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MEGSON RELISHING 'FANTASTIC' CHALLENGE

Megson - excited by challenge.

Bolton manager Gary Megson insists the challenge of facing Arsenal and Manchester United back to back is "fantastic", despite admitting a need for points.

Megson's side have picked up just four points from their opening four Premier League matches and face a daunting week with Arsenal visiting the Reebok Stadium on Saturday and United their opponents after that.

The Bolton boss was scathing in his assessment of the Trotters' performance in last week's loss at Fulham, but rather than now worry about playing two of the 'big four', he is relishing the contests.

"It's fantastic, it really is," he said. "This is why the league is what it is, it is never easy.

"They are two of the big four teams coming up in the space of seven days and it's fantastic.

"It's fantastic this club is playing football at this level and these are the challenges that are there, but it is better that way."

Megson took over at Bolton last October and saved the club from relegation by overseeing a strong late-season rally.

The club, however, looked doomed after Arsenal's last visit in March when they threw away a 2-0 lead in the final half-hour to lose 3-2.

That result appeared to have a devastating impact as Bolton were thrashed 4-0 by Aston Villa the following week but then a five-game unbeaten run saved Megson's men.

It was a fine recovery, but Megson admits the scars of the Gunners reverse still run deep.

He said: "Obviously it has gone and you want to look forward but I don't think anyone that was here that day will ever forget it.

"The game just wasn't going that way. We were cruising, 2-0 up and looking like we might make it 3-0.

"We had the opportunities to do so but we just capitulated over the course of 15-20 minutes.

"Nobody ever wants to go through that again and certainly the aftermath was spoken of for quite some while, not just the 48 hours after."

Prior to last season's encounter, Bolton boasted a strong home record against Arsene Wenger's side having beaten them on their previous three league visits.

That was before Megson's time at the club, but he hopes to get back to that winning mentality by not allowing the Londoners to settle.

Megson said: "Before last year it was the last three Premier League games, and we should have won that one (last season).

"We've got to try to push Arsenal onto the back foot and play the game in a manner that suits us and maybe doesn't suit them as much as they would like.

"There are four clubs in this league that are very strong and Arsenal are one of them.

"When you look right the way through there is quality in every position, pace in every position and a great deal of know-how.

"These are the games nobody expects you to do anything in but if we play like we can and we are on the front foot and everybody is at it, then we can give anybody a game.

"The problem we had last week was we didn't have enough people that were doing the things we spoke about.

"Where that performance came from, Lord only knows. It was just one of those days. We didn't perform, apart from three players."

One player Bolton will have to contain this weekend, should Wenger not choose to rest him, is the in-form Theo Walcott.

The 19-year-old is still riding high after his hat-trick for England against Croatia last week, although Wenger was unhappy with some of the treatment he received at the hands of Dynamo Kiev in midweek.

"He is a top-class player and is absolutely flying," Wenger said. "He has been brought in to Arsenal and at times played a bit part but he is playing more and more of a part now.

"You can see the reasoning behind why they did what they did when Theo first went there and he is on top of his game now."