By Mark Heys
December 2 2005

Bolton Wanderers face one of their biggest challenges of the season tommorow afternoon as they come up against an Arsenal side looking for their seventh straight win in all competitions.

The Gunners have lost just one game over the last two months but they will not realish the journey to the Reebok Stadium as it has proved to be an unhappy hunting ground over the years.

Bolton have lost just one Premiership game on their home turf this season and are currently performing consistently well in the League and Cup competitions. A victory against Leicester City in midweek was their sixth win in the last eight games and Sam Allardyce is keen for his side to keep the momentum going.

Wanderers seem likely to restore Kevin Nolan and Joey O'Brien to the starting line up after both where rested for the Carling Cup win on Wednesday. El-Hadji Diouf returns from a one match suspension picked up against Fulham last Sunday.

Stelios Giannakopoulos and Henrik Pedersen may also come back into the reckoning providing that they respond well to treatment on recent foot and achillies injuries.

Nicky Hunt and Ivan Campo both made their return from long term injury lay offs against Leicester and will be included in the squad for tommorow's game.

Arsenal are still missing the services of Alexander Hleb but the midfielder is expected to return to action during the Champions League game with Ajax next week.

Alexandre Song (knee), Ashley Cole (foot) and Gael Clichy remain long term absentees and are definately ruled out for the trip North.

Last season a Stelios Giannakopoulos header gave Bolton a hard earned 1-0 victory against the Gunners at the Reebok Stadium with the reverse fixture at Highbury ending all square at 2-2 following late goals from Radhi Jaidi and Henrik Pedersen.

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

30/10/1995 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (McGinlay) ARSENAL 0

05/05/1996 ARSENAL 2(Platt, Bergkamp) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Todd)

13/09/1997 ARSENAL 4 (Wright 3, Parlour) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Thompson)

31/03/1998 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 ARSENAL 1 (Wreh)

22/09/2001 ARSENAL 1 (Jeffers) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Ricketts)

29/04/2002 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 ARSENAL 2 (Ljungberg, Wiltord)

21/09/2002 ARSENAL 2 (Henry, Kanu) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Farrelly)

26/04/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Djorkaeff, Keown (OG)) ARSENAL 2 (Wiltord, Pires)

20/12/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Pedersen) ARSENAL 1 (Pires)

20/03/2004 ARSENAL 2 (Pires, Bergkamp) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Campo)

18/09/2004 ARSENAL 2 (Henry, Pires) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Jaidi, Pedersen)

15/01/2005 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Giannakopoulos) ARSENAL 0

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 12

Won: 2

Drawn: 4

Lost: 6

CONNECTIONS

George Hunt, David Jack, Brian Kidd, Isaiah Rankin.

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED THE GUNNERS

Bruce Rioch managed both Bolton and Arsenal. His last game in charge at Highbury came in May 1996 when facing the Wanderers who had already been relegated back to the First Division.

Ian Wright broke Cliff Bastin's Arsenal goalscoring record when these two teams met in September 1997. This record has since been eclipsed by Thierry Henry earlier on this season

In September 2002 Gareth Farrelly scored his only Premiership goal for Bolton away at Arsenal. It was a memorable one because it was never actually meant to be a shot on goal.

The most memorable head to head between these two sides came in April 2003 when in a top vs bottom clash. Arsenal looked to challenge Manchester United for the Premiership title whilst Bolton needed points to stave off relegation. At two down Bolton brought the scores back to 2-2 courtesy of a Youri Djorkaeff chip and an own goal by Martin Keown