19 September 2004	Sunday	03 Shaban 1425

LONDON, Sept 18: Henrik Pedersen ended Arsenal's perfect start to the season with an 85th minute equaliser at Highbury that gave Bolton a well-deserved 2-2 draw.

Arsenal, who had won their first five games of the season, looked set to extend their run after Robert Pires put them 2-1 ahead in the 66th minute but the Dane latched onto substitute Les Ferdinand's flick to deny the champions with a cute left-footed finish.

Despite the late setback, Arsenal still extended their record-breaking unbeaten run in the league to 46 matches.

Thierry Henry had given the champions the lead in the 31st minute after some superb interplay with his compatriot Patrick Vieira.

The midfielder picked up the ball on the halfway line before exchanging passes with Henry and then feeding the striker on the edge of the box.

Henry then used his trademark turn of pace to accelerate away from two defenders and slip the ball inside the far post with his left foot.

Bolton equalised on 63 minutes, Tunisian Radhi Jaidi getting his first goal in English football when he rose highest to power home Jay-Jay Okocha's corner.

But Pires put the hosts back into the lead within three minutes when he mishit a cross from Freddie Ljungberg past the wrong-footed goalkeeper Jaskelainen.

Bolton had started the game with a spring in their step but it was Arsenal who created the first meaningful chance after nine minutes.

Jose Antonio Reyes slid a finely-weighted ball through to Henry but the Frenchman could only shoot straight at Jaaskelainen.

Bolton's best chance of the half came just five minutes later when Kevin Nolan let fly with a rasping strike from 30 yards that flew just past Lehmann's lefthand post.

Poor goalkeeping from the German a minute later almost led to another chance for the visitors as he allowed a throw-in from Okocha to slip through his hands, Kolo Toure stepping in with a fine clearance.

Arsenal were jolted into action by this scare and began to string together some slick passing moves.

Lauren got on the end of a good through ball and cut into the righthand side of the box but his cross was scrambled away.

Pires had a snapshot blocked on the edge of the area from the resulting corner and the hosts got their reward with Henry's opener.

Ivan Campo was booked for a crude challenge on Reyes as he attempted to break up the host's increasing rhythm and Henry had a fine header saved underneath the crossbar just before the break.

The second half had started with Arsenal stroking the ball around with authority but it was Bolton who almost equalised after 56 minutes.

Arsenal's defenders backed off Nolan who let fly with a shot that took a deflection off Toure and clipped the top of the bar with Lehmann beaten.

Reyes almost extended the champions lead when he cut in from the right and struck a low shot just past Jaaskelainen's lefthand post on 59 minutes and just four minutes later Bolton were level.

Okocha swung a corner in from the right and Jaidi rose above the defence to power a header home, with Lehmann left flailing on his six-yard box.

Pires then bundled home Ljungberg's cross within three minutes and Arsenal looked to be cruising to a sixth successive win before Pedersen's late leveller.

Results:

Arsenal 2 Bolton Wanderers 2

Birmingham City 1 Charlton Athletic 1

Blackburn Rovers 1 Portsmouth 0

Crystal Palace 1 Manchester City 2

Norwich City 0 Aston Villa 0

West Bromwich Albion 1 Fulham 1

Playing on Sunday: Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur (1505) Everton v Middlesbrough Southampton v Newcastle United (1300)

Playing on Monday: Manchester United v Liverpool (1900).-AFP