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  • Toure, K (37), Henry (71)
  • Date:2007-01-13
  • Kick-off:17:15
  • Venue:Ewood Park
  • Attendance:21852
  • Referee:Foy, C

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-2 ARSENAL: Arsenal take all three points at Ewood Park as Henry makes one and scores one to frustrate Rovers who played against ten men for 78 minutes following Gilberto's early red card for retaliation.

90mins

There are three minutes of added time.

90mins

Johan Djourou is on for Fabregas.

87mins

Rovers win a foul after Fabregas tangles with Brett Emerton but time is fast running out for the home side.

84mins

Fabregas can carry on after returning to the pitch.

82mins

Tugay is booked for a late challenge on Fabregas who may be forced off.

80mins

Henry is replaced by Emmanuel Adebayor.

78mins

Rovers have it all to do now as they face the embarrasment of going down to a side who were reduced to ten men in the 12th minute.

75mins

Henry almost gets his second of the game but his shot is wide of the target.

74mins

Pedersen has a half-chance but Lehmann is alert to the danger.

72mins

BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-2 ARSENAL (HENRY): Pedersen produces a poor free-kick and Arsenal break and punish Rovers through HENRY who plays a lovely one-two before curling into the far corner.

68mins

Van Persie is replaced by Mathieu Flamini.

68mins

Derbyshire fails to tap in at the far post after Tugay produces an inviting cross following a surging run to the byline.

67mins

Henry sees a shot go wide as Arsenal look for a killer second goal at Ewood Park.

65mins

Van Persie almost gets a chance before he is crowded out. Nonda then sees a header fly over the bar.

62mins

Van Persie tries to feed Henry but his ball has too much zip on it and it goes out for a goal kick.

60mins

Rovers force another corner as they try to put pressure on the Arsenal defence.

59mins

Shabani Nonda is on for Andre Ooijer.

58mins

McCarthy hits the side netting after Rovers get a second chance after making a hash of a corner routine.

57mins

Rovers have so far failed to make their extra man count so a change may be on the cards.

55mins

Clichy wins a free-kick to relieve some of the pressure after Rovers lost possession cheaply.

53mins

The onus is on Rovers to come forward but Lehmann is getting an easy ride at the moment.

50mins

A Blackburn corner comes to nothing and Arsenal can come forward again.

49mins

It's been a quiet start to the second half at Ewood Park and Toure's header remains the difference between the two sides.

47mins

The introduction of Tugay should give Rovers a bit more creativity in midfield where they've been lacking.

46mins

The second half is started by Arsenal.

46mins

Tugay is on for Mokoena.

45mins

HALF TIME: BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-1 ARSENAL: Arsenal have survived the early loss of Gilberto to a red card to take a half-time lead at Ewood Park thanks to Toure's header from a free-kick.

43mins

Van Persie sees a free-kick saved by Friedl who makes a comfortable save.

41mins

Mokoena is the latest player to be booked for a foul.

39mins

Savage heads just wide as Blackburn look for an instant response to Toure's opener.

38mins

Arsenal now have a lead to defend as they recover from the early loss of Gilberto to a red card.

36mins

BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-1 ARSENAL (TOURE): KOLO TOURE opens the scoring by heading home Henry's free-kick as Rovers are punished for giving away a free-kick on the edge of their area.

36mins

Lucas Neill is booked for a foul on Van Persie but he should probably have been sent off.

35mins

Fabregas gives possesion away but Pedersen's first lets him down and Arsenal survive the scare.

33mins

The game has lost a bit of quality which is going to suit the 10-man Gunners.

31mins

Van Persie fails to get on to Tomas Rosicky's ball forward and it carries through to Brad Friedel.

29mins

Alexander Hleb surges forward but can find no way through the Rovers defence.

27mins

Van Persie comes forward but the attack breaks down and Rovers come forward again.

25mins

Arsenal haven't really created too much but they'll want to keep things tight now they are down to ten men.

22mins

McCarthy sees a shot blocked by Gael Clichy as the game opens up midway through the first half.

21mins

Morten Gamst Pedersen forces Lehmann to turn his shot over for a corner after good work from Brett Emerton.

20mins

It's been a game of few real chances so far as McCarthy is flagged for offside.

17mins

Rovers are still working hard despite having an extra man in a bid to unsettle the visitors.

14mins

Arsenal look to have decided to keep just three players in midfield, resisting the temptation to drop Robin Van Persie back.

12mins

Savage is booked for his part in Gilberto's dismissal.

12mins

Brazilian Gilberto sees red after reacting to a Savage tackle.

12mins

Gilberto and Robbie Savage tangle in midfield which results in a red card for the Arsenal man. Savage is booked.

11mins

Derbyshire's effort was just wide of the target and Rovers boss Mark Hughes knows that was a great chance that went begging.

9mins

The ball has to be changed before Rovers whip a corner in that is headed just wide by Derbyshire.

7mins

Jens Lehmann has to move quickly to gather as Matt Derbyshire bursts forwards trying to get on the end of a ball forward.

5mins

A point will be enough for the Gunners to move back into the top four while Rovers are looking to push up into the top half of the table.

3mins

Both sides have made bright starts as they look to get the upper hand in this crucial game for both clubs.

1mins

The game is underway as Rovers look to make amends for their 6-2 hammering at the Emirates just before Christmas.

0mins

The Gunners bring back their first-team stars like Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas for their third game in the North West in a row.

0mins

Arsenal can select a near full-strength side for the trip to Blackburn who have won their last five games. Rovers look set to play a one-man attack with Benni McCarthy leading the line on his own in a bid to pack the midfield.

Match Preview

Arsenal will be looking for revenge for last season's narrow defeat at Blackburn Rovers when they visit Ewood Park on Saturday evening.

The Gunners lost 1-0 in February last year as Morten Gamst Pedersen scored, and it was a result that increased the pressure on boss Arsene Wenger, as it was their fourth defeat in six Premiership matches and left them seventh in the table.

A late flurry of wins in Spring and a run to the Champions League Final placated Gunners fans during the club's final season at Highbury, but their team's woes on their travels have continued this term.

The 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United two weeks ago was their fifth away loss of the season following setbacks at Manchester City, West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham.

That record has once again undermined Wenger's title challenge, but big wins at Liverpool in the FA and Carling Cups this week have increased the feeling at the Emirates Stadium that the second half of the campaign will be a success.

The 6-3 win at Anfield on Tuesday showed that the Gunners have strength in depth, with the previously criticised Julio Baptista returning to form with four goals.

He is likely to lose his place this weekend though as Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie are tipped to return to action after being rested for the midweek mauling of the Reds.

Emmanuel Adebayor (thigh), Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring) and William Gallas (thigh) are all doubts for the trip to the north-west.

Rovers boss Mark Hughes guided his side to three successive Premiership victories over the festive period following the 6-2 drubbing at Arsenal. Wins against Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic ended any lingering talk of relegation and instead lifted fans' hopes of watching European football for a second successive season.


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Match Report

Ten-man Arsenal completed the double over Blackburn Rovers with a 2-0 win at Ewood Park.

Gilberto was dismissed for kicking Robbie Savage as early as the 13th minute, but goals in each half from Kolo Toure and Thierry Henry secured a seventh win in nine games for Arsene Wenger's side.

Rovers made five changes to the side that swept aside Everton 4-1 in the FA Cup last weekend, with Benni McCarthy, Savage, Stephane Henchoz, Brett Emerton and captain Lucas Neill all returning to the starting line-up.

Arsenal arrived at Ewood Park on the back of successive cup victories over Liverpool, scoring nine goals in the process, but Wenger kept faith with only three of his young stars from Tuesday's 6-3 win at Anfield - Toure, Cesc Fabregas and Justin Hoyte the trio to make the grade.

Buoyed by six victories in their last seven games, Mark Hughes' side began the proceedings brimming with confidence.

On ten minutes, Morten Gamst Pedersen picked out the unmarked Matt Derbyshire with an inswinging corner from the right, but the striker put his free header inches wide of Jens Lehmann's right-hand post from four yards.

Three minutes later and Rovers were given another major boost when the Gunners were reduced to ten men. Savage put Gilberto under intense pressure in the middle of the park, the Brazilian kicked out at the Welshman and was duly sent for an early bath by referee Rob Styles.

Rovers continued to force the pace and again threatened the Arsenal goal on 23 minutes. After Emerton's mazy run from right to left, the Australian slipped the ball through to Pedersen, whose fierce drive was tipped over the bar by Lehmann.

But against the run of play, the visitors took the lead. On 36 minutes, Neill brought down Robin van Persie, after giving the ball away, and from the resultant Henry free-kick, Toure rose above his marker to head the ball off the inside of the near post and into the back of the net.

Rovers were almost back on level terms just two minutes later, but Savage's downward header, from Andre Ooijer's cross, bounced agonisingly wide of the mark.

Tugay was brought on for Aaron Mokoena at the break, as Rovers made a positive start to the second half. On 58 minutes, Neill slipped the ball through to McCarthy, but with bodies to pick out in the centre, the South African opted for a shot at goal and could only pick out the side netting.

On 65 minutes, Pedersen supplied another pin-point cross from the left, but substitute Shabani Nonda's header sailed high over the bar.

Two minutes later and again Rovers came close. Neill made an incisive run into the box, before picking out Derbyshire at the back post, but with virtually an open goal to aim at from less than two yards, the forward couldn't direct his volley on target, arriving at the back post at full stretch.

And the home side were made to pay for the string of missed chances, as the Gunners sealed the win with trademark quick break.

On 71 minutes, a Rovers free-kick was cleared down the left to Henry and after galloping fully 40 yards forward, the Frenchman played a neat one-two with Fabregas, before curling the ball into the top right-hand corner of Brad Friedel's goal from the edge of the box.

The Arsenal captain ought to have grabbed a second minutes later as Rovers threw bodies forward, before he was brought off to a standing ovation from the entire crowd late in the game.

Blackburn Rovers

Arsenal

Corners

82

Fouls

155

Goal attempts

136

Shots off target

62

Offsides

43

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