Bolton Wanderers 3 Portsmouth 2: Anelka's special qualities keep Wanderers on the up

Bolton go into 2007 with only Manchester United and Chelsea above them in the Premiership table, thanks to the effervescent football that brought them a fifth successive victory on Saturday.

Visitors to the Reebok Stadium are used to the Wanderers being frugal hosts. The difference recently is that even when they are uncharacteristically generous, they have the resources with which to redeem themselves. As in their last home game, against Newcastle, Bolton fell behind to an early goal and for 20 minutes it looked as though Portsmouth, playing with great fluency on a boggy surface, might climb above them into the top four.

"We started great," said the visitors' manager, Harry Redknapp. "For the first 20 minutes, we moved the ball fantastically. But it was always going to be hard. They keep coming at you and make it happen."

Instrumental in that was Nicolas Anelka, whose control and acceleration wrested the initiative from Pompey. "His piercing runs made them drop deeper and deeper," said his manager, Sam Allardyce. "We got more and more balls into the box and they cracked."

The first crack appeared with Abdoulaye Faye's equaliser, followed by another headed goal from Ivan Campo before half-time. Anelka's clincher was a poacher's effort at the far post. "I tried to sign Anelka all through the summer," Redknapp said. "He's a quality player. He can do the lot."

He was not doing it alone. His combination with El Hadji Diouf has been productive from the start and the sheer hard work of Kevin Davies was just as impressive. Davies, alternating positionally with Diouf, helped to create the second and third goals. He is the symbol of the unpretentious virtues that underpinned Bolton's rise before it was possible for them to spend big money on world-class players.

Portsmouth may have suffered from the need to rest their leading scorer, Nwankwo Kanu, because of his inability to play two games in three days, though the even more experienced Andrew Cole led the attack well, setting up the opener for Matthew Taylor and scoring his customary goal against the Wanderers right at the end.

That made for a nervous four minutes of added time and made Bolton grateful for the earlier contribution of Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Premiership's in-form goalkeeper made three crucial close-range saves when Portsmouth had the time to turn the game around. One of those saves, from Cole just before half-time, was described as "world-class" by Allardyce. It is a description which can be used about various facets of Bolton's play.

With 39 points in the bag, Allardyce was willing to concede one thing. "We're safe now," he said. "We can start planning for next year." Those plans, if Bolton maintain their current momentum, could include the Champions' League.

Goals: Taylor (2) 0-1; Faye (30) 1-1; Campo (40) 2-1; Anelka (62) 3-1; Cole (89) 3-2.

Bolton Wanderers (4-1-3-2): Jaaskelainen; Hunt, Meite, Faye, Ben Haim; Campo; Nolan, Speed, Diouf (Pedersen, 81); Davies, Anelka. Substitutes not used: Walker (gk), Gardner, Vaz Te, Tal.

Portsmouth (4-5-1): James; Johnson, Primus (O'Brien, 75), Campbell, Pamarot (Benjani, 77); O'Neil (Thompson, 67), Davis, Kranjcar, Fernandes, Taylor; Cole. Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Hughes.

Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).

Booked: Portsmouth O'Neil.

Man of the Match: Davies.

Attendance: 22,447.