Arsenal got their festive schedule off to the perfect start with a 6-2 thrashing of Blackburn at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners may be trailing Manchester United and Chelsea in the race for the Barclays Premiership title but there were glimpses of what this current crop of talented Gunners can produce as they recovered from conceding an early penalty to complete a comprehensive win.With games against struggling Watford, Sheffield United and Charlton all to come over the next 10 days, there could just be signs 2007 may well turn out to be a vintage year for Arsenal.
It was Rovers, however, who took a shock early lead.Shabani Nonda played in former Gunner David Bentley, who was tussling arm to arm with Kolo Toure and the pair went to ground.Referee Howard Webb was convinced there had been enough contact from the Arsenal defender - who appeared to fall into the path of his old team-mate - and pointed to the spot.Congo striker Nonda, on loan from Roma, confidently stroked the penalty low to the right of Jens Lehmann.Arsenal found themselves trailing to an early goal at home again, and immediately went on the offensive.Robin van Persie drove Emmanuel Adebayor's cut-back from the left just wide of the near post.After 10 minutes, Toure's flicked header looped off the crossbar following a corner on the left.Moments later, the Gunners were level. Van Persie sent over a delivery from the opposite flag - and Gilberto got up above marker Brett Emerton to head past Brad Friedel.Arsenal soon settled into their natural passing game but, after 16 minutes, Lehmann had to be alert to touch over a dipping 30-yard strike from Bentley, the young forward perhaps out to prove a point to his old manager.The Gunners then went ahead with a brilliantly-worked goal from Alexander Hleb. Cesc Fabregas slipped the ball through to Adebayor on the edge of the Blackburn area, and he in turn fed Hleb.The Belorussian midfielder danced around Andy Todd, and then simply rolled the ball past Friedel.Before Rovers had time to regroup, it was 3-1. A delightful flick from Adebayor sent van Persie clear into the six-yard box ahead of Lucas Neill, who promptly pulled him down - although the Dutchman made the most of the contact.Referee Webb pointed to the spot, before then consulting with his assistant as the visitors protested for offside.His decision stood, however, before the Yorkshire official then showed leniency and produced only a yellow card for the Blackburn skipper, when according to the letter of the law it should really have been red.Punishment enough was served, though, when Adebayor netted from 12 yards as he sent Friedel the wrong way after 27 minutes.As half-time approached, Arsenal produced a lightning counter-attack. Tomas Rosicky's quick pass sent Hleb clear down the right, before the midfielder cut inside.However, instead of opting to shoot as space opened up in the box, he tried to square for the on-rushing van Persie - and Todd was able to make a timely interception.Just before the break, there was a warning when Lehmann again had to be at full stretch to save another well-hit, long-range effort from Bentley.
Arsenal looked in control at the start of the second half, and Cesc Fabregas twice went close.His low drive deflected off Neill and went only just wide of Friedel's right-hand post, before the Rovers keeper then did well to deny Fabregas at the near post after the midfielder had cut in from the left as the offside flag stayed down.Arsenal were within inches of moving further ahead when Adebayor's cut-back from the goalline was drilled in by Rosicky - but somehow Andre Ooijer managed to head the ball up against the underside of the crossbar and it flew away to safety.Rovers made a change when Michael Gray was replaced by Matt Derbyshire on 63 minutes - and the substitution soon paid off.A deep cross from the right by Emerton looped over the Arsenal back-line. Derbyshire's diving far-post header bounced back off the bar into the six-yard box - where Nonda was on hand to hook it into the net.Arsenal suddenly looked nervous at the back, with Lehmann turning Morten Gamst Pedersen's snap-shot over with nine minutes left.Van Persie could have made the game safe - but side-footed over from Adebayor's cut-back on the right goalline.The Dutchman then did wrap things up, turning Bentley inside out on the right before dispatching a low strike into the far corner on 85 minutes.Adebayor and Fabregas combined to set-up van Persie for a fifth, before substitute Mathieu Flamini swept in another from close range during stoppage time.
• Wenger hails six-goal Gunners
Arsene Wenger claimed his Arsenal team had played some 'amazing football' during their 6-2 thrashing of Blackburn at the Emirates Stadium.The Gunners recovered from going behind to a third-minute penalty to secure a comfortable victory against Mark Hughes' men, who remain in a scrap at the wrong end of the Barclays Premiership table.Rovers had taken a shock lead on through Shabani Nonda, after Kolo Toure was adjudged to have brought down former Arsenal forward David Bentley.However, Gilberto soon levelled before a brilliantly worked goal from Alexander Hleb put the hosts ahead.Emmanuel Adebayor's spot-kick made it 3-1 before half-time.Although another for Nonda with 20 minutes left looked to have set up a nervous finish, Robin van Persie wrapped the game up with a late double before substitute Mathieu Flamini completed the rout in stoppage time.'Blackburn played and were dangerous going forwards, but I am happy because it was a spirited performance and created some combination play at speed which was absolutely amazing,' said Arsenal manager Wenger.'It is never boring here.'You cannot accuse me a lot, but not of making it boring.'The team played some tremendous and amazing football to watch today.'Blackburn also did well going forwards today and in the end they were punished perhaps a little bit too much.'Wenger added: 'I knew if we could survive their spell of pressure, then we would come out again.'If they had come back to 3-3, that would have been very hard for the team mentally to have dropped two points with the way we played.'The Arsenal manager is convinced his side can go places in 2007.'I have already said I believe we can achieve something this season, but it is down to consistency,' Wenger continued.'We have now put a good little run together and it is just how consistent we can be.'There is great spirit in the team and they enjoy playing together at a high tempo, that is something amazing and very interesting to watch.'They are developing well and the vibes coming out of the team are very positive.'I have a great belief they can go further.
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