Coyle hails important point

The Trotters produced a hard-working, lively display to frustrate the Gunners in a goalless draw at the Reebok Stadium on Wednesday night.

Coyle feels Bolton were close to snatching a win but was happy to settle for a point, which keeps them out of the drop zone.

"We're delighted to get another valuable point," Coyle told Sky Sports. "It finished 0-0 but I thought it was a fantastic advert for the Premier League.

"It was two teams going all out to win with some good chances at either end.

"For our part I thought we were terrific, with the tempo and intensity with which we played against a quality side.

"Arsenal, whatever you say about their injuries and everything else, they've still got world-class players on that pitch. We had to defend well at times.

"Equally we looked a real threat on the counterattack, as did Arsenal, because that's the way the game panned out. It was both teams going for it.

He added: "We felt we could win it tonight. We've been in good form, we showed that tonight again. We know we're playing well."

Penalty appeal

Bolton appealed for a penalty in the dying minutes when Mark Davies was brought down in the area.

Coyle made his frustrations known on the touchline but the manager explained afterwards he was more aggrieved by Per Mertesacker's foul on the edge of the box than Wojciech Szczesny's challenge inside it, which he feels was fair.

"I didn't think the secondary challenge, by the goalkeeper, was a penalty. I thought that was a good challenge, he's a top class a goalkeeper," he said.

"My challenge was when Mark Davies burst clear, just on the edge of the box. It may very well have been just outside the box. But I think it was Mertesacker that pulled him back.

"I think that then put Mark Davies off balance when the goalkeeper made the challenge. What I was saying was, if it's outside the box it's not a penalty, but he should be brought back for the free-kick right on the edge of the box."