By Ian Grant
Arsenal 3 Blackburn 0
George Best’s image graced Highbury on the screens for a minute. My only memory of Best live in the flesh at Highbury was in the North Bank with the Irishman minus a boot beating three players and chipping Bob Wilson.
Highbury saw a great goal yesterday from the same spot where Best performed his magic.
Van Persie, who was only on for the last eight minutes, did well to keep the ball on the far right touchline. He ghosted past Gray and Savage, surviving a thwack from the latter and hit a low hard curler in off the post.
They say van Persie is the new Dennis Bergkamp. He’s different – faster and more of a goal threat. Wenger says he doesn’t want to overplay him – and he needs to be consistent.
At the beginning of the match, it was another of Arsenal’s emerging talent who lit up the stage in the last November league match at Highbury.
After good foraging from Reyes, the ball broke to Fabregas who bent it low from 30 yards. It is hard to think he’s still 18.
But despite the good start, it was an even match, with Blackburn showing marginal dominance of midfield.
The Lancashire team were adventurous with Kuqi, Pedersen and Bellamy in the area when Blackburn attacked and with Emerton wide.
They used the ball over the top a lot to exploit Bellamy’s pace and attacked down the right trying to exploit Arsenal’s lack of pace at left back.
They reached the heart of Arsenal’s defence too easily, with a lack of defensive midfield cover. And as at Wigan, Arsenal had too many scrapes and close shaves for comfort.
Reid had a chance in the area, but Lauren blocked. Kuqi chested down a chance for Pedersen but Toure intervened.
Pires who was looking inspired sent a ball just behind a static Bergkamp, who was below par.
Bellamy sneaked in behind Campbell and his goal-bound shot was first blocked by Lehmann and the rebound headed over by Toure.
Bellamy then slid in behind Toure but his deft connection from an overhead ball went the wrong side of the post.
Savage tackled Reyes hard and squared up. Reyes flicked his golden locks and the Welsh midfielder clutched his face as if hit by acid.
Toure hasn’t scored a League goal at Highbury yet. And he missed two chances from corners.
Just before half-time, Pires broke forward and angled a pass through the Blackburn defence to where Henry was running in from the left. He angled it past Friedel to reach his hundred at Highbury in the league.
At the start of the second, he sent a defence splitting through ball for Bergkamp but Neill diverted it wide.
As in the first, Blackburn were plucky. Kuqi beat Lehmann from a header, but Pires cleared off the line.
And Reid, again not closed down enough – shot narrowly wide.
Freddie Ljungberg came on for Reyes (who received another ovation) and soon broke forward setting up Henry, who wrong footed Nelsen and narrowly missed the top corner with the outside of his right foot.
Bellamy headed just wide and nearly beat Lehmann in a one on one. Thompson came on and made a difference with a couple of crosses, a shot and a header.
But the last subsitutions symbolised the game. Blackburn’s was hard working and industrious. Arsenal’s classy with a cutting edge.