Walcott scored an excellent goal in the first half and was unlucky not to add a second near the end with a confident drive from outside the area that only just cleared Paul Robinson's bar. The England manager will not be concerned at whether Walcott has a football brain or not, to quote the debate started by Chris Waddle last season, he will just have noted that he is running, shooting and finishing with poise and confidence.
Both sides could have scored in a frantic opening to an open game. Arsenal were unlucky not to go in front in the third minute when Abou Diaby's shot through a crowded penalty area was stopped on the line by Vince Grella, who was relieved to see the rebound cannon from his shin on to Robinson's shin then out to safety rather than off the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Then, after Blackburn Rovers applied some pressure and won a couple of corners, Ryan Nelsen's goalbound header was headed off the line by Cesc Fábregas.
It took a good interception by Chris Samba to prevent Fábregas sending Walcott clear a couple of minutes later, although Blackburn's respite was brief. Robin van Persie took a pass from Andrey Arshavin and found Walcott quite brilliantly with a diagonal ball behind Gaël Givet, and the finishing prowess evident last week against Blackpool was displayed again as the winger strode on to the ball and clipped a low, early shot past Robinson's dive. Walcott found Robinson's bottom-right corner so perfectly, in fact, that the side-netting needed a minor repair at half-time. He had gone for placement rather than power yet still managed to split the net.
Unlike a few of their north-west neighbours, Blackburn are not the sort of side to lie down and take a hammering, however, and although Arsenal briefly threatened to run riot they found themselves defending for most of the rest of the half following a smartly taken equaliser. Rovers now boast two Dioufs in their ranks, Manchester United's Mame Biram having arrived on a season's loan to join the already established El Hadji, and Laurent Koscielny in particular will not forget the way they combined in the 26th minute.
Seizing on to Samba's clearance El Hadji took on the French defender on the outside and won hands down, staying on his feet in spite of a heavy challenge and supplying a cut-back from the byline that Mame Biram needed only to tap into the net. Big, strong and mobile with an ability to deliver a good cross as well as get on the end of one, the new Diouf looks exactly Sam Allardyce's sort of player, and when Benjani joins the attack – he has signed for a year after his contract expired at Manchester City – Blackburn should be able to bother quite a few defences.
Arsenal's attack lost some of its sharpness when Van Persie went off with a leg injury just past half an hour after a firm but fair tackle by Phil Jones, although the visitors were still potent enough to take the lead again early in the second half. Bacary Sagna got away down the right to set up Fábregas for a shot that was blocked, and as Robinson left his line to claim the rebound he was beaten to the ball by a determined Arshavin. Blackburn could not manage a second equaliser.
The substitute David Dunn had the best opportunity 10 minutes from time but having made space for a shot he directed it straight at Manuel Almunia. When Arsenal had a chance to make it three right at the end with Walcott unselfishly setting up Jack Wilshere, Robinson denied the young England hopeful. Capello was probably on his way to Blackpool by then.
Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 28 Aug 10
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