Arsenal vs Bolton: Fabregas Engineers Demolition as Squillaci Makes Debut

A Cesc Fabregas masterclass at the Emirates helped Arsenal run out as comfortable 4-1 winners against Bolton with goals from Laurent Koscielny, Marouane Chamakh, Alex Song, and substitute Carlos Vela. Johan Elmander scored for the visitors

Bolton started the game brightly and nearly opened the scoring in the first 10 minutes, but it was not to be their day. Cesc was in the mood.

Speaking to the official match day programme, Fabregas was highly critical of his performance against Blackburn, saying that “I was out of form, and during the (Blackburn) game I knew it, but hopefully, you’ll see an improvement (against Bolton)”

And did we ever.

Fabregas ran the show, his work rate and sheer determination was far too much for Bolton to handle. Cesc barely missed a pass, laid on three assists, and made some solid defensive tackles. It was a true captain's knock that couldn’t have come at a better time. With both Walcott and Van Persie out up front, the Arsenal midfield had to boss the game. Cesc made sure they did.

Behind the midfield, Wenger played a new-look backline, resting Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna, in favour of Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Eboue. It was a new-look centre back pairing of Koscielny and new signing Sebastien Squillaci. Manuel Almunia retained his gloves. Despite a lack of communication from anyone—keeper, centre back or wing back for the goal—the defensive set up, looked really good.

Almunia looked rather good in goals, claiming crosses strongly, making plenty of fine saves and distributing the ball very well, which is the strongest aspect of his game. The only criticism of his performance is that his communication with the defenders is still lacking conviction, although with an entirely new back four, he can hardly be the only one blamed.

Eboue continued his path to redemption since being booed two seasons ago, putting in a strong offensive effort and comfortably linking on the right with Cesc and Rosicky, while not neglecting his defensive duties.

Gibbs had a strong physical presence, mixing it often with Bolton hard-man Kevin Davies, which speaks volumes for young Kieran’s confidence. Offensively, he offered the same option Clichy provides—speed down the left flank, and Kieran has it in spades.

Koscielny had a mixed game but never looked uncomfortable on the pitch, after tasting the highs of his first premier league goal in front of all the home supporters to gifting Bolton a goal through a poor defensive header and no communication with his keeper, Koscielny never dropped his head, and as the game went on, he won vital headers and made important clearances. The consistency will come; after all, it was only his third Premier League match.

New signing Sebastien Squiilaci came in for the injured Vermaelen and did a decent job in his first Premier League outing. His experience and maturity were on display for all to see as he made sure the backline regrouped after the dismal defending in conceding the goal. Often he played his way out of trouble and made the other defenders around him look better than they may have been. He is exactly the player Arsenal needed.

Bolton aren’t a pushover side, and they showed that last night by taking it to the Gunners all match, even after Gary Cahill was harshly sent off for a tackle on Chamakh.

The five minutes leading up to the sending off were characterised by two poor challenges from Davies on Rosicky and subsequently on Wilshere. The tackle on Rosicky was terrible—two-footed, very late, and studs showing, but the referee allowed play to continue. The second challenge was in fact the first stoppage after the first tackle, but wasn’t quite as bad, though his studs were still up and he came in late. Davies received a yellow card for two red card offences.

At 2-1 down, Cahill caught Chamakh from behind on the wing. Ironically, his challenge wasn’t late and his studs were down, yet Cahill was given a straight red. Unfortunately for the game, Cahill paid for Davies’ challenges that left the Emirates faithful baying for Bolton blood.

From this point on, the match as a contest was over, and despite Bolton’s never-give-up mentality, Owen Coyle’s men simply couldn’t match the pace of 11 firing Gunners.

The two goals that followed couldn’t have been more different, but couldn’t have epitomised Arsenal any better.

Alex Song’s goal was the end result of over 20 passes and strong movement from the midfielders and strikers to drag Bolton’s defenders every which way. Song’s touch past Knight and impudent dink over keeper Bogdan—who despite conceding four goals, had a blinder—were good enough to rival any striker.

Vela’s clinical strike was pretty much the opposite of Song’s goal. The ball was throw in by Gibbs on the left-hand touchline, passed to Cesc who played the most beautiful pass over the top of Bolton’s centre backs. With only one touch, Carlos Vela buried the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

It wasn’t all good news going forward. Arshavin missed a number of chances he would normally have buried and Chamakh showed again that his finishing with his feet leaves a lot to be desired, but his headers are like .42 caliber bullets.

Arsenal ended up winning comfortably with a 4-1 scoreline, but the scoreline doesn’t show that up until Cahill’s sending off, Arsenal had to fight to control the midfield and that when it was 2-1, Bolton looked well up for it, and almost scored to level the match up.

But they didn’t, and Arsenal earned all three points to maintain the pressure on league leaders Chelsea, and continue their unbeaten start to the season