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Rampant Arsenal Overrun Blackburn To Go Fourth
A brace apiece from Andrey Arshavin and Emmanuel Eboue saw Arsenal fully back in their fluent groove with an emphatic victory that took them back into the top four at struggling Blackburn's expense...
Arsenal 4-0 Blackburn Rovers
14 Mar 2009 17:57:57
EPL: Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal v Blackburn (PA)
Rampant Arsenal could have won by a landslide but will be happy to settle for three points in a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers that takes them back into the top four, at least for 24 hours.
The Gunners were impressive, over-running Rovers, but failing to turn their superiority into the even wider winning margin that would have boosted their goal difference further as they tussle with Aston Villa for the fourth Champions League place.
As it was, two goals from Andrey Arshavin and two more from pantomime villain Emmanuel Eboue - one from the penalty spot - underlined their superiority and confirmed that the Gunners are firing again.
Theo Walcott made his first start since his comeback from a shoulder injury, and Arsene Wenger brought back Andrey Arshavin, Johan Djourou and Alex Song, with William Gallas, Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Eboue and Robin van Persie all being rested.
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce made three changes from the side that beat Fulham, bringing in Danny Simpson, Aaron Mokoena and Zurab Khizanishvili for Ryan Nelsen, Keith Andrews and Tugay.
Arsenal announced their determination and desire from the off, and were ahead inside the first two minutes with a goal originally credited to Andrey Arshavin, but which might be reassigned as an own goal. It was hard to tell who got the final touch, Nicklas Bendtner putting Theo Walcott clear down the right and his cross being converted at the near post by a combination of Arshavin and two Rovers defenders.
Arsenal had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Walcott appeared to be pulled down by Stephen Warnock, referee Phil Dowd seeing nothing amiss. But Walcott was looking lively and causing problems on his first Premier League appearance for four months.
Dowd was lenient again a couple of minutes later when El-Hadji Diouf was only booked for a reckless challenge on Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia with the ball nowhere near him.
On the half-hour mark, Morten Gamst Pedersen had Blackburn's first chance, but his header was well kept out by Almunia.
As Arsenal's dominance persisted, Samir Nasri hit a superb free-kick from some 25 yards out, the shot cannoning off the angle of post and bar. Undaunted, Nasri then forced a decent save from Paul Robinson.
Diouf amazingly lost his cool again, but stayed on, clashing with Almunia again as Blackburn prepared to take a corner. To be fair though, Almunia was lucky not to collect a yellow for the altercation.
At the break, with Rovers still only one goal behind, the impressive Arshavin had stitches inserted in an ankle injury, but fortunately for the Gunners the classy Russian was well up for the second period.
Bendtner played a ball through to Walcott, who left the Rovers defenders for dead but then draghed his shot disappointingly wide.
Walcott then set up Bendtner, but the big Dane, who wastefully put it wide from six yards.
With Arsenal running riot, a Nasri cross was fired goalwards by Bendtner, but Chris Samba blocked, and from the rebound Walcott's bicycle kick was well-saved by Robinson. Moments after that, a Denilson shot was blocked.
Olsson came on for Warnock, who had been given a torrid time by Walcott and Nasri all afternoon.
The hapless Bendtner broke clean through on goal but failed to get the ball out from under his feet and another chance went begging.
But almost immediately, Arsenal scored a sensational goal. Arshavin collected the ball down the left, cut inside, dummied brilliantly past Danny Simpson and lifted his shot expertly into the roof of the net from the tightest of angles. There was no doubt about who'd scored that one.
Arshavin then set up Bendtner with another great chance, following dazzling approach work by Walcott and Alex Song; this time Bendtner put it over, and was swiftly substituted by Carlos Vela.
Vela's cross found the outstanding Arshavin at the back post and his shot was saved by Robinson, only for Eboue to tap in the rebound from close-range.
Then when Vela was brought down in the area, Eboue stepped up to bury the penalty and put the seal on a terrific Arsenal performance.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Clichy, Walcott, Song Billong, Denilson, Arshavin, Nasri, Bendtner.
Subs: Fabianski, Diaby, Gallas, Van Persie, Vela, Eboue, Gibbs.
Blackburn: Robinson, Simpson, Samba, Ooijer, Givet, Diouf, Mokoena, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Pedersen, Roberts.
Subs: Bunn, Kerimoglu, Dunn, McCarthy, Andrews, Treacy, Olsson.
Mark Hinton, Goal.com
A brace apiece from Andrey Arshavin and Emmanuel Eboue saw Arsenal fully back in their fluent groove with an emphatic victory that took them back into the top four at struggling Blackburn's expense...
Arsenal 4-0 Blackburn Rovers
14 Mar 2009 17:57:57
EPL: Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal v Blackburn (PA)
Rampant Arsenal could have won by a landslide but will be happy to settle for three points in a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers that takes them back into the top four, at least for 24 hours.
The Gunners were impressive, over-running Rovers, but failing to turn their superiority into the even wider winning margin that would have boosted their goal difference further as they tussle with Aston Villa for the fourth Champions League place.
As it was, two goals from Andrey Arshavin and two more from pantomime villain Emmanuel Eboue - one from the penalty spot - underlined their superiority and confirmed that the Gunners are firing again.
Theo Walcott made his first start since his comeback from a shoulder injury, and Arsene Wenger brought back Andrey Arshavin, Johan Djourou and Alex Song, with William Gallas, Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Eboue and Robin van Persie all being rested.
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce made three changes from the side that beat Fulham, bringing in Danny Simpson, Aaron Mokoena and Zurab Khizanishvili for Ryan Nelsen, Keith Andrews and Tugay.
Arsenal announced their determination and desire from the off, and were ahead inside the first two minutes with a goal originally credited to Andrey Arshavin, but which might be reassigned as an own goal. It was hard to tell who got the final touch, Nicklas Bendtner putting Theo Walcott clear down the right and his cross being converted at the near post by a combination of Arshavin and two Rovers defenders.
Arsenal had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Walcott appeared to be pulled down by Stephen Warnock, referee Phil Dowd seeing nothing amiss. But Walcott was looking lively and causing problems on his first Premier League appearance for four months.
Dowd was lenient again a couple of minutes later when El-Hadji Diouf was only booked for a reckless challenge on Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia with the ball nowhere near him.
On the half-hour mark, Morten Gamst Pedersen had Blackburn's first chance, but his header was well kept out by Almunia.
As Arsenal's dominance persisted, Samir Nasri hit a superb free-kick from some 25 yards out, the shot cannoning off the angle of post and bar. Undaunted, Nasri then forced a decent save from Paul Robinson.
Diouf amazingly lost his cool again, but stayed on, clashing with Almunia again as Blackburn prepared to take a corner. To be fair though, Almunia was lucky not to collect a yellow for the altercation.
At the break, with Rovers still only one goal behind, the impressive Arshavin had stitches inserted in an ankle injury, but fortunately for the Gunners the classy Russian was well up for the second period.
Bendtner played a ball through to Walcott, who left the Rovers defenders for dead but then draghed his shot disappointingly wide.
Walcott then set up Bendtner, but the big Dane, who wastefully put it wide from six yards.
With Arsenal running riot, a Nasri cross was fired goalwards by Bendtner, but Chris Samba blocked, and from the rebound Walcott's bicycle kick was well-saved by Robinson. Moments after that, a Denilson shot was blocked.
Olsson came on for Warnock, who had been given a torrid time by Walcott and Nasri all afternoon.
The hapless Bendtner broke clean through on goal but failed to get the ball out from under his feet and another chance went begging.
But almost immediately, Arsenal scored a sensational goal. Arshavin collected the ball down the left, cut inside, dummied brilliantly past Danny Simpson and lifted his shot expertly into the roof of the net from the tightest of angles. There was no doubt about who'd scored that one.
Arshavin then set up Bendtner with another great chance, following dazzling approach work by Walcott and Alex Song; this time Bendtner put it over, and was swiftly substituted by Carlos Vela.
Vela's cross found the outstanding Arshavin at the back post and his shot was saved by Robinson, only for Eboue to tap in the rebound from close-range.
Then when Vela was brought down in the area, Eboue stepped up to bury the penalty and put the seal on a terrific Arsenal performance.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Clichy, Walcott, Song Billong, Denilson, Arshavin, Nasri, Bendtner.
Subs: Fabianski, Diaby, Gallas, Van Persie, Vela, Eboue, Gibbs.
Blackburn: Robinson, Simpson, Samba, Ooijer, Givet, Diouf, Mokoena, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Pedersen, Roberts.
Subs: Bunn, Kerimoglu, Dunn, McCarthy, Andrews, Treacy, Olsson.
Mark Hinton, Goal.com