Bolton Wanderers 1 Everton 1:There was widespread laughter last summer when Nicolas Anelka said he intended to help Bolton qualify for the Champions League, but Arsene Wenger must now be taking his former striker's mission statement extremely seriously.
On Saturday Anelka and Bolton will arrive in north London only two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal. David Moyes, the Everton manager whose own side's Uefa Cup ambitions were consolidated by this draw, said: "If they go and win down there at the weekend it will certainly be game on between them and Arsenal for a Champions League place. I didn't think anyone would break into the top four this season, but Bolton might do it now - they make it difficult for you, they're hard to play against."
Sam Allardyce's abrasive team - and Moyes was unhappy with some of their challenges yesterday - have a good record against Wenger's players. But the Bolton manager said: "We probably won't win there but we've proved we can get a result against Arsenal. We'll need people like Nicolas and Kevin Davies to take their chances."
Certainly no one could accuse Davies of not making the most of an early one yesterday. Bolton may score too many goals from set-pieces for the liking of the purist, but some of their dead-ball routines are impressively inventive and there was an air of originality about the centre forward's goal. Featuring Ivan Campo deceiving Everton's defence by delicately chipping in a free kick which Davies controlled on his chest, it subsequently involved him swivelling and directing a left-foot volley beyond Tim Howard.
Joleon Lescott, the Everton left back who forgot he was part of an offside trap, played Davies onside.
Everton initially looked most unlikely contenders for a European place. Indeed Jussi Jaaskelainen had been a virtual spectator until he was required to pick the ball out of his net after James Vaughan's equaliser.
That goal was conjured up by Leon Osman, the midfielder intelligently holding off the challenge of two defenders and slipping a pass to Vaughan. Although another couple of markers seemed to bar his path to goal, the teenager's slick transfer of the ball from his right to left foot before shooting into the bottom corner soon outwitted them.
Unsurprisingly there was an element of controversy about the goal, Gary Speed earning a booking for dissent after complaining he had been elbowed by Lee Carsley in the build-up. "It was the wrong decision and very costly for us; their goal was unfair," Allardyce moaned.
Guardian Service
BOLTON WANDERERS: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Meite, Faye, Gardner, Teymourian (Thompson 90), Campo, Speed, Davies, Anelka, Diouf (Giannakopoulos 87). Subs not used: Walker, Tal, Martin. Booked: Speed, Faye, Campo.
EVERTON: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Arteta, Neville, Carsley, Osman, Johnson, Vaughan (Beattie 62). Subs not used: Wright, Naysmith, McFadden, Anderson. Booked: Arteta.
Referee: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
