The Gunners trailed 2-0 after a Gary Cahill strike and a Matthew Taylor penalty, but Tomas Rosicky’s effort just before half-time proved crucial to the balance of the match, writes Stewart Coggin.
Cesc Fabregas made it 2-2, Thomas Vermaelen lashed in a third and Andrey Arshavin made sure of the points and the two-goal cushion required to send the Gunners to the top of the league.
every challenge
Arsenal have often come off second best in physical duels with the Trotters in the past, but Wenger felt his men measured up well to their opponents on Wednesday evening.
“I think we can (be physical),” he said in the post-match press conference. “We are certainly much more physically resistant. You cannot find a team better than Bolton in doing what they did tonight because they man to man marked, and didn’t give us an inch of space.
“When they had the ball they kicked it to Kevin Davies who went for every challenge, then they went well for the second ball. They did that very well, so physically you are never more tested than against a Bolton team.”
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has faced Arsenal in his first two matches as the new manager, and having lost 2-0 on Sunday, he felt the Trotters were worthy of a point at the Emirates Stadium.
nice lead
“I thought my lads were magnificent tonight, and we had a nice lead,” he said.
“We’ve had two performances that have been of a high standard and there is a lot to be positive about. I felt they were fortunate to take maximum points from both games.
“We came and tried to take the game to Arsenal, but were undone by a bit of quality in the end.”
On his side’s hopes of avoiding relegation, he added: “I have seen enough in the two games to suggest we have enough quality and, if we work hard, we can survive.
“We have enough in the locker to get ourselves out of it.”
“We are certainly much more physically resistant” – Arsene Wenger
Credits: PremierLeague.com
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