Filed under: Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Yakubu scored two goals to ease the pressure on Blackburn manager Steve Kean - and turn up the heat on Arsene Wenger.Rovers fans marched before kick-off demanding the removal of Kean after a poor run of form.
But they were celebrating as Blackburn twice came from behind to win for the first time this season. Yakubu, a transfer deadline day signing from Everton, cancelled out Gervinho's opener before Mikel Arteta sent Arsenal into a 2-1 interval lead.
But an own goal by Alex Song, Yakubu's second of the game and another own goal by Laurent Koscielny sealed a stunning Rovers comeback as Arsenal failed to win away from home in the league for the seventh successive game.
THE GOALS
10mins: That's the 51st goal in 20 Premier League games that Paul Robinson has conceded against Arsenal. Song is allowed far too much time to wander up field and slip the ball to Gervinho who finishes well. (0-1)
25mins: Unbelievable. Blackburn should be dead and buried but against the run of play Yakubu equalises with a composed finish following Junior Hoilett's great pass. (1-1)
34 mins: Exquisite finish by Arteta as the Spaniard strokes home from 15-yards after Aaron Ramsey darts down the right before a perfect cut-back for the former Everton man to open his Arsenal goal account. (1-2)
50mins: Ruben Rochina's free-kick into the danger area hits Song's knee and rolls into the net with no Rovers players near him. (2-2)
59mins: Yakubu is in the right place at the right time to turn Steven Nzonzi's ball across goal from a corner over the line. (3-2)
69mins: Arsenal's defensive horror show is complete as substitute Martin Olsson's pull-back beats the keeper then hits Koscielny and bounces over the line. (4-2)
85mins: Marouane Chamakh's bullet header sets up a grandstand finish - but it's too little too late for poor Arsenal. (4-3)
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
8mins: Bacary Sagna's deep cross from right finds Robin Van Persie, whose goalbound header is hacked clear as Arsenal show early intent.
19mins: Free header for Chris Samba but the Blackburn defender somehow fails to find the target from close range after non-existent defending from Arsenal.
21mins: Robinson makes a vital save to prevent Andrey Arshavin from making it 2-0 after the Russian had been allowed space to shoot from 20-yards.
24mins: Blackburn's defence is all over the place. Sagna is allowed a free ride down the right and easily finds Gervinho who is wasteful as he fires high and wide. It proves a costly miss as Blackburn equalise soon after.
90mins: Chamakh's steers a close range header wide - and there goes Arsenal's last chance of salvaging a point.
REACTION:
Wenger vowed to carry on despite labelling Arsenal's start to the season as "terrible" following another defeat:
"Speculation is part of modern life. My future is focuing on what I do well which is give my best to the club. What can I do? Not talk too much."
On four points from five games:
"It's terrible. It's just not good enough and of course we are very frustrated. The number of goals we have conceded is just not good enough. On the other hand I believe the group will take off. But it's important we get good results."
On his side's defending:
"At the moment we are not capable of focusing for 90 minutes from a defensive point of view. When you are 2-1 up with the quality that we have, it is important that you don't give cheap goals away like we did."
Blackburn manager Kean said he was disappointed with the fans who took part in the protest before the game:
"I was disappointed with that. But even the people who did decide to demonstrate were fully behind the team when they came into the ground. I think 99% of fans decided not to protest. Hopefully the 1 per cent of fans who did will go home happy after seeing what the lads are trying to do.
On Blackburn's performance:
"I thought we were excellent and caused Arsenal all sorts of problems. The desire to win got us the points. Our second half performance showed what we've got in that dressing room, which is 100 per cent team spirit. The boys were really working hard for each other.
"We've got character in the side. We've been unfortunate not to have more points but we've got character and we showed that last season. To play against Arsenal is so difficult. You have to run for the ball and they gave everything. But the most important thing was to get three points and it's a very good feeling. I think we deserved to win."
WHAT IT MEANS:
Arsenal are in deep trouble. Incapable of defending, more than capable of blowing a lead. This was meant to be an ideal fixture to bury the 8-2 disaster at Manchester United. Instead the result has only added to Wenger's away day problems. Blackburn's season is up and running but Kean's task now is to ensure they do not go on another long run without a win. They managed just one victory in 12 attempts after defeating Liverpool last season. Kean will hope they don't experience a similar run.
BLACKBURN 4 (Yakubu 25, 59, Song og 50, Koscielny 69) ARSENAL 3 (Gervinho 10, Arteta 34, Chamakh 85)
PLAYER MARKING:
Blackburn (4-2-3-1): Robinson 7; Salgado 5 (Petrovic 18, 7), Samba 7, Dann 7, Givet 7; Hoilett 7, Lowe 7; Nzonzi 7, Rochina 7 (Olsson 56, 7), Formica 7 (Vukcevic 65, 6); Yakubu 8.
Subs (not used): Bunn, Grella, Roberts, Hanley.
Arsenal (4-1-4-1): Szczesny 5; Sagna 5 (Djourou 53, 5), Mertesacker 5, Koscielny 5, Santos 5; Song 6 (Chamakh 76, 5); Arshavin 5 (Walcott 64, 6), Arteta 6, Ramsey 6, Gervinho 6; Van Persie 5.
Subs (not used): Fabianski, Gibbs, Benayoun, Coquelin.
REFEREE: Andre Marriner
ATTENDANCE: tbc
NEXT UP:
- Blackburn v Leyton Orient (home), Carling Cup Third Round, 20/09, 2000 BST
- Arsenal v Shrewsbury (home), Carling Cup Third Round, 20/09, 1945 BST
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