Premier League: Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal full time report
Blackburn 1 Arsenal 2
Blackburn Rovers slipped to a rare home defeat as Andrey Arshavin’s goal earned Arsenal a hard-fought win at Ewood Park.
Arshavin followed up a Cesc Fabregas effort that had struck the back of Theo Walcott to poke home what proved to be the winner in the opening moments of the second half.
Earlier, Walcott had given Arsenal the lead when he latched onto a Robin van Persie pass and drilled home, before Mame Biram Diouf tapped in following good work from El-Hadji Diouf to equalise.
The Gunners should have extended their lead late on, but substitute Jack Wilshere could only shoot straight at Paul Robinson.
It is a good win for Arsenal on a ground where they lost last season, and marks their best start to a Premier League season for three years, with two wins and a draw from three games.
This was a match that had been billed as a clash of styles, with Blackburn’s robust approach coming up against the Arsenal passing game, and it was the Gunners’ style that was winning out at the start.
Abou Diaby struck an early effort that deflected off Vince Grella straight to goalkeeper Robinson, but Fabregas was soon forced to head a Ryan Nelsen effort off the goal line at the other end, and that clearance was to assume greater importance just minutes later.
Van Persie’s killer pass set Walcott free down the right hand side, and the 21-year-old brilliantly drilled a shot across Robinson and into the far corner to give his side the lead, and follow on from his hat-trick against Blackpool last week. However, the lead wasn’t to last long, as Blackburn scored a very ‘un-Blackburn-like’ goal.
Chris Samba did brilliantly to evade several Arsenal challenges, and after he set El-Hadji Diouf away down the left hand side, the winger cut the ball back for namesake Mame Diouf to tap home from close range. It was an equaliser that the hosts deserved.
Van Persie soon departed after picking up an ankle injury from a challenge by young defender Phil Jones. Maroune Chamakh replaced the Dutchman, and despite some strong Gunners pressure before the break, the sides went in level.
Morten Gamst Pedersen drove an early effort wide, before Arsenal broke menacingly at the other end, and after Fabregas latched onto Bacary Sagna’s cutback only to shoot straight at Walcott, the ball fortuitously rebound to Arshavin, who coolly slotted past Robinson.
More impressive Gunners interplay soon led to a Chamakh effort that was deflected wide, before substitute Tomas Rosicky – on for Fabregas – released Walcott down the right, only for his low shot to be well saved by Robinson.
Back at the other end, only a terrific covering challenge from Sagna stopped Mame Diouf from latching onto an El-Hadji cross, but Walcott was always a threat at the other end, and shot just over after linking up with Chamakh.
As the game reached its closing stages, Blackburn began tossing more high balls into the Arsenal area, pushing the giant Samba upfront, and it was David Dunn who almost benefitted, but his effort went straight at Manuel Almunia, before Michel Salgado smashed an effort over the bar.
Samba was causing problems, and one knock down resulted in a chance for Gael Givet, before a quick Arsenal break resulted in a good chance for Wilshere, which Robinson saved.
That was the last significant action of the match, with Arsenal heading south clutching three precious, hard earned points.
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