Premier League 2nd Update- Arsenal battle past ruthless Blackburn to a 2-1 win
Arsenal managed to hold on to their red hot, unbeaten run in the English Premier League after a highly entertaining 2-1 win over the Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
Theo Walcott and Mame Biram Diouf saw their names on the score sheet in the opening thirty minutes of the game. Both these players had scored hat-tricks in their previous games and hence it wasn't surprising when they found the back of the net yet again.
The Russian Assassin, Anderi Arshavin restored the Gunners lead in the second half. After some average defending, the ball fell into the player’s path who didn't hesitate before slamming it into the goal.
Walcott scored a clinical goal in the far bottom corner of the post, right after the twentieth minute mark Arshavin exchanged passes with Robin van Persie, who sent a sensational pass into the path of the on rushing winger. The shot was sublime while busting the net at the same time. The shot also managed to rip a small hole in the net which needed to be repaired at the half time break.
Blackburn didn't seem to be demoralized by the Arsenal goal, instead the team got one back after seven minutes of going behind Arsenal.
Christopher Samba drilled through the midfield befrom releasing El-Hadji Diouf down the left wing. The forward beat Laurent Koscielny and then squared the ball to Mame Biram Diouf who had to tap the ball into the back of an empty goal, from six yards out.
After the restart, the gunners restored their lead. This time it was the left winger who scored the goal. Bacary Sagna squared the ball to Cesc Fabregas who took a shot at the Blackburn goal, the player’s shot bounced off the keeper but in the path of the on rushing winger, who didn't think twice before burying his shot from twelve yards out.
Arsenal had much more of the ball than their opponents through out the game. They could have managed to take the lead in the fourth minute when a short corner was left to fall into the path of Abou Diaby who’s expertly taken shot, bounced of Vince Grella and then Paul Robinson, but somehow managed to land out of harms way. Neither of the Blackburn players knew what happened till they saw the replays during the half time break.
Blackburn's first chance of the game came in the ninth minute when Ryan Nelsen was threatening the Gunners in the air but his header was cleared of the line by Fabregas. Samba also had an option to score with his head, but the center back couldn't keep his effort on target.
After Van Persie seemed unable to carry on any further, the Dutch forward was replaced by Marouane Chamakh.
Blackburn could have tied the game in the dying minutes and Michel Salgado could have scored the equalizer, but he blazed his shot over the bar after having a ball knocked into his path by Samba off a corner kick.
Walcott was denied a second goal on the night, after the player was ruled to be offside. Similarly, the second half substitute Jack Wilshere was also denied a goal after a superb reflex save by Robinson from point blank range on his near post.
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