muscle

Arsenal could have won this game by four or five goals, such was the extent of their superiority, yet they did not and Bolton could easily have nicked an equalizer before Denílson's late clincher made certain of the points at the end.

That says a lot about the home side's sheer persistence, Bolton were outplayed to an almost embarrassing degree in the first half yet were still in with a fighting chance until the 87th minute, but it also hints at the old Arsenal failing of not scoring enough goals while the going is good. Not that Arsène Wenger is complaining, after netting seven in eight days in Lancashire to go top of the Premier League table.

Arsenal have been blown off course a few times on their visits to the north west, and Wenger must have been wondering what he had done to deserve back-to-back trips to Blackburn and Bolton either side of a long Champions League schlep to the kickers of Kiev. The Gunners are not the delicate flowers they once were, however, and perhaps more significantly neither of the teams formerly managed by Mark Hughes and Sam Allardyce are anything like as physical as they used to be.

Wenger still took the precaution of leaving Theo Walcott on the bench though, comprehensive 4-0 victory at Ewood Park last week notwithstanding. Arsenal dominated the first half without him, despite Kevin Nolan opening and closing it with stinging drives that required fingertip saves from Manuel Almunia and the home side unexpectedly scoring the first goal.

The daft thing about Bolton taking the lead from a corner after 14 minutes was that Arsenal had already wasted half a dozen by that early stage. Bolton began as if happy to let Arsenal pass them to pieces, allowing Bacary Sagna and Gaël Clichy to get forward like wingers and putting the ball out of play so often it was clear they preferred to defend set pieces than counter their visitors in open play. But at least Bolton can defend set pieces, a job made so much easier when Cesc Fábregas wafts his corners right over the penalty area and out of play on the other side, as he did just before Bolton scored. They can still score from them, too, and took full advantage when Almunia conceded a corner, Kevin Davies climbing above Kolo Touré to meet Joey O'Brien's cross with a decisive header.

Unfortunately for Bolton, going behind just obliged Arsenal to raise their game. Sir Alex Ferguson said last week that only Melchester Rovers create more chances than Manchester United - at his age he should put the comics away and take a closer look at some of his rivals. In the 12 minutes between Bolton scoring and Arsenal equalising, Denílson and Touré shot narrowly wide, Nicklas Bendtner saw a goal bound effort denied by a brave block by Danny Shittu, and Emmanuel Adebayor and Alex Song hit the woodwork from positions where they should have done better. The sense of inevitability when Emmanuel Eboué finally scored from a Bendtner pass was confirmed when Bendtner added a second barely two minutes later, sweeping in Denilson's low cross. It had taken Arsenal less than 15 minutes to turn the game round, and even by the half hour stage Bolton could consider themselves lucky to still be in touch. Arsenal continued to squander good positions, if not clear cut chances. What will have concerned Wenger more was the tackle by Davies on Clichy in the closing seconds of the half, when the striker played ball and man and was rightly booked.

Clichy did not come back for the second half, which opened with a great save from Jussi Jaaskelainen to prevent Alex Song widening Arsenal's lead. It would have been interesting to see how Bolton reacted to going two goals down at that point, for while they were a single goal in arrears they did not bother to chase the game or change their plan. They still kept nine men back and only Davies up front, refusing to make things easier for Arsenal by stretching themselves and perhaps hoping Nolan or Joey O'Brien might be able to pick off an equalizer from long range. The latter almost did, just before he was substituted on the hour, then Riga, on for the ineffectual Ebi Smolarek, brought a save from Almunia.

Bolton's conservative strategy worked to the extent that Wenger sent on Walcott for the last 20 minutes in an attempt to stretch an uncomfortable stalemate in Arsenal's direction. He did not and Wenger ended up having to send on Aaron Ramsey as well. Walcott only had the one chance, and was denied by another top-class save from Jaaskelainen, though Arsenal were breathing easier at that stage as a result of Denílson finally accepting a far post invitation from Adebayor's cross. It was no more than Arsenal deserved, yet was slightly cruel on Bolton. Persistence alone does not cut it against the top four.