Bolton Wanderers came very close to snatching a point at the Emirates Stadium but had to leave empty handed as Arsenal secured a hard fought 1-0 win on Saturday.

Bolton went into the match with just four substitutes on the bench as most of the team was either injured or suspended. Gary Megson fielded a 4-5-1 formation with the emphasis solely on defense as Arsenal struggled to create any real chances at the start of the game.

Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie tried hard to make Arsenal's dominance in possession count but it was a solid defensive display that held out for more than 84 minutes. Arsenal's only real chance of the match fell to Van Persie who some how managed to miss the target with a close ranged volley.

Bolton's first shot on target came in the second half when Matthew Taylor headed the ball towards the target but his attempt was easily saved by Manuel Almunia. Emmanuel Adebayor had a great chance to put Arsenal in the lead but delayed his shot long enough for Andy O'Brien to put in a defensive block.

Van Persie managed to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen with a poked shot but saw the ball hit the post while Kolo Toure's rebound shot was saved by the Bolton keeper. Just when it looked as if Arsenal will be dropping two more points, Nicklas Bendtner slid home Van Persie's shot to put the Gunners in the lead six minutes from the final whistle.