LONDON – Arsenal cemented their position at the top of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Bolton on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s side were never at their exhilarating best against hard-working, if limited, opponents but second-half goals from Kolo Toure and Tomas Rosicky were enough to seal a 13th victory in 14 games this season.

The Gunners will need more performances like this if they are to end their four-year wait for a fourth Premier League title under Wenger but both the Frenchman and Archie Knox, the Bolton caretaker manager, will have been heartened by their teams’ spirited displays.

Arsenal were hardly in need of a restorative: the north Londoners have enjoyed a dream start to the season and even the uncertainty which has shrouded their off-field future has started to clear.

But a match against the Premier League’s crisis club – managerless, winless away from home and mired in the bottom three – still promised to serve as the perfect pick-me-up following the international break.

Yet there is something about Bolton which piques Arsenal. They have traditionally struggled to cope with the Lancastrians’ combative approach and, despite the end result, there was precious little for Wenger to savour here, either.

Bolton made their intentions clear by flooding midfield and allowing Kevin Davies to plough a lone furrow up front, and the hosts found the subsequent lack of space stifling. The match quickly deteriorated into a mind-numbing war of attrition – ideal for Bolton, but nightmarish for Arsenal.

Home frustrations were encapsulated by Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard has always functioned on a dangerously short fuse: he was booked in the 20th minute for becoming needlessly involved in a 10-man melee and could have been dismissed moments later for a late tackle on Ivan Campo.

He was not alone in treading a dangerous path. El Hadji Diouf, who had been booked with Fabregas, was lucky not to earn a second yellow card 13 minutes later when his crude lunge left Bacary Sagna sprawling on the sideline.

Amid the midfield maelstrom, chances were at a premium. Emmanuel Adebayor was the hosts’ biggest threat and the Togo striker might have done better than head wastefully wide from Eduardo da Silva’s chipped cross two minutes before half-time.

Bolton had every right to feel content but their satisfaction seemed to breed complacency. Their good work was almost undone within seconds of the re-start when the otherwise impressive Gavin McCann made a mess of clearing Eduardo’s cross. The loose ball fell to Emmanuel Eboue but the Ivorian panicked and skied his shot over the bar.

That was the cue for Arsenal to up the tempo and forget about trying to engage Bolton in battle. Fabregas saw a 20-yard drive saved by Jaaskelainen while Adebayor – clearly having one of his off-days – could only slice wide when teed up by Eduardo.

Bolton were beginning to creak and they almost cracked in the 65th minute when Fabregas’ corner caused pandemonium in the visitors’ penalty area. After Abdoulaye Meite almost headed into his own net, William Gallas’ back-post prod was blocked on the line by Riccardo Gardner.

The home hordes howled in frustration but their angst was short-lived. Two minutes later, Bolton conceded a needless free-kick and Toure seized the initiative. The centre-half’s shot was struck firmly, if not savagely, but Jaasekelainen was unsighted as the ball sped through Meite’s legs and into the bottom corner.

The erratic Adebayor should have made the points safe in the 77th minute when he sped clear and rounded the despairing Jaaskelainen only to slip at the crucial moment, but Arsenal’s nerves were soothed five minutes later when Theo Walcott’s well-worked cut-back was flicked home by his fellow substitute Tomas Rosicky.