Arsenal 6 - 2 Blackburn: Fabregas masterclass prompts romp

Arsenal 6-2 blackburn

Fabregas masterclass prompts romp

Arsenal 6 - 2 Blackburn (Vermaelen 17, Van Persie 33, Arshavin 37, Fabregas 57, Walcott 75, Bendtner 89)
Defensively, there were lapses. A combination of indecisive goalkeeping from Mannone and the sun preventing Vermaelen from spotting a dropping ball led to us falling behind to an Nzonzi header, and Blackburn’s second goal was the result of a counter-attack where we were as caught out as Nicklas Bendtner was here.

Going forward, however, we were stunning. The 4-3-3 system allowed Cesc Fabregas and Abou Diaby to roam forward in support of an electrifying front three of Arshavin, Van Persie and Tomas Rosicky.
We netted six goals, each with a different scorer. Vermaelen lashed in our first from twenty five yards, before a composed Van Persie finish for his third goal in three games. Arshavin’s shot on the spin put us 3-2 ahead, before Cesc’s floating volley killed the contest. Theo Walcott came on for his first appearance of the season and rounded off a stunning counter, before the recovered Nicklas Bendtner crashed an effort in off the post with similar to force to that with which he crashed his Aston Martin into a Hertfordshire fence.
There’s a more extensive match report here, but the undoubted talking point is the stunning performance of Cesc Fabregas. He assisted or scored the first five goals (he was off the field for the sixth), and celebrated his own strike with a badge-kissing display of loyalty that was reminscent of the affection between player and club we experienced with the watching Henry.
Cesc is an outstanding player who, in conjunction with the likes of Arshavin aka the assassin , is capable of lifting this side to sufficient heights that joining Barcelona remains a future option rather than an immediate neccessity. Against Blackburn there signs of the team’s potential, and Arsene is adamant about the strength of their capabilities, and honest about their flaws:

“There are some strengths coming out of this team and we have to add some discipline defensively because we struggled a little bit defensively today. We looked always like we know we will score goals.”

It’s the International break now, so bask in the entertainment this win provided while you can. You’ll be spending the next week or two waiting for something to match it.

Arsene wenger

As of today, Arsene Wenger is Arsenal’s longest serving manager, surpassing the record previously held by George Allison for his spell in the thirties and forties.

The official site have trawled through the archives and produced a couple of nice pieces that are definitely worth a look. It’s only when you look back at pictures from when Arsene was first appointed that the amount of time that’s passed really hits some.

Arsene and the club are now synonymous. There is a whole generation of fans who do not know an Arsenal without him. There are countless more who can no longer imagine the same eventuality.

Arsene is not only our longest serving manager, but our greatest. And what a servant he has been, bearing the load of our debt to enable us to move into the finest club stadium in the country. Under his term we have become one of the European elite.

The world of football is now very different to how it was when he arrived. To win trophies with shrewd acquisitions and ingenious tactics proves ever more difficult when there are several teams able to invest hundreds of millions of pounds to counteract that. Arsene’s later years have been about trying to find a formula to succeed without disproportionate investment. A man once regarded by some as a chequebook manager has become a crèche supervisor. Thus far, it’s not delivered any trophies, but it is still delivering me a club and a team I feel immensely proud of.

The longer Arsene remains at the helm the closer his departure comes. It is genuinely hard to envisage the day when he is not conducting affairs at London Colony, but it can only be a few seasons away now. My one wish for the remainder of Arsene’s reign is that he is able to win the trophies that give him closure on this – his fourth Arsenal team, and greatest project to date.

Here’s to you, Arsene.

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