ARSENE Wenger reckoned it was "difficult to take" seeing his Gunners knocked out of the FA Cup at the Reebok on Saturday.

The Arsenal manager - beaten at Everton in the Premiership and denied a place in the Carling Cup Final by Wigan Athletic in the previous seven days -- admitted it had been the worst week of his nine-and-a-half-year Highbury reign, but refused to give Wanderers any credit.

"It was a match we should have won by three goals," he said.

"We played away from home with a very young side and I cannot remember Bolton creating one chance until the moment they scored.

"We created plenty of dangerous situations in the second half."

Wenger, who admitted his players were taught a lesson when they lost 2-0 at the Reebok in the Premiership in December, claimed to have been encouraged by Saturday's response.

"We were resolute and determined," he said. "We took over after 25 minutes and dominated the second half in the middle of the park.

"It is very cruel and difficult to take, losing a game like that."

Just four days after Wigan's Jason Roberts' extra-time goal at Highbury shot the Gunners out of the Carling Cup, it was another late strike -an 84th minute Stelios header - that ended Arsenal's defence of the FA Cup they lifted last year, having beaten Wanderers 1-0 at the Reebok in the quarter-finals.

A bitterly-disappointed Wenger added: "We have got knocked out in the last minutes of two cups. In the first game we were always under threat of conceding a goal but not this time.

"It was a misunderstanding that led to the goal. There was a gap between Phillippe Senderos and (Sol) Campbell and Stelios took advantage of it. That's a few times now he has scored headers against us.

"That is down to lack of experience, I feel."