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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Emirates Stadium
  • Attendance: 59442
  • Referee: Riley, M

Live Commentary

90 mins

FULL TIME - ARSENAL 2 - 0 BOLTON: After a frustrating first-half, Arsenal came through and showed Bolton why they are top of the Premiership, though it was substitutes Walcott and Rosicky that made the difference.

89 mins

Ivan Campo slides in late on Diaby and earns himself a booking

88 mins

Vassiriki Abou Diaby takes the place of Alex Hleb

86 mins

Kevin Davies is shown a yellow card for a rash challenge on Fabregas

84 mins

Arsenal try the same routine from a free-kick, but this time Toure's shot is weak and bobbles wide of the target.

82 mins

Walcott and Rosicky have really made a difference since coming on. Walcott runs at the Bolton defence again and his shot from outside the box is blocked by a Bolton defender.

80 mins

ARSENAL 2 - 0 BOLTON: An excellent piece of work from Theo Walcott opens up play, and he sets up TOMAS ROSICKY who neatly finishes the move with the outside of his boot.

78 mins

Rosicky tries to find the top corner with a curling effort but sends the ball wide.

75 mins

Clichy hits a hopeful shot from range and does not trouble Jaaskelainen

72 mins

A mazy run from Walcott causes Bolton all sorts of problems as he shows his blistering pace, and eventually wins a corner for his side.

70 mins

Kevin Nolan is cautioned for dissent after he was pulled up for handball

68 mins

Bolton change things around quickly, and Diouf is replaced by Daniel Braaten

67 mins

ARSENAL 1 - 0 BOLTON: Flamini lays the ball off for KOLO TOURE from a free-kick and the defender's shot goes through two sets of legs before nestling in the back of the net.

65 mins

A curling corner from Fabregas finds Gallas inside the box but his strike is parried away by Jaaskelainen.

62 mins

Wenger makes it a double substitution as Theo Walcott replaces Eduardo.

62 mins

Arsene Wenger changes things around, bringing off Eboue for Tomas Rosicky

60 mins

Adebayor finds the ball at his feet in the box and gets a shoot away but does not trouble the keeper.

58 mins

Hleb hits a shot from the edge of the box but it is straight at Jaaskelainen.

55 mins

Arsenal are beginning to look desperate for a goal and are trying to keep play moving as fast as possible.

53 mins

The ball falls kindly for Fabregas on the edge of the box but his volley is struck straight down the throat of Jaaskelainen.

51 mins

Fabregas rises at the back post and cushions a header down to Adebayor, but the striker does not react quickly enough and Bolton clear their lines.

49 mins

Guthrie takes a Bolton corner but Andy O'Brien's header loops over Almunia's crossbar

47 mins

A cross cuts open the Bolton defence and finds Eboue at the back post. He makes a mess of then golden opportunity by snatching at the ball and sending it wide.

45 mins

The second half is underway and neither manager has changed the line-up

45 mins

HALF TIME: ARSENAL 0-0 BOLTON: Contrary to expectations, Arsenal have failed to break down managerless Bolton who have shown great character and defended stubbornly.

44 mins

Davies shows the great attitude the Bolton players are giving as he sprints 50-yards to close down an Arsenal player and win the ball back for his side.

42 mins

Adebayour connects with a looping cross but in an attempt to get power behind the header, he sends it high and wide of the target

40 mins

Arsenal do seem to be missing key players Robin Van Persie and Tomas Rosicky, but that is taking nothing away from Bolton who are putting in a real performance

38 mins

Eduardo and Joey O'Brien come together on the halfway line and the Arsenal player is late, but is not penalised for the challenge.

37 mins

The next corner ricochets back to the half-way line and the tempo slows down again.

36 mins

Fabregas' curling corner causes all sorts of problems for Bolton and eventually the ball is put behind for another.

35 mins

A high cross from Arsenal is nodded behind for a corner by Davies.

33 mins

Diouf follows through on a tackle and is lucky not to pick up his second yellow card

31 mins

Adebayour breaks into the Bolton penalty area and Arsenal appeal for a penalty following a tackle from McCann, but Mike Riley waves away the protests.

29 mins

The visitors seem to be frustrating Arsenal as Mathieu Flamini fouls Kevin Davies.

27 mins

Bolton are making Arsenal work at the moment and seem to have changed their style of play for this game to stop the Gunners playing.

25 mins

Andy O'Brien gets his body in the way of a thunderous Fabregas strike from outside the box.

22 mins

Ivan Campo goes down rather theatrically following a challenge from Fabregas, much to the dislike of the home crowd.

21 mins

The game starts again following that fracas on the half-way line.

20 mins

El Hadji Diouf is also cautioned for dissent

20 mins

Fabregas is booked for arguing with the referee.

20 mins

McCann is shown a yellow card for his challenge on Sagna.

19 mins

Gavin McCann slides in late on Sagna and the Arsenal players react furiously, argueing with Mike Riley and the Bolton players.

17 mins

Eduardo hits an ambitious shot from 25-yards and sends it wide of Jaaskelainen's goal.

16 mins

Sagna gets forward again but this time his cross is collected at the front post by Jaaskelainen.

14 mins

There hasn't been a lot to get excited about so far in this game but there is still plenty of time left.

12 mins

Manuel Almunia boots the ball up-field and Kevin Davies slides in late on the keeper. He is lucky not to make contact, or else he would undoubtedly been in deep trouble.

11 mins

Bacary Sagna puts a cross into the danger area and finds the head of Emmanuel Adebayor, but the striker fails to hit the target.

9 mins

Alex Hleb reaches the byline and pulls the ball back but Jussi Jaaskelainen is quickly off his line to smother it.

7 mins

Arsenal break forward with Eduardo pulling all the strings, but it comes to nothing and Bolton regain possession.

4 mins

The atmosphere is electric inside the Emirates, as usual, and the home side look brightest in the opening stages of the game.

2 mins

Emmanuel Eboue gets forward and puts a cross in, but cannot pick out another red shirt.

1 mins

Kevin Nolan flies in on Cesc Fabregas straight away and Arsenal win a free-kick.

0 mins

Referee Mike Riley gets the game underway

0 mins

ARSENAL STARTING XI: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb, Eduardo, Adebayor. SUBS: Fabianski, Diaby, Rosicky, Silva, Walcott

0 mins

BOLTON STARTING XI: Jaaskelainen, Joey O'Brien, Meite, Andrew O'Brien, Gardner, Nolan, Campo, McCann, Guthrie, Diouf, Davies. SUBS: Al Habsi, Hunt, Giannakopoulos, Cid, Braaten

Match Report

Arsenal have the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points when they entertain managerless Bolton Wanderers.

The Gunners are currently two points clear of Manchester United at the summit, but with the champions not in action until 5.15pm, Arsene Wenger's side can edge themselves further ahead.

Their rise to the top has hardly come as a surprise as Arsenal are currently in the midst of a ten-match winning run in all competitions.

Sunderland pushed them all the way in their last Premier League outing before the international break, but, after battling back from two goals down, eventually lost 3-2 to a Robin van Persie winner.

The Dutch striker is certainly in a rich vein of form having scores five times in his last four games and he and Emmanuel Adebayor have forged what looks to be a lethal partnership. However, van Persie is rated doubtful after picking up a knock while on international duty in midweek.

Elsewhere, Wenger's main selection dilemma concerns Jens Lehmann and whether to recall the veteran German goalkeeper.

Lehmann hinted he would be handed his first start since a string of howlers and subsequent injury saw him cast aside in favour of Manuel Almunia back in August.

William Gallas is set to return at the heart of the defence after a groin injury in place of Philippe Senderos.

Bolton will be under the caretaker charge of Archie Knox for the trip to the Emirates Stadium following the decision to sack Sammy Lee earlier in the week.

Lee, who only replaced former boss Sam Allardyce with two games of last season remaining, was fired after guiding the Trotters to just one win in nine Premier League games so far in this campaign.

The former Liverpool and England coach has left with Bolton languishing in 19th place in the table and the task could hardly be greater for Knox with a trip to the Emirates Stadium first up.

Captain Kevin Nolan is expected to return to the starting line-up after his surprise omission from the side that lost 1-0 at Chelsea in the last game before the international break.

On-loan youngster Danny Guthrie is likely to step down, while Stelios Giannakopoulos could also start his first league game of the season after returning from a hamstring injury.

Last season the Trotters held Arsenal to a 1-1 FA Cup fourth round draw at the Emirates Stadium and, promisingly, beat them 3-1 at the Reebok Stadium towards the beginning of last campaign.

Arsenal

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

5 3

Fouls

14 20

Goal attempts

19 1

Shots off target

10 1

Offsides

2 2

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