Arsenal Outgun Old King Coyle's Bolton

First blood to Arsenal.

When you bring together Arsenal’s brand of scintillating football and Bolton’s brand of unsavoury hoofball , it’s never easy to predict what’s going to cut on the pitch. Well, except that if it were legally acceptable, teams like Bolton would use baseball bats to try and stop Arsenal’s Wengerball.

Assaulting another human being with a baseball bat is a criminal offence on the street, let alone on a football pitch, so kicking the hell out of Arsenal players and trying to incapacitate the Arsenal captain by slamming a knee deep into his neck and pulling his hair while he’s on the ground will have to suffice.

The FIFA refereeing rule book suggests that if the referee allows such an assault, despite the fact that if it happened on the street Matthew Taylor would be attending his arraignment at the local magistrates court, then it must be acceptable.

Perhaps the only disappointment is that Arsenal fans should know what to expect when they meet a team that substitutes the ability to play football with that all so clichéd alternative of grit and commitment . That is the industrial language of saying "since we can’t play football, we’re going to run around and kick the hell out of you, get up in your faces and up your noses—and well, basically stop you from playing football."

I’m reliably told that Arsenal lacks this sort of grit and determination to their game. They don’t have the strength and power, the height or the conviction to deal with the strong, ugly reprobates that litter all manner of teams in the league.

They don’t have the characteristic that is seen as the hallmark of the quintessential English Premier League team. I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer Wengerball every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Arsenal clearly didn’t get the memo suggesting they should revert to type for the sake of the punditry and hack script. It was the script that promoted the lazy journalism of pigeon-holing this Arsenal side of being one that struggled and bottled it out of the battles in the cold winters of the north west of England.

There was of course the added incentive of the home coming of Bolton’s King Coyle. It was his first game back at Bolton as manager, and he was facing a side against whom he scored when he was a striker at Bolton in the early '90s. A monumental upset of the romantic type was the sort of stuff that sells papers and brings in the ratings from sensational headlines to keep the advertisers happy.

Arsenal were imperious when they needed to be and professional in doing what was needed to close out the game. It was actually a very enjoyable game of football despite the violence unleashed Arsenal’s way and sanctioned by the referee. I say enjoyable because Arsenal took to the pressure like water off of a ducks back and showed great maturity and determination not to be phased by the spoiling tactics of Bolton.

There are those who are quick to suggest ”well, if Bolton took their chances yada yada yada….”  

Could have, should have, would have!

Well, they didn’t, and when they shot at goal, they either aimed for row Z or Manuel Almunia did his job.

It’s about time the myth that the only way to deal with Arsenal is to batter them off the park is kicked into the long grass. Frankly speaking, it’s annoying because it means Arsenal are at greater risk of clocking unnecessary injuries.

In a sick way though, it’s also a compliment to know the only option teams who can’t cope with Arsenal’s Wengerball have is to kick them off the park.

Two-nil and a psychological victory over Bolton is not bad to bring back to Ashburton Grove for the return leg on Wednesday night. Zero complacency and focus is paramount for Arsenal to keep their momentum going.

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