Premier League - Arsenal romp past Blackburn

Eurosport - Sun, 15 Mar 01:20:00 2009

Andrei Arshavin scored his first Premier League goal as Arsenal romped to a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at the Emirates Stadium.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Arsenal-Blackburn Andrei Arshavin Theo Walcott - 0

The Russian netted the Gunners' second after an own-goal by Andre Ooijer gifted Arsenal the lead in just the second minute.

Substitute Emmanuel Eboue swooped twice in the final two minutes, once from the penalty spot, to seal all three points and extend Arsenal's unbeaten run to 15 games.

The result saw Arsene Wenger's side into fourth place while Rovers remain perilously close to the drop zone on 30 points, just one ahead of Stoke who occupy the final relegation spot.

The hosts got off to the best possible start, Arshavin apparently bundling the ball over the line after the effervescent Theo Walcott had delivered a cross into the danger area.

Initially the goal was given to the Russian but was later credited to Blackburn defender Ooijer, the Dutchman having got the final touch in the near post scramble.

Walcott posed a constant danger throughout and the England international appeared to enjoy getting the upper hand on three different left-backs employed by Blackburn over the 90 minutes - Gael Givet, Stephen Warnock and then Martin Olsson.

Givet and Warnock were both forced off through injury, although their departures from the pitch may well have come as a relief to both of them, given the run-around Walcott had given them.

But for all his pace and skill, for the most part the flying winger still lacks an end product - the shot he dragged wide of the mark just after the break was testament to that.

That chance came at the start of a dominant period of play for Arsenal, during which Walcott teed up Nicklas Bendtner to slice wide of the mark before himself launching a flying volley which Paul Robinson had to paw round the post.

While Walcott was busy wooing the crowd, Bendtner could do nothing right and he infuriated the assembled masses with a string of misses that smacked of a player lacking confidence.

The Dane's best chance of the day came in the 64th minute when he was played through on goal but he was foiled by Robinson, who was quick to come off his line.

A minute later, Arshavin showed him how to do it with a brilliant piece of finishing having beaten his man Danny Simpson at the by-line. The playmaker advanced on goal, waiting for Paul Robinson to go to ground before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.

Bendtner was withdrawn 15 minutes later and with he could only watch from the bench as Eboue - on as an 83rd minute replacement for Samir Nasri - found the net twice in four minutes.

The two chances were the type an out-of-sorts striker dreams about, the first being laid on a plate after Robinson could only parry Arshavin's shot into Eboue's path. All that was left to do was stab over the line.

And then the Ivorian stepped up to convert a penalty in the second minute of time added on after Carlos Vela had been tripped by a clumsy Olsson challenge.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 47 - 66 of 86

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. young squad got 4?
    impressive!!

    From hakim_world, on Sun 15 Mar 7:17AM

  2. Finnaly things are coming slowly to place. We played­ very well and 4 place on PL is now reality,Aston Villa­ will go to Uefa Cup (but O'neil doesn't respect­ this competition). If Eduardo and Fabregas will be­ avaliable for quarterfinnal in Euro cup, who know ,­ maybe Arsenal will visit Rome again?

    From kuzmarin, on Sun 15 Mar 7:08AM

  3. Well done Eboue great responce to the Boo Boys.Give­ Bendtner some credit for getting into goal scoring­ positions he just needs a bit more confidence and he­ will start scoring.

    From tom, on Sun 15 Mar 6:55AM

  4. Well done Arsenal!!! Top 2 finish, maybe? Give­ Bendtner a chance, but use him as a sub instead unitl­ he gets better. Play Vela in the starting lineup. ­ Arshavin and Walcott - fantastic! Come on Eboue,­ comtinue to prove the boo boys wrong!

    From messiah668, on Sun 15 Mar 6:16AM

  5. you do not play in EPL a player who is still learning­ his trade, for this we have cups, loans, second teams.­ Brendtner should be paying there until he is ready for­ real game. There are seveal players on Arsenal bench­ who can do it better in teh same position. we do not­ care how young he is, this is not a good excuse.­ Missing these many chances (some of which you have to­ try hard to miss) he does not deserve to play in any­ team in PL, less in Arsenal. Wenger should accept that­ the guy is not ready to play, and stop risking this­ season or should follow him out as well.

    From alex_traveler25, on Sun 15 Mar 4:55AM

  6. It is good to see T. Walcott regaining his form. As for­ Bendtner, Tonton Arsene should send him to a few­ sessions with a psychiatrist in order to build up his­ confidence. The kid is talented but lacks concentration­ at the decisive moment. Off the bench, he can do­ wonders. (He has won points for Arsenal late in some­ games). He needs a couple years more to become a­ starter. Eboue is finally showing the merits of Mr.­ Wenger's trust in him.
    Arsenal is creeping up to ­ Let's keep it a secret!

    From Carl D, on Sun 15 Mar 4:19AM

  7. Pedersen's dive was hilarious...Give Bendtner a­ chance,he's only 21

    From fandetoure, on Sun 15 Mar 3:59AM

  8. Bendtner do very work ~
    He creates lots of chances,­ Some great Pass too..
    Give him sometimes,
    As a 20­ years-old Forward, He do more than enough ..although He­ cannot scores any..
    can you see any 20 years-old­ Impressive Forward around?

    KEEP ON­ GUNNERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

    From aibmon, on Sun 15 Mar 3:58AM

  9. ALL YOU BENDTNER HATERS SHUT UP,,,,GIVE THE LITTLE BOY­ A BREAK ,,YEAH HE MISSED SOME CLEAR CHANCES BUT IS IT­ NOT ABOUT GAINING EXPERIENCE.YOU THINK ALL THOSE WORLD­ CLASS PLAYERS OUT THERE HAD IT ON A SILVER­ PLATER..WATCH THEIR OLD TAPES AND CONCLUDE ......
    GLAD­ TO SEE MY BOYS GAINING CONFIDENCE...VAN PERSIE IS NOT­ IN THE FISRT 11 JUST BECAUSE HE IS FRAGILE AND NEEDS­ PROTECTION..SO HE PLAYS WHEN THE NEED ARISES...
    LEARN­ TO CRITICISE WITH RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT JUST TALK ANY­ HOW........

    From AFROMOSKVICH, on Sun 15 Mar 3:47AM

  10. sell bendtner to wigan or WBA. he is rubbish for­ arsenal team facing blackburn. if fernando torres in­ his position, surely he can net at least 4 goals.­ wenger please buy star player. don't give a room­ for untalented player like bendtner. GO ARSENAL, HUNT­ FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOR NEXT SEASON.

    From Emirates, on Sun 15 Mar 2:56AM

  11. yes lets all quote that complete muppet mourinio to­ back up our arguments...how the HELL do YOU know he a­ 3-game wonder!!!!???

    From smith00htims, on Sun 15 Mar 1:39AM

  12. looks like the season is finally turning around, with­ Arshavin and Walcot now in action, Arsenal are at­ they`re best, be afraid Aston Villa be very afraid.

    From nikkmartnedita, on Sun 15 Mar 1:20AM

  13. Half-hearted play by Arshenal promises much. Can't­ help to quote Mourinho who said last summer Arshavin­ was a good player lasting for three games at most (and­ that why he was not going to see him in Inter).

    From andreiyelckin, on Sat 14 Mar 11:38PM

  14. Phil Dowd a joke of a referee. Only books Al Hadj­ Diouff when clearly it should have been a straight Red­ for a crude, wreckless and dangerous challenge on the­ Arsenal 'keeper. Then inexplicably leaves a yellow­ card in his pocket when Morten Gamst Pedderson­ blatently dives. Mr Dowd, have a word with your­ colleague Martin Atkinson who gave a Yellow card to­ Middlesbrough's Bates for an aledged­ "dive" that wouldn't even have got any­ score in a diving competition. Sad thing was, Bates no­ scoring dive earned him a second Yellow and the­ inevitable Red. Pederson didn't get what he­ deserved.
    Where is the consistency amongst Referees.­ Don't tehy ever meet to discuss tactics and­ performances?

    From Jarvis, on Sat 14 Mar 11:06PM

  15. Just saw Pederson's dive on MOTD - he should be­ banned for 10 games for that . . . . . . cheating is­ too kind a word for it.
    ps
    Arsenal to lose at SJP.

    From cameron w, on Sat 14 Mar 10:49PM

  16. Villa is feeling the pressure. Oneil is biting his­ fingers for the bad decision he made about UEFA cup..

    From Half A Brain, on Sat 14 Mar 10:07PM

  17. Bendtner missed a lot of chances today but lets give­ him credit for what he has done on the pitch, he worked­ hard, won a lot of balls, was all over the place, he is­ good in Air and he can improve his FINISHING. and lets­ remember that he is only 21 years of age. he is a big­ player, tall , strong, atheletic and he will be a big­ striker just like torres.

    From buddyfar, on Sat 14 Mar 9:43PM

  18. Good luck for Tuesday,against Hull. fromAndrew Buxton

    From MOLLY B, on Sat 14 Mar 9:42PM

  19. if arsenal can build on 2day's display,we can win a­ trouphy or 2 @ d end of dis season

    From ibmartyns, on Sat 14 Mar 9:12PM

  20. a big salute 2 arsenal... as a fan, i really wanna give­ my opinion that arsenal must keep bentner in the bench­ rather than gv him chances 2 play in first 11. he­ missed 5 chances in the game faced b.b.rovers...­ arsenal must put vela or v.persie in 1st 11.
    go ahead­ in the wins GUNNERZ

    From mc_jayz04, on Sat 14 Mar 8:49PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account