Arsenal Cruise to 3-1 Victory at Bolton

Having missed the midweek CL clash at Kiev, I was really looking forward to this match.

For the third away game in a week, the Arsenal team looked a little different from the one at Blackburn and Kiev. Robin van Persie was given a rest with Bendtner taking his place. Eboue started on the left of midfield. Alex Song got the call to partner Cesc in the middle and Denilson took up the right flank. The usual back four of Sagna, Toure, Gallas, and Clichy accompanied Almunia on defense.

The team started the match looking like they either were not up for a game against the weaker opponents or they wanted to take a breather. Almost everyone was playing at a jogging pace. They were content to pass the ball around.

They didn't wake up until they went a goal down on 14. Almunia lost his head and came out for a ball that was tracked by Sagna who could have dealt with it with not too much fuss. The Arsenal keeper ended up losing the ball and conceding a corner kick. Kevin Davies took full advantage of a free header and put the ball into the net at the upper left corner. After that Bolton goal the Arsenal machine kicked into third gear and applied pressure on the host whose area was besieged with wave after wave of Arsenal attack. Adebayor hit the left post after good work by Bendtner. Song's header from a Cesc corner kick hit the right post. It was clear that if Arsenal brought their "A" game, there is no way Bolton could have escaped without a shellacking. The 1-0 scoreline stood until the 27th minute. Adebayor and Bendtner again combined to send the ball deep inside Bolton's area. Ade was closer to the ball but he slowed down to let the surging Eboue take his first ever Premier League goal. Eboue was in a slightly offside position when Bendtner's pass was played but the referee did not call it back. Only one minute later, Arsenal struck again through some slick passing. Denilson latched onto a ball, again deep on the left side of the Bolton area. His cross was tapped in by Bendtner to open his EPL account for this season.

The team again fell back to playing keep ball after taking the lead but the host had other ideas; they came up with a few scoring opportunities, but the Arsenal defense did just enough to parry the pressure. Kevin Davies' foul on Clichy was somewhat of a turning point in the match. Clichy left the pitch with bleeding stud marks on his left shin. Djourou came in to play right back while Sagna took up the left back position. This disrupted Arsenal's shape and gave the hosts some openings. But again, the defense coped; Almunia did well to save several shots and the Arsenal goal was not breached again in the match.

Theo Walcott took Eboue's place at about the 70th minute and immediately injected some energy. He was full of confidence and was creating panic in Bolton's defense. His passing released Ade down the right and the resulting cross found Denilson who finished emphatically.

Cesc was influential even though he wasn't dominant. For a guy not known for his pace, he was always around the ball and the crucial plays, ready to tackle or to transition into offense. He displayed great vision with some amazing passes that threatened the opposition goal. Adebayor, I think deserved better than an 8 on WD's rating system. He worked hard on both ends of the pitch, helping out with set-piece defense, causing problems to the opposition's back line, creating opportunities for his teammates, and even gifting a scoring chance to Eboue. Niklas Bendtner also worked very hard in the match; his passing was excellent throughout.

Denilson is maturing right in front of our eyes. He has been consistent if not spectacular. It seems he is not the "enforcer" type that many Arsenal supporters are crying out for but he can certainly do a good job either on the flank or in the center of midfield. Alex Song played quite well as Cesc's partner. He displayed a very good work rate and nice positional awareness; he had a solid game. Eboue, what else can one say about this guy? He has played at right midfield, central midfield, and today at left midfield. And he scored a goal! His performance wasn't great but not bad either. With his background as a defender, he doesn't add much when going forward from midfield but when he does his job, he keeps the middle third of the pitch plugged up and the opposition disrupted. It'll be interesting to see what the goal does for his confidence and future performance.

Clichy's injury is worrisome. A primary reason is there isn't another left back while Sylvestre is still out. I hope Clichy's injury is not serious as he has been a most consistent performer for the team.

This is a quite a good win. With Liverpool frustrated by Stoke and a likely draw between Chelsea and Man U. tomorrow, Arsenal have the chance to stay at the top of the PL table for at least a week. Let's see how far this team can go this season.