Wenger happy with ´deserved´ result

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has welcomed his side’s convincing 3-0 Premier League win against strugglers Bolton.

After registering their worst start to a campaign for 58 years, the Gunners were under plenty of pressure to perform against Owen Coyle’s side.

However, after a fruitless first half, Arsenal rose to the challenge, with a Robin Van Persie brace – his 99th and 100th goals for the club – capped off by a late Alex Song effort securing Arsenal’s second win of the domestic campaign.

For Wenger, the result was no less than his team deserved after dominating the game, especially after David Wheater’s second-half red card.

“It was a question of nerves at the start of the game,” said Wenger.

“But we had patience and intelligence and I think we controlled the whole game.”

“In the second half I couldn’t see Bolton scoring a goal. They went down to 10 men and that made it even more difficult for them.”

Frustration was palpable at the Emirates after a first half in which Arsenal controlled possession but found decent efforts on goal hard to come by.

Within a minute of the second half commencing though, Van Persie broke the deadlock, striking at the near post to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen and from there on Arsenal eased to victory.

“I felt in the first half we were impatient,” said Wenger.

“We didn’t move the ball quickly enough, our midfielders came a bit deep and as we were man-marked that exposed us.”

“In the second half, maybe because [Bolton] were fatigued, our midfielders played high up and right away we became more dangerous.”

“We had plenty of opportunities, it is a deserved win that is welcome for us. We cannot drop too many points anymore.”

Coyle was left to lament Wheater’s sending off for a professional foul on Theo Walcott, which allowed the home side to add two more goals and cruise to victory.

“If you’re going to shoot yourself in the foot like we did, their goal was 43 seconds in [to the second half] I think, then it’s obviously going to be difficult,” Coyle said.

“Then, to go down to 10 men, there’s no doubt. Arsenal got the lift they were looking for, got the goal.”

“Whether there was real contact, I don’t know,” he added. “David pulled him back, I think we all understand the rules.”

“I’ll need to look at it. There certainly looked to be contact.”