Source: PA
Van Persie slays Seasiders
Arsenal's victory cut Manchester United's lead at the top to seven points with a 3-1 win at Blackpool on an afternoon that started dramatically with Arsene Wenger forced to hand a last-minute place to veteran Jens Lehmann after Manuel Almunia injured his knee in the warm-up.
Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue put Arsenal into a commanding position at Bloomfield Road but Gary Taylor-Fletcher replied as relegation-threatened Blackpool played for their top-flight lives.
Taylor-Fletcher felt he was denied a penalty but Van Persie made victory safe for Arsenal after 76 minutes.
The afternoon started in dramatic fashion as Almunia injured his knee in the warm-up and Wenger was forced to turn to 41-year-old Lehmann.
Lehmann had little to do in the first half as Arsenal, with captain Cesc Fabregas also back in their starting line-up, overpowered the struggling Tangerines.
