Arsenal 3-0 Bolton Wanderers

Posted: Saturday 24th September 2011

Tags: Match Reports, Premier League, Arsenal, David Wheater

Bolton are bottom of the Premier League after losing 3-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Robin van Persie put the Gunners ahead a minute after the break, before David Wheater was sent off for a professional foul on Theo Walcott.

Van Persie got his second, and 100th in Arsenal colours, with 20 minutes to go, with Alex Song completing the scoring in the closing stages to ease the pressure on boss Arsene Wenger.

Despite the heavy defeat on their travels, Bolton started well and should have been ahead in the first minute of the game.

Martin Petrov's free-kick from just inside the Gunners half was flicked on by Wheater and Darren Pratley volleyed goalwards, only to be denied by a superb save from Wojciech Szczesny.

Moments later, the hosts had a glorious chance of their own. A brilliant ball from Mikel Arteta sent Gervinho clean through on goal, but his first touch was too heavy and Jussi Jaaskelainen raced to the edge of his box to claim the ball.

Van Persie sent a curling strike narrowly wide of the target with 10 minutes played as Arsenal stepped up their pursuit of the opening goal.

Wanderers were forced in to an early change with 20 minutes on the clock, with Kevin Davies coming on for David Ngog, who had taken a couple of knocks to the head.

The club captain had a chance to get on the scoresheet within minutes of entering the play, but his first touch deserted him when better control would have seen him clean through on Szczesny's goal.

Gervinho shot narrowly over Jaaskelainen's crossbar and Laurent Koscielny shinned an acrobatic effort over the top inside the final 10 minutes of the half, with the two sides looking likely to go in goalless at the break.

The hosts maintained their pressure, however, and should have gone ahead in the final minute of the half. After cutting inside Gretar Steinsson on the left flank, Walcott pulled the ball back for van Persie, who saw his goalbound strike charged down by Wheater.

After managing to keep their opponents out in the opening 45 minutes, Bolton suddenly found themselves a goal down inside the first minute of the second half.

Played through by Aaron Ramsey, van Persie worked his way inside the Bolton box before firing low past Jaaskelainen at his near post to give the Gunners the lead.

Van Persie was back in the action again a couple of minutes later, but this time Jaaskelainen was alert to stop the Dutchman's fierce strike.

At one-down, Bolton were always hopeful of finding a way back into the game. However, their task became much harder on 55 minutes as Wheater was given his marching orders by referee Mark Clattenburg.

Ramsey's pass had put Walcott clean through on goal and after receiving the slightest of nudges from Wheater, he went down and the Wanderers defender was shown a straight red card for a professional foul.

Trotters boss Owen Coyle reacted by replacing former Arsenal midfielder Fabrice Muamba with Dedryck Boyata.

It was the hosts, though, who looked the more likely scorers, with Jaaskelainen on call to deny Koscielny, Ramsey and van Persie in quick succession just after the hour.

Bolton had a fantastic chance to equalise on 63 minutes, as Martin Petrov freed Chris Eagles. The former Burnley man got in behind the Arsenal defence, but took his shot early and Szczesny made a comfortable save.

With 20 minute to play, Bolton's resistance finally came to an end as Wenger's side doubled their advantage to make the result safe.

Walcott had raced away from Paul Robinson down the left flank and crossed the ball low for van Persie to poke past Jaaskelainen, his 100th goal in Arsenal colours.

Jaaskelainen was brought into action again to deny Ramsey on 75 minutes, before he pulled off a superb save to deny Walcott after he had raced one-on-one with the Wanderers goalkeeper.

Two became three for the hosts in the final minute of normal time as Song received the ball on the edge of the box, before selling a dummy to Pratley and firing into Jaaskelainen's top corner.

After making the trip down to the capital in high spirits, Bolton have been brought back down to earth with a bump as they now prop up the Premier League table.

Next up for Coyle's side is the visit of Chelsea to the Reebok Stadium next Sunday.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta (Rosicky 81), Song, Ramsey, Gervinho (Arshavin 78), van Persie (Chamakh 85), Walcott
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Santos, Chamberlain, Frimpong
Goals: van Persie 46,71, Song 89

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Wheater, Robinson, Knight, Steinsson, Eagles (M Davies 71), Reo-Coker, Muamba (Boyata 56), Pratley, Petrov, Ngog (K Davies 20)
Subs Not Used: Bogdan, Tuncay, Gardner, Kakuta
Booked: Steinsson
Sent Off: Wheater

Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Attendance: 59,727