Read more about Match Reports.
Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Arsenal
Match Reports, 18:04, January 17, 2010 ,
Goals in each half from Cesc Fabregas and Fran Merida secured Arsenal a 2-0 win at struggling Bolton.
The hosts, playing their first game with new boss Owen Coyle at the helm, enjoyed plenty of possession and created a series of chances but failed to find a breakthrough, while the Gunners were more clinical in front of goal.
The victory keeps Arsenal in third spot with a chance to go top if they beat Bolton at home in this week's rearranged fixture at the Emirates, while the Trotters stay in the relegation zone.
Bolton came out of the blocks quickly and should have gone in front inside the first minute when Kevin Davies picked up Chung Yong Lee's pass inside the area, but the big striker's first touch let him down and Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia made the save.
A minute later Ivan Klasnic rifled a great strike into the Gunners' net but this time an offside flag denied the Trotters frontman.
Arsenal took that as a warning and found their passing rhythm with Fabregas denied a good penalty shout on 12 minutes when keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen appeared to clip his heels but referee Phil Dowd waved play on.
Both sides looked to attack quickly on the break and Arsenal were rewarded for their persistence on 28 minutes when Fabregas fired them in front. The influential Spaniard played a quick exchange of passes with Eduardo on the edge of the area before rifling a low shot into the far, bottom corner of Jaaskelainen's net.
Arsenal's teenage debutant Craig Eastman went close to adding a second two minutes later but his low strike was parried by Jaaskelainen before being hacked clear.
The visitors should have been two-up on 43 minutes but Fabregas somehow fired wide in front of goal after being teed up by Andrey Arshavin's pull-back from the right by line.
Bolton almost made them pay for that miss in first half stoppage time but Klasnic could not get a clean connection on Davies' knockdown in the area to guide the ball past Almunia.
Bolton enjoyed more possession in the opening exchanges of the second half but Matt Taylor wasted a great chance to level on 61 minutes when he blasted his shot over after being played in by Klasnic.
Taylor was again guilty of spurning another good opportunity on 71 minutes when he was clear but opted to hit his right-foot shot from well outside the area when he had time to possibly advance closer to goal.
Arsenal capitalised on that let-off on 78 minutes to seal the points when substitute Merida coolly fired in at the back post when Zat Knight could only divert Eduardo's cross from the left into his path.