Bolton manager Owen Coyle said defender Gary Cahill should not have been shown a straight red card in his side's 4-1 defeat by Arsenal.

The defender was sent off in the 64th minute for a clumsy challenge on Maroune Chamakh and after his absence Arsenal scored two further goals.

"My initial reaction was the foul was a free-kick or a yellow card but it didn't seem to me a red," said Coyle.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger stated: "It was more a dark orange or a light red."

Coyle was also incensed that referee Stuart Attwell, the youngest official in the Premier League aged 27, had not seen a foul on South Korea international Lee Chong-yong moments before Cahill was given his marching orders.

606: DEBATE It was two-footed so I can understand why it was a red exiledboltonian

"Lee was fouled right on the edge of the box, I don't think it was a penalty but it's certainly a free-kick and within two seconds they've played the ball on the counter-attack and we're down to 10 men," said Coyle.

"Anybody that knows anything about football knows that it was clearly a free-kick and then, all of a sudden from a dangerous position we're down to 10 men against Arsenal.

"It's difficult playing 11 v 11 against Arsenal, never mind being a man short. But we should have defended better."

Chamakh's second goal was also the 1000th scored under Wenger's reign as Arsenal manager since taking over from Bruce Rioch in 1996.

The victory - the Gunners' third of the season - moves them into second place in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Chelsea.

"It was a good test for our defence, we created many chances and played some outstanding stuff but you can dominate Bolton and lose against them," said Wenger, who gave new £6m signing Sebastien Squillaci his debut in the centre of defence at The Emirates.

"Our challenge is to be sound at the back. We've played Bolton and Blackburn and defensively we have been quite strong."

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