• Date: Sat 14 March 2009
  • Venue: Emirates Stadium
  • Ref: Dowd, P
  • Attendance: 60,091
Arsenal

Arsenal

Arshavin (65)

Eboue (88)

Eboue (90) P

4 - 0

Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers

Team Lineups

Arsenal

Manuel Almunia
Gael Clichy
Johan Djourou
Bacary Sagna
Kolo Toure, K
Samir Nasri (Emmanuel Eboue, 83)
Pereira Neves Denilson
Alexandre Song
Theo Walcott (Vassiriki Abou Diaby, 79)
Andrey Arshavin
Nicklas Bendtner (Carlos Alberto Vela, 79)

Blackburn Rovers

Paul Robinson
Zurab Khizanishvili (Benni McCarthy, 66)
Christopher Samba
Stephen Warnock (Martin Olsson, 55)
Aaron Mokoena
Andre Ooijer
Danny Simpson
Gael Givet (David Dunn, 13)
Morten Gamst Pedersen
Jason Roberts
El Hadji Diouf


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Its all over at the Emirates, a late brace from Eboue boosts Arsenal's goal difference, but the victory was never in doubt as Blackburn were outplayed for large periods of the game.

90
Goal
 

Emmanuel Eboue scores! After Rovers give away a late penalty, Eboue surprisingly steps up to take the spot-kick, and converts to give Arsenal an ever increasing comfortable victory.

87
Goal
 

Emmanuel Eboue scores! Arshavin has his shot saved by Roinson, Eboue then has the simple task of notching home from close range as the ball rebounds in favour of Arsenal.

82
Substitution
 

Eboue comes on to replace Nasri.

82

Pedersen has his effort blocked by Arshavin as Arsenal look to play out the rest of the game in comfort.

78
Substitution
 

Double susbstitution for Arsenal as Vassiriki Abou Diaby and Carlos Alberto Vela come on for Walcott and Bendtner.

75
Yellow Card
 

Andre Ooijer is booked for a foul on Song.

72

Manuel Almunia makes a good save from Morten Gamst Pedersen.

70

20 minutes to go, and its looking like the Gunners are going to take the spoils, Blackburn should consider themselves lucky its not more with Arsenal missing a few good chances in front of goal.

65
Substitution
 

In direct response to that goal, Benni McCarthy replaces Zurab Khizanishvili.

64
Goal
 

Andrey Arshavin scores! Denilson provided the cross, and from inside the 6 yard box, the Russian International doubles the lead for the Gunners.

62

Bendtner produces a good effort on goal, Robinon makes a good save, and Arsenal, with the amount of chances they're having, should be more than a goal ahead at this stage.

57

Nasri delivers a dangerous corner which Samba does well to clear.

54
Substitution
 

Martin Olsson replaces Stephen Warnock as Blackburn look to shake things up.

49

Andre Ooijer blocks a Bendtner effort, the ball then finds its way to Theo Walcott, who produces a save from Robinson.

46

Theo Walcott has the chance to get Arsenal's second goal of the game, however he drags his shot wide.

Second half
 

The game restarts.

Half time
 

The teams go into the break with Arsenal holding a single goal lead, the Gunners have edged the game, however Blackburn have showed signs of grabbing an equaliser, and shown there is hope to be had in the second half.

45

Arsenal look uncertain everytime Blackburn pump the ball into the box from set pieces, something Sam Allardyce will be looking at expoliting in the second half.

45

Pedersen chests the ball down and fires off a fierce shot that is blocked by an Arsenal defender.

44

Manuel Almunia and Diouf find themselves at loggerheads, the referee has to come between them to calm things down.

39

Zurab Khizanishvili finds himself unmarked at the near post, he flicks the ball onto Mokoena, who somehow scoops the ball over the bar from close range.

37
Yellow Card
 

Zurab Khizanishvili and Aaron Mokoena both receive cautions, Aaron Mokoena as a delayed booking by the ref from a foul a couple of minutes ago while Khizanishvili is booked for a careless challenge.

36

Nasri hits the crossbar! The Arsenal player is unlucky not to double the Gunners lead, after the effort, Bendtner retains possession and finds Nasri again, who produces a great save from Robinson.

33

Sagna delivers a great free-kick into the Blackburn box, the ball bounces around nervously, but Andre Ooijer is on hand to clear the danger.

30

Sagna crosses the ball for Nicklas Bendtner, but his flick-on header cant quite find his team mates in the box, that wasn't really the quality Arsenal would have been expecting in that kind of area.

27

Manuel Almunia makes a great save from Pedersen, the Arsenal keeper parried the effort around the post to keep Rovers out.

23

Aaron Mokoena find the ball at his feet for a great chance, however he slashes the effort well wide, a wasted chance for Blackburn there.

20
Yellow Card
 

Diouf receives a booking for a very late slide on keeper Manuel Almunia, the challenge was very reckless and some may argue, deserving of a red.

17

Stephen Warnock brings down Theo Walcott, there are big appeals for a penalty, however the referee waves play on, the Rovers player may have got lucky with that decision.

13
Substitution
 

David Dunn replaces Gael Givet as Blackburn begin to feel that today simply isn't their day.

8

Johan Djourou takes a knock to the head, and play pauses while the player receives treatment.

5

Blackburn are obviously in shock after that early Arsenal goal with Rovers unable to produce anything of note in the opening stages.

2
Goal
 

Andrey Arshavin scores! great work down the wing from Theo Walcott, he plays the ball into the box, and the Russian bundles the ball home to give Arsenal an early lead.

Kickoff
 

Phil Dowd gets the game underway with Arsenal looking to break their current run of goaless games at the Emirates..

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Blackburn will be looking to capitalise on their midweek win over Fulham as they begin the game with; Robinson, Simpson, Samba, Ooijer, Givet, Diouf, Mokoena, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Pedersen, Roberts

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Arsenal make 4 changes from the side that started in Rome midweek with Arshavin and Walcott returning as the Gunners kick-off with; Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Clichy, Walcott, Song Billong, Denilson, Arshavin, Nasri, Bendtner