Arsenal Analysis and Player Ratings: Fabregas and Chamakh Lead Bolton Rout

Arsenal made full advantage of the dropping of points by Manchester United, as they firmly established themselves at second place, just two points behind title leaders Chelsea. Captain Cesc Fabregas returned to form as Laurent Koscielny, Marouane Chamakh, Alex Song, and Carlos Vela all got on the score sheet en route to the 4-1 demolition of Bolton Wanderers.

Let us analyse the performances of the individual performances of the Gunners against the resilient Trotters.

Manuel Almunia: Goalkeeper

With Arsenal failing to sign a new goalkeeper in the transfer window, Manuel Almunia remains the first choice goalkeeper for the Gunners. He was jittery in the opening exchanges of the encounter but settled down as the game wore on. He made one or two questionable clearances in the first half, but also made some excellent saves to deny the Trotters.

He was not at fault for the only goal that Bolton scored, but should improve his communication with the Centre Backs. He was not great in dealing with set-pieces but made one world class save from a set piece situation. If given the backing, he can have a decent season, this year.

Rating: 6.5/10

Kieran Gibbs: Left Back

Gibbs was handed his first start of the season by the manager and did not do much wrong in the tough encounter. Bolton was always going to be a difficult game for Arsenal, and Gibbs coped quite well with the physicality thrown at him. He made some marauding runs in the left wing, but could have helped out Laurent Koscielny a little more.

He looks like he has recovered from his long term injury and looks sharp and focussed. He might lose his place to Gael Clichy for the Champions League game against Braga, but he is one for the future. Gibbs will get his chances, this season and should make the most of it.

Rating: 7/10

Laurent Koscielny: Centre Back

Koscielny had his work cut out against the strong and physical Kevin Davies. He made a number of useful clearances and won many aerial battles with Davies. However, it was his blunder which lead to the equaliser for the Trotters. He needs to work on cutting down mistakes such as the one here.

He struggled a little to cope with the physicality of Davies and Elmander, and should muscle up a little bit. He seems to possess a lot of talent but on the whole, he needs to improve to become one of the best defenders for Arsenal. He, also, got his first Arsenal goal, which put Arsenal in the lead after 25 minutes or so.

Rating: 6.5/10

Sebastien Squillaci: Centre Back

The Frenchman made his Arsenal debut at the Emirates after Thomas Vermaelen was injured in the midweek international fixtures. He was solid throughout the match and made a good impression on the home fans, and was able to the physical challenge thrown up to him.

Squillaci lacks pace, but his experience and positioning more than makes up for it. He could have opened his Arsenal account, but headed the opportunity wide. He might well be considered ahead of Koscielny for the future games.

Rating: 7/10

Emmanuel Eboue: Right Back

Another interesting selection from Wenger was selecting Eboue over Sagna for this tough fixture. Eboue is stronger when it comes to attack and made a number of runs on the right wing. However, his crossing was not up to the mark today and left much to be desired.

He was not as sound defensively as Sagan has been in this season and could have helped out the defence with his strength and experience. Sagna still remains the No. 1 right back but Eboue is more than an able backup.

Rating: 6/10

Alex Song: Central Midfielder

Song, with his awful hairdo, was really combative today, nullifying the threat from numerous attacks. He committed some intelligent fouls and showed strength on a lot of occasions. He is the unsung performer of this Arsenal and deserves a lot of credit for this performance. He also scored a delightful goal, which was Arsenal's 1,000th goal under Arsene Wenger.

At only 23 years of age, Song is a real asset to the team and can go a long way this season. It is imperative he stays fit for most of the season, because his presence in the midfield adds a lot of steel to the lineup.

Rating: 8/10

Jack Wilshere: Central Midfielder

Wilshere proved he was focused on his football by producing an impressive performance lying deep in midfield. The ex-Bolton player (when he was loaned out last year) was afraid to put in hard tackles and challenged for every 50-50 ball. He also showed his creativity at times and produced a wonderful cross for Fabregas that lead to the opener.

He is learning fast and should be a regular in the next couple of years. He has a bright future ahead of him and the astute tutelage of Wenger, he can only move forward.

Rating: 7/10

Cesc Fabregas: Central Attacking Midfielder

Arsenal's valiant commander was the brains behind the Gunners' brilliant performance against Bolton. He admitted to being below par so far in the season, but produced a Man of the Match performance at the Emirates, dispelling any doubts regarding his distractions. He was involved in all the four goals and bagged three assists in the game.

His return to form is perhaps the biggest positive from the game, and Arsenal will be hoping he can retain the form throughout the season. He produced a number of incisive defence splitting balls and even though he is still some way away from being fully match-sharp, this performance would do him a world of good.

Rating: 9/10, Man of the Match

Tomas Rosicky: Winger

Rosicky was close to his best in the encounter and did not flinch from the physicality thrown at him. He produces some creative plays and his vision was something to be admired. His pass to Andrei Arshavin deserves a special mention and had he converted it, it would have been the assist of the season, so far.

Having Rosicky in the squad is a real boost as he brings in quality and experience to the Gunners. He will give stiff competition to the likes of Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri when they return to full fitness.

Rating: 7.5/10

Andrei Arshavin: Winger

Arshavin had a number of clear-cut chances to add to his goals tally for this season, but failed to convert even one of them. He was put through on goal by Fabregas, but his wretched form on the day saw him miss the goal and on another day, he might have had a first half hat trick.

He got into decent positions today, but needs to improve if he is to make a big impact this season. Another thing which was very noticeable was that he was caught a number of times by the offside trap and cut a frustrated figure.

Arshavin has the quality to bounce back from this disappointing performance and he can produce scintillating performances in the remainder of this season. There is no need for any drastic decisions and he needs to be supported well to regain his best form.

Rating: 3.5/10 

Marouane Chamakh: Striker

Chamakh is establishing himself as one of the most important players for Arsenal, this season and proved his worth by scoring the all important second goal of the game, by powering in a strong header against Adam Bogdan, the young Bolton keeper. He did an enormous amount of work in the match and was instrumental in setting up a number of attacks. He also induced the challenge from Gary Cahill, which lead to him being sent off.

Chamakh looks to be an impressive signing by Wenger and adds steel to their ranks. He wins a number of aerial headers and is a real team player. He has a good first touch and has good chemistry with his fellow Gunners. In the absence of Robin van Persie, it is imperative that Chamakh steps up to the task.

Rating: 8.5/10

Substitutes:

Abou Diaby (for Jack Wilshere):

Stayed on the pitch for only 15 minutes or so, before he had to be substituted because of an injury sustained due to a poor tackle from Robinson.

Rating: N/A

Denilson (for Abou Diaby):

Denilson came on late around the 75 minute mark, and showed some some neat touches in the build up play to some of the attacks.

Rating: 6/10

Carlos Vela (for Marouane Chamakh):

The Mexican youngster would have been pleased with his exquisite finish for the fourth goal after coming on for the impressive Chamakh. This cameo would have improved his confidence a great deal.

Rating: 7/10

Arsene Wenger: Manager

Wenger made some bold selections for the tough fixture against Bolton, selecting Gibbs, Wilshere, and Eboue over Clichy, Diaby, and Sagna and was rewarded with a good result from the Gunners. He made some timely substitutions, not exposing Wilshere for the entire period and also saving Chamakh for the Champions League encounter. Le Prof can be happy with himself and the team for this performance.

Rating: 8/10