Blackburn 0-2 Arsenal

2Slick

Arsenal made light of the 12th-minute dismissal of Gilberto to deservedly beat Blackburn, thanks to goals from Kolo Toure and Thierry Henry.

Gilberto was shown a straight red card for flicking a leg out at Robbie Savage after the pair had tangled.

But the visitors managed to cope with the loss, and the swirling wind and rain, to go in front when Toure superbly headed in Henry's free-kick.

And Henry sealed the win when he unleashed a drive into the top corner.

Interview: Blackburn boss Mark Hughes
Interview: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

Rovers' best efforts came in the second half, when they were still 1-0 down and pushing for an equaliser.

But Matt Derbyshire got the ball caught up in his legs when he seemed set to convert after sliding at the far post and Shabani Nonda got a header all wrong.

It proved to be a frustrating game for Rovers, who could not make the extra man tell.

Instead it was Arsenal who kept the ball for long spells, particularly in the first half, and they also looked more dangerous coming forward.

In the opening 45 minutes, Morten Gamst Pedersen had a fierce shot from the left, which was pushed over by Jens Lehmann and Savage saw a header skid just wide of the post, but Blackburn offered little else.

In difficult conditions, it was always unlikely that the match would be one for the purists.

But Robin Van Persie's exquisite touch - and the sublime Henry - often defied the weather.

Recent encounters between the two teams have seen Blackburn set themselves out to be a disruptive force.


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The Arsenal of earlier this season would have caved in and let Blackburn run all over us

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It has worked well for Blackburn, although they were defeated 6-2 last time out at the Emirates Stadium - but that scoreline was a little flattering to the Londoners.

And once Gilberto had been given his marching orders, it seemed Rovers' robust style might prove the undoing of Arsenal once more and earn Mark Hughes' men a degree of revenge.

But Toure opened the scoring with a thumping header which cannoned in off the post and Arsenal held firm with relative ease until half-time.

Rovers attempted to raise the tempo after the break but as they seemed to begin to dictate the pace they were caught by a classic Arsenal counter-attack.

Henry picked the ball up on the left wing and made fast progress before playing a one-two with Cesc Fabregas and smashing a shot beyond Brad Friedel.

Arsenal's skipper could have had a second soon after, but his effort did not match the deft chest control which preceded it.

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Blackburn manager Mark Hughes:
He said: "We are disappointed as we expect to put a 10-man team under more pressure and to create more chances. "I think the sending off hurt us more than them. It allowed them to sit back and hit us on the break. "We just did not have enough guile to draw Arsenal out. We never really got any momentum to put Arsenal under sustained pressure."

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"We were under pressure and we showed we can resist that and still play good football. "We showed solidarity, good technique and some wonderful movement. "The sending off looked harsh, although Gilberto reacted when he shouldn't. But my team stuck together and that was the best answer and I am very proud."

Blackburn: Friedel, Ooijer (Nonda 59), Henchoz, Khizanishvili, Neill, Emerton, Savage, Mokoena (Kerimoglu 46), Pedersen, Derbyshire, McCarthy.
Subs Not Used: Brown, McEveley, Peter.

Booked: Savage, Neill, Mokoena, Kerimoglu.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Hoyte, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas (Djourou 90), Silva, Rosicky, Henry (Adebayor 80), Van Persie (Flamini 68).
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Julio Baptista.

Sent Off: Silva (13).

Goals: Toure 37, Henry 71.

Att: 21,852

Ref: C Foy (Merseyside).