Robin van Persie collected his second hat-trick of the season, Theo Walcott enjoyed as many assists, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crowned another sparkling display with his first strikes in the Premier League, and even Thierry Henry chipped in with another one for the nostalgics in stoppage time, his last action in his last game here provided Arsenal do not get an extension on his loan.
On a weekend when Fabio Capello has more than his fair share of headaches, Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance gives the England manager a welcome injection of positivity. He has quickly become a symbolic figure this season at Arsenal and underlined why he has such backing with his most purposeful display yet. He has started 10 games this season and has scored in three different competitions. His finishing was impressively composed, although you sense Wenger is as pleased with the maturity of his all-round game, which has taken a giant leap in recent weeks.
He is making it difficult for Wenger to consider leaving him out, which could make life interesting when Gervinho returns from the Africa Cup of Nations. Asked if he expected the teenager to be called up for England's friendly with Holland at the end of the month, Wenger replied: "Would you be surprised? In a very short time he has been an important player who can make a difference. He made a big step in that he contributes in the team play. He is a fighter as well. He has improved so much."
This was the ideal opportunity for Arsenal's offensive players to express themselves. Blackburn, having kept unsettled Chris Samba out of the picture, were easily unstitched even before Gaël Givet got himself dismissed for a two-footed lunge just before half time. The French defender connected with Van Persie's ankle, which caused a particularly anxious moment for Wenger, and Givet felt remorseful enough to apologise to the Arsenal manager as he left the pitch.
Van Persie's stride was not so easily interrupted, though. He gave his team the early advantage with a pair of replica goals, tucked in after Walcott raced into space to cut back from the byline. The first came when the game was a two minutes old. The second helped Arsenal to regain the lead after Blackburn had plundered an unexpected equaliser from Morten Gamst Pedersen's beautifully struck free-kick. Wenger picked out the quality of Van Persie's movement as the key to it all. "Something to show in every football school," he said.
For all the applause that was due to their regular scorer, an even bigger cheer was on the way, as Van Persie turned provider to give Oxlade-Chamberlain something to chase. The young striker switched on his turbo and then showed excellent composure to flick the ball around Paul Robinson before steering it into an empty net.
Arsenal duly continued to rip into Steve Kean's depleted team after the break, scoring three more in an 11-minute blitz. "To compete against them with 11 men is hard enough," the Blackburn manager said. "It is the first time this season we have been really turned over. We lost Jason Lowe to what looks like ankle ligament damage and now miss Gaël for three games.
"It was a horrible afternoon. I can shout, and throw tea cups, and keep them in the dressing room for two hours but we'll be getting back to work and looking for a reaction." They need it. Their abject efforts in the second half were easy pickings for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta drove in from a corner, before the two former Southampton prodigies combined to excellent effect. Walcott dribbled infield and delivered an inviting pass, which Oxlade-Chamberlain took with aplomb as he tricked his way past his marker to score. Next Van Persie swept in his 28th goal in 28 starts this campaign. Henry finished it all off in stoppage time, the old favourite clipping in with the aid of a deflection.
It was particularly pleasing for Wenger to see the goals shared out. "That has been the problem all season. If Robin doesn't score, who does? The wingers showed they can score and we need more from midfield," he said.
Defeat at Ewood Park in September had been arguably the lowest of Arsenal's low points this season. This meeting brought some much needed catharsis. With their biggest league win at the Emirates, it could not have been more emphatic but Wenger was not especially swayed by the scoreline. The most significant thing was the combination of result and performance - something he is desperate to build on next weekend at Sunderland. "If we win that 1-0 it will be fantastic," he said.
Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 4 Feb 12
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