A Dutch of class - SkySports

"Van Persie is head and shoulders above everyone else in that team at the minute. Without him in that side, I think Paul Merson said it last week, they would be a mid-table side."
Matt Le Tissier Quotes of the week

Matt Le Tissier says Arsenal would be a mid-table side were it not for the class of striker Robin van Persie.

The Soccer Saturday expert was speaking after watching the Dutchman bag a brace in the Gunners' 3-0 win over 10-man Bolton, a much-needed result after the club's worst start to a season for 29 years.

After a goalless first half, Van Persie gave the home team the lead shortly after the break and Le Tissier said Arsenal looked comfortable after Bolton defender David Wheater was sent off for a professional foul on Theo Walcott.

But he said they were indebted to the goalscoring nous of their striker for earning them the three points.

"In the end it was comfortable, but not in the first 45 minutes," Le Tissier said.

"At half-time the game was very much in the balance and while Bolton hadn't carved out too many clear-cut chances, there was enough there to threaten Arsenal.

"Obviously the goal straight after half-time gave Arsenal a huge boost. It came from Van Persie, who is head and shoulders above everyone else in that team at the minute.

"Without him in that side, I think Paul Merson said it last week, they would be a mid-table side. That's how it looks at the moment, it really does.

"He hauls them up on his own sometimes."

Spark

Le Tissier also had praise for one of Arsenal's new signings, suggesting that Mikel Arteta gave them some creative spark in midfield.

The deadline day signing from Everton was brought in to fill the void left by Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri and his vision was another highlight of the game.

"Arteta looks good," added Le Tissier

"He's one of the players in the midfield that is capable of that threaded ball that Fabregas and Nasri were capable of.

"He's the one that's looking forward. He put a great ball through to Gervinho in the first half, which set him clean through.

"Arteta's got that in this locker and I thought he did pretty well today."

Threat

The result continued a miserable run for Botlon; since they beat Arsenal 2-1 last April, they have lost 10 of the 11 Premier League games they have played.

And Le Tissier feels manager Owen Coyle needs to turn their fortunes around quickly or else he could find his position under threat.

"They lost their last five games of last season and that's really poor," he added.

"It's something that Owen Coyle has got to turn around pretty quickly because that kind of form, if there wasn't a summer break in between, could have put him under a little bit of pressure."