Bolton have taken 13 points from the last 15 on offer, and it is they and second-placed Charlton who find themselves as the unlikely clubs attempting to keep pace with runaway leaders Chelsea as the usual title contenders are proving suspect at this early stage.

For Perrin, in the firing line following his side’s Carling Cup exit to Gillingham in midweek, facing an uncompromising Bolton side would surely have been his last choice of fixture, with this fourth defeat in seven matches only adding to his woes.