Sunday, September 12, 2010

Arsenal 4-1 Bolton Wanderers

Arsenal celebrated their 1,000th goal of Arsene Wenger's managerial reign with a confident win against 10-man Bolton.

Laurent Koscielny put Arsenal in front in the 24th minute but the Frenchman's defensive error allowed Johan Elmander to level a minute before half-time.

But Arsenal turned on the style as Maroune Chamakh headed in the first of three second-half goals from six yards.

Defender Gary Cahill was sent off for a dangerous tackle before Alex Song and Carlos Vela completed the rout.

Even without injured duo Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie, Wenger's side had sufficient depth and attacking options to create numerous goal-scoring opportunities for their third victory of the season as well as inflicting Bolton's first defeat of the campaign.

A consistent performance from £6m signing Sebastien Squillaci on his debut will give Wenger plenty of encouragement with Thomas Vermaelen unavailable because of an Achilles tendon injury.

However, furious Trotters boss Owen Coyle confronted referee Stuart Attwell at the final whistle in protest at the straight red card shown to central defender Cahill in the 64th minute for a clumsy challenge on Chamakh.

The incident, only the second sending off of Cahill's career, allowed Arsenal to consolidate their lead as their influential midfield killed off the match in the final 20 minutes.

Coyle, who suffered two successive losses to the Gunners in three days after taking over at the Reebok Stadium at the start of the year, was without the suspended Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal, so goalkeeper Adam Bogdan made his first Premier League start.

And the young Hungarian was pressed into action within the first 10 minutes as Tomas Rosicky's right boot carved open Bolton's defence like a skilled surgeon, allowing Andrei Arshavin a one-on-one with the keeper.

But the flame-haired Bogdan made a fine save racing off his line, thwarting the Russian from the edge of the penalty area and clearing the ball - via his left leg - for a corner.

The early opportunity set the first-half tempo as the Gunners dominated possession in midfield, with Cesc Fabregas and Rosicky in particular looking to open up the visitors' nervy back-four.

But it was midfielder Jack Wilshere - who spent 14 games on loan at the Reebok Stadium last season - who instigated the move which gave the home side the lead in the 24th minute.

The teenager's left-footed cross caused pandemonium in the visitors' box, allowing the resourceful Chamakh to square the ball at the back post for Koscielny to tap in from close range - via a second deflection off the sprawling Bogdan.

Bolton's presence in Arsenal's box had been restricted to set-piece sojourns, with the muscular Elmander and Kevin Davies starved of any service from midfield.

Only an inch-perfect sliding tackle from Gretar Steinsson denied Russia international Arshavin the opportunity to double the lead.

But despite their slick passing and conspicuous movement, Arsenal were undone by a goal in complete contrast to their intricacy, carved out from route one simplicity and incompetent defending a minute before half time.

But rather than clear to safety, the Frenchman managed to wrong-foot defensive partner Squillaci and head the ball into the path of Lee Chong-yong inside the Arsenal penalty area.

The South Korea international admirably kept his composure at the bye-line, sending over a perfect right-footed cross for Elmander to head in from six yards for his third goal of the season.

But despite the defensive aberration, Arsenal continued to press in the second half as yet another precise through ball allowed Chamakh a one-on-one with only Bogdan to beat.

But the keeper made a superb one-handed save as the Morocco international lashed a stinging right-footed drive from the edge of the area.

But Chamakh had the ball in the net 30 seconds later from the resulting corner, heading in Fabregas's bye-line cross from the edge of the six-yard box for his second goal for the Gunners - and the 1000th in Wenger's career at Highbury and The Emirates.

With Arsenal applying a vice-like grip in midfield, Bolton's increasingly stretched defence was further hindered when Cahill was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Chamakh.

Substitute Andy O'Brien's influence in defence was negligible as Arsenal continued to dominate possession, each pass greeted by a chorus of "oles" by the baying Gunners faithful.

Midfielder Song netted the third from an acute angle, delicately lifting the ball over the onrushing Bogdan in the 78th minute.

And substitute Vela, on as a replacement for Arshavin, completed the rout when he smashed in the fourth from the edge of the area with Bolton's defence nowhere in sight seven minutes from full-time.

Source: Pranav Soneji, BBC Sport on 11 Sep 10

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