Bolton Wanderers v Arsenal - as it happened

Good afternoon everyone. With "extreme pessimism" being the entirely understandable default setting of many football fans, it's hardly surprising that no shortage of Gooners are sweating bullets in the build-up to what they'd normally consider a routine smash-and-grab away-day at one of the Premier League's bottom-feeders. This afternoon marks Owen Coyle's first appearance in the Bolton dug-out, a state of affairs that has prompted fears among Arsenal fans that their opponents may bear a more striking resemblance to Pep Guardiola's Barcelona than the ultra-cautious long-ball merchants of yore. Coyle may adopt a pragmatic approach for his maiden voyage as Bolton manager against such illustrious opponents, but if he sends his side out to play in the swashbuckling 4-4-2 formation that was the hallmark of his Burnley side, it'll be interesting to see how Bolton's players adapt to the alien concept of playing entertaining football. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how Kevin Davies is employed. A good footballer in his younger days at Chesterfield and Southampton before losing his way at Blackburn and the second of two stints with the Saints, the Bolton skipper was remoulded as a stunningly effective human battering ram by Sam Allardyce and will surely be relishing the prospect of showing there's more to his game than out-muscling opposition centre-halves in bruising aerial jousts. At the risk of tempting fate, it's probably safe to expect a few goals this afternoon, and not just because 15 places separate the sides in the table. Bolton have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 home league games, while Arsenal's defences have been breached in each of their last 10 away matches in all competitions. Bolton's home games this season have produced an average of 3.7 goals – the exact same figure as have been served up in Arsenal's matches on the road. Bolton (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Muamba, Cohen, Taylor, Klasnic, Kevin Davies. Subs: Al Habsi, Elmander, Gardner, Mark Davies, Ricketts, McCann, Andrew O'Brien. Arsenal (4-3-3): Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Fabregas, Eastmond, Diaby, Rosicky, Eduardo, Arshavin. Subs: Fabianski, Vela, Silvestre, Clichy, Merida, Coquelin, Emmanuel-Thomas. Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) Here's hoping we get more goals here than in this game , I'm not sure how much crushing tedium I can take on a Sunday afternoon, unless I'm hungover, flaked out on the sofa and watching back-to-back feature-length episodes of Columbo or Murder, She Wrote. In his pre-match inrterview , Arsène Wenger talks up Craig Eastmond, who makes his first Premier League start for Arsenal today, saying he's "an intelligent player, more defensive minded with a quick brain, quick passing, quick vision ... strong in the air and strong on the ground in a one-against-one." Stat-o-rama: Since 2005-06, Kevin Davies has received eight more cards (41), than he has scored goals (33) in the Premier League. My thanks to my colleague James Dart, for forwarding on that nugget of trivia. Not long now: The teams emerge from the tunnel, with Sky commentator Martin Tyler bigging up a new Sky camera that he hopes will allow us to enjoy a "more intimate" action experience. While I'm sure they're lovely fellas, I think I'd rather keep a bit of distance between myself, Fabrice Muamba and Thomas Vermaelen. I need a buffer-zone. Owen Coyle gets a very warm welcome from the Bolton fans who hounded Gary Megson out of the Reebok Stadium, even though his record in the Trotters' last 20 matches was considerably better than that of Rafa Benitez's at Liverpool over the same duration. Coyle reciprocates the applause from the stands, apparently unaware that should his new side go a goal down in this match, the fans currently chanting his name may well start calling for his head. 1 min: Arsenal kick off and Bolton get an early chance within seconds when Chung Yong Lee rolls the ball to Kevin Davies in the penalty area. His first touch is terrible. 2 min: Now Ivan Klasnic gets the ball into the Arsenal net, rifling home from the edge of the penalty area. It won't count, because he was offside when he picked up Lee's through-ball. 3 min: "Kevin Davies is an interesting example of why Big Sam's approach to management was tailor-made for mid-table safety," writes Gary Naylor. "Davies might never have become a van Basten, but he could have been at least a Peter Crouch. Big Sam wouldn't have any of that nonsense though and defined KD's function so tightly, that he was limited to becoming a very good Kevin Davies. I suspect Owen Coyle will be more flexible as a manager, but is it worth risking 18th for the possibilty of tenth when your natural place is 14th?" 4 min: Cesc Fabregas picks up the ball on the right wing, cuts inside and unleashes a shot. He drags it well wide of the far post. 5 min: Andrei Arshavin tries to prod the ball in towards Eduardo from the left corner of the penalty area, but Zat Knight sticks out a leg and clears. 7 min: Jussi Jaaskelainen rushes out of his goal to pick up a through-ball from Cesc Fabregas that Eduardo was trying to sprint on to. Great build-up play from Arsenal and good goalkeeping to thwart it. Has there been a more consistent goalkeeper in the Premier League over the past decade than the Finn? 11 min: Thanks for that, Jussi. Mr Consistency makes a fool of me by shanking a clearance into the stands. No harm done. 12 min: Arsenal attack down the left flank, Eduardo crosses and Jaaskelainen rushes off his line to intercept. He beats Cesc Fabregas to the ball, doesn't actually get a touch on it and the Spaniard trips over his legs and goes down appealing for a penalty. None is forthcoming. 14 min: Coyle's first team as Bolton manager is identical to his predecessor's last one. They seem to be employing similar tactics, what with Jaaskelainen launching a kick-out down the field for Davies to knock down. 15 min: Corner for Bolton, which Almunia conceded needlessly after failing to gather a Tamir Cohen cross in the direction of Ivan Klasnic from the right flank. Cohen had other options open to him there - he could have teed up Lee for a shot from the edge of the area - but chose the most difficult one. 17 min: Having just seen a replay of Fabregas's penalty shout, I can portentuously declare without fear of valid contradiction that Arsenal should have got a penalty. Jaaskelainen didn't get to the ball and his momentum caused him to trip Fabregas with his knees as the striker tried to get to it. Referee Phil Dowd wasn't very well positioned, however, and may have thought Jasskelainen had got a touch on the ball. 19 min: Kevin Davies sends in a cross from the left that is cleared back in his general direction. With a contemptuous flick, he pings the ball to Gretar Steinsson, who'd charged up in support of him, but the Icelandic full-back's cross is also cleared. 21 min: Bolton try to play it through the centre on the deck, with Steinsson rolling the ball into the path of Klasnic on the edge of the penalty area. He gets the ball caught under his feet, then digs it out and shoots straight at Manuel Almunia. 22 min: Corner for Bolton, which is floated to the far post. Davies heads it back across the edge of the penalty area, Steinsson volleys and the ball sails high and wide. 25 min: Craig Eastmond feed the ball to Arshavin from just inside the Bolton half and the Russian sets off towards goal down the left channel. Steinsson stands off him, allowing to cut inside and take a shot. The ball takes a deflection of Steinsson and goes out for a corner from which nothing comes. 26 min: Craig Eastmond uses up his free pass for being a young lad making his debut, by escaping with a ticking-off after clattering into Chung Yong Lee. Anyone else would have got a yellow card. GOAL! Bolton 0-1 Arsenal (Fabregas 27) With plenty of white shirts on the edge of the penalty area, as assorted Arsenal players including Diaby, Eduardo, Arshavin and Fabregas pick the lock with a series of slick, short, accurate passes that leave the Bolton defenders mesmerised, allowing the Spaniard to play a one-two with Eduardo and jink the ball past Jaaskelainen from about 15 yards out. 31 min: Eastmond goes close to scoring from a corner having been left unmanned just inside the Bolton penalty area for an Arsenal corner. Jaaskelainen saves. 33 min: Another unsuccessful penalty shout for Arsenal, as Fabregas goes down under a challenge from Zat Knight and then gets involved in a bit of afters with Matthew Taylor, who appears to try and throttle him as he lies on the ground, presumably for trying to con the referee. I'd need to see a replay to see if that was a foul by Knight, but there was definitely contact between the players. 35 min: Determined to hog the headlines, Fabregas has to go off for treatment after getting clattered by Paul Robinson, who gets booked for his troubles. 36 min: It's getting a bit bad-tempered. Rosicky trips Ivan Klasnic off the ball. He could get sent off for this ... 36 min: ... but doesn't. Phil Dowd reaches for the yellow card and Rosicky's name goes into the book. Klasnic really made a meal of the challenge - falling theatrically and rolling over and over and over until he heard the referee's whistle, then getting to his feet and trotting away showing no signs of injury. Funny, that. 37 min: Lee tries a shot from distance and Klasnic - standing in an offside position but in Almunia's eyeline - lets it fizz between his legs (oh behave!). Almunia saves. Moments previously, Matthew Taylor had a left-foot drive stopped by the Arsenal goalkeeper. 42 min: "The TV commentators send me in paroxysms of rage, as usual, by saying Davies is clearly offside and then thirty seconds later, after seeing a replay, agreeing he wasn't," writes Kevin Porter, who must spend a lot of time seething and trashing his house if he goes off on one every time Andy Gray says something stupid. "And they have the gall to complain about referees. Imbeciles!" 43 min: Eduardo misses a sitter after excellent work by Arshavin on the right hand side of the penalty area following another mesmerising, lightning fast Arsenal move. 45 min: There'll be a minimum of two minutes of added time. Cesc Fabregas tries his luck from distance and his shot takes a deflection of Tamir Cohen and almost sneaks inside the right upright. Jaaskelainen saves. 45+2 min: Bolton go close when Davies beats Vermaelen in the air and flicks a long free-kick from Jaakelainen to Klasnic, who is standing with his back to goal. He lifts the ball over Gallas, turns and thenvolleys fresh air with only Almunia to beat. Think of the number Gazza pulled on Colin Hendry in Euro 96, but from closer range and without the finish and you'll have some idea of what went down. It's half-time: Arsenal march off at the interval a goal to the good. They've played some astonishingly good passing football and should probably be two or three up. Having said that, despite enjoying far less possession, Bolton have created a few opportunities and may feel aggrieved that they haven't yet troubled the scoreboard operator. Analysis of Gary Naylor's analysis: "Naylor was right about playing safe back in the 3rd minute," writes Mac Millings. "When I first started emailing in to MBMs, I should have aimed at being an Ian Copestake, but I tried to be a Gary Naylor, and ended up as a piss-poor Mac Millings." Second half: Bolton do the honours and the second half is under way. There are no changes on either side. 46 min: "Not only was that a stonewall penalty but Matthew Taylor literally kneeled on Cesc's neck. To me that's a penalty and a sending-off for unsporting behaviour," writes Mateusz Bobrowicz, who seems to have rejected the possibility that Matt Taylor might have been kneeling on Fabregas's neck in an affectionate, chummy way. 47 min: Chung Yong Lee gallops down the right flank and curls a beautiful cross in to the space between goalkeeper and onrushing Matt Taylor. Almunia gets to the ball first, but only just. Both players collide, but neither is hurt. 49 min: Free-kick for Arsenal, about 40 yards out from the Bolton goal, well right of centre. Fabreags floats it into the penalty area, where William Gallas heads high and wide. 51 min: In the absence of anything noteworthy happening on the pitch, here's a fascinating bit of information that you can pass off as your own in the pub tonight, if you're lucky enough to be in the pub tonight: with a success rate of just 17%, Arsenal have the worst crossing accuracy in the Premier League when it comes to finding a team mate. 53 min: More great play from Bolton down the right, where Lee gives to Davies and goes, picks up the return pass and drills the ball across the edge of the six-yard box, where it takes a defelction off Gallas and forces a save out of Almunia. 55 min: It's all Bolton Wanderers at the moment. They appear to have singled out Armand Traore as Arsenal's weakest link and are chipping away at the left-back, who'll be having nightmares about Chung Yong Lee tonight. 56 min: Kevin Davies protests when Thomas Vermaelen flicks the ball off his toe and Manuel Almunia gathers it in his hands. If that's not a backpass, what is? On the sideline, Owen Coyle asks fourth official Mark Clattenburg why Bolton didn't get an indriect free-kick. 58 min: The Sky stats show that Bolton have had more of the possession in the second half: 58% to Arsenal's 42%. 59 min: Abou Diaby sends a good shooting opportunity horribly wide and from the kick-off, Jussi Jaaskelainen sends Matt Taylor galloping into space on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area. He rolls the ball to Davies, who's alongside him in support and is brought down by a last ditch tackle. It looked like a penalty to me, but he didn't appeal. 62 min: This game is being played at 100mph now. Cliche alert: it's real end-to-end stuff. For Bolton, Klasnic tees up Matthew Taylor and he sends a wayward shot from 15 yards sailing high over the bar. 63 min: Arsenal substitution: Eastmond off, Fran Merida on. Bolton substitution: Fabrice Muamba off, Gavin McCann on. 64 min: Gary Cahill makes a crucial interception, getting enough on a Tomas Rosicky pass from the right flank to keep it from sailing straight into the path of Eduardo, who was lurking at the far post and would surely have buried the inviting delivery. 66 min: Eduardo wins a corner for Arsenal after a mix-up between Steinsson and Jaaskelainen. 66 min: Taylor puts it out for another corner at the near post. 67 min: The ball is sent in again and Bolton clear courtesy of Ivan Klasnic. 68 min: "Bolton look as if they've got a goal in them," writes Kevin Porter. "So did my team Wolves yesterday, but not necessarily before May." 69 min: The linesman raises his flag after Klasnic went close again when a Bolton corner was only half-cleared. He's done the Bolton striker a favour - as Almunia had saved from him in similar circumstances to his Gazza impersonation earlier. 71 min: Matt Taylor squanders an excellent chance, beating the Arsenal offside trap, then chesting down a through-ball from Gavin McCann and slashing wildly from 25 yards, when he had time to take a touch or two and pick his spot. Wide. 72 min: Arsenal substitution: Tomas Rosicky off, Gael Clichy on. 74 min: Gavin McCann gets penalised for a tackle from behind on Fran Merida. Arsenal have a free-kick about 30 yards out from the Bolton goal, a smidge right of centre. 75 min: Vermaelen takes the free-kick, sending a curler over the wall that lands on the net, prompting no end of misplaced excitement from the travelling Arsenal fans. GOAL! Bolton 0-2 Arsenal (Merida 77) Our system crashes, I lose two big wodges of particularly fascinating (translation: longwinded) text and bring you the details of the goal five minutes after you've got them somewhere else. Arsenal broke after a period of sustained pressure from Bolton, Fabregas galloped up the left flank, played the ball wide to Eduardo and his deep cross from the touchline was controlled and despatched by Merida from about 15 yards out. That's great counter-attacking football. 83 min: A poor header from Traore allows Lee to pick up the ball, sprint across the edge of the penalty and tee up Taylor. He shoots wide. 84 min: Arsenal substitution: Carlos Vela on, Eduardo off. 86 min: Bolton have brought on Johan Elmander and Ricardo Gardner. I'm not sure who they replaced because I was swearing loudly and pondering the wisdom of kicking seven bells out of my computer at the time. 87 min: On the plus side for Bolton Wanderers - they have an easy game after this: Arsenal away at the weekend. 87 min: Clichy crosses from the left flank, Gary Cahill hacks clear. 88 min: Ricardo Gardner plays a diagonal ball out into the path of Taylor, who skews his attempted cross to Kevin Davies at the far post horribly wide. 89 min: Bolton win a free-kick, which Jaaskelainen hoofs up towards the Arsenal penalty area. It's too high for Kevin Davies and goes wide. There'll be three minutes of added time. 90 min: Fabregas sprints through the centre, plays the ball to Arshavin, picks up the return and shoots. His effort is deflected clear. 90+3 min: A Zat Knight foul yields a free-kick for Arsenal a few yards outside the Bolton penalty area, on the right hand side. 90+3 min: Vela takes it. His shot is on target, but lacks venom. Manuel Almunia saves easily. Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over. Arsenal take all three points and remain in hot pursuit of Chelsea and Manchester United at the top of the table. Bolton remain mired in the relegation zone, second from bottom.