Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers today but made hard work of the win, which sees them edge closer to the all-time top-flight record of 30 games unbeaten since the start of the season. Arsenal may have moved ominously into a two-goal lead after just 24 minutes with Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp sweeping home superb strikes.
But Ivan Campo pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time, and Kevin Davies wasted a free header to leave Arsenal thankful of all three points.
Arsenal may have had one eye on their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea as they were guilty of a lack of concentration either side of the interval. But while Don Revie's Leeds side of 1973-74 and Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool team of 1987-89 were undone by Stoke City and Everton respectively in their 30th games, United are Arsenal's next opponents at Highbury.
Despite kick-off being delayed, Arsene Wenger's side were straight into their flow as Thierry Henry struck the bar after just six minutes. Indeed, despite the conditions and Bolton's attempts to interrupt Arsenal's rhythm, it was not long before the home side were predictably ahead.
Edu, who has grown in stature with each game this season, was the midfield fulcrum, playing the ball forward to the evergreen Bergkamp, who laid it off to Pires. The Frenchman still had considerable work to do, but rose to the challenge by curling a shot inside the far post, leaving Jussi Jaaskelainen with no chance.
Jaaskelainen did manage to deny Ashley Cole from close-range but he was left horribly exposed as Arsenal then doubled their advantage.
Henry was sent haring down the left flank by Pires but his over-hit cross would have left most ordinary strikers struggling to control the ball, let alone get a shot on target. Bergkamp, however, is no ordinary striker and simply swept the ball into the net with aplomb as he met the cross with a first-time volley.
Arsenal were now toying with Bolton, but they were guilty of relaxing on their lead before the interval. Indeed, when Jens Lehmann could only half-clear a corner and Bruno N'Gotty's shot was blocked, Campo was allowed the space in which to swivel and fire his shot into the roof of the net.
The warning was not heeded as Stelios Giannakopoulos then grazed the crossbar with a header on the stroke of half-time. And with Arsenal still sluggish at the start of the second-half, Bolton could - and, indeed, should - have equalised.
Stelios chipped one effort over the crossbar and then planted a cross on the forehead of Davies, who was standing unmarked just eight yards out. However, the striker headed just past the post and then saw another effort blocked by Kolo Toure as Arsenal's defence continued to struggle.
The Gunners remained as dangerous as ever on the break but Henry was foiled by an outstanding save by Jaaskelainen, while Pires and Bergkamp blazed efforts over the bar. Substitute Fredrik Ljungberg then had a clear chance to clinch victory but stumbled as he struggled to reach Bergkamp's pass as the goal beckoned and was also denied a penalty.
Arsenal's mood was not improved when Henry's claims for a spot-kick were also turned down when N'Gotty tackled him from behind just as he took aim inside the area. However, where they had collapsed at the Reebok Stadium last season, this time they survived, just as they did at home to Charlton a few weeks earlier.
And that, above all, is the crucial difference in their title campaign. History now beckons.
Filed by Johnny Proby
