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Arsenal brush aside Blackburn

by Nick Royle , 04 February 2012

Robin Van Persie scored a hat-trick, as Arsenal thrashed Blackburn 7-1 at the Emirates on Saturday.


But the Dutchman had a challenger for the man-of-the-match award, with Theo Walcott becoming only the fourth player to assist three goals in a single Premier League game this season.

Van Persie put The Gunners ahead after 79 seconds, when he netted his 121st Arsenal goal after converting Theo Walcott's cross. It took him ahead of Dennis Bergkamp in the Arsenal all-time scoring charts.

Blackburn levelled on 31 minutes, through Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick into the top-left corner, after Laurent Koscielny had fouled Anthony Modeste just outside the Arsenal penalty area.

Arsenal went ahead again on 38 minutes, through the same combination of Walcott and Van Persie

Alex Song set up the England winger down the right again, and the youngster cut the ball back from the right touchline for Van Persie to slam home from close range.

A couple of minutes later, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first Premier League goal after being set up again by the combination of Walcott and Van Persie.

The visitors were reduced to ten men on 42 minutes when Gael Givet was shown a straight red card by referee Andre Marriner for a two-footed tackle on Van Persie.

Arsenal made it 4-1 after 50 minutes through Mikel Arteta, the former Everton midfielder drilling a cleared corner past Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson and into the bottom left corner.

In the 54th minute, Walcott set up his third goal of the afternoon when he slipped past a number of Blackburn defenders and into the penalty area, before passing to Oxlade-Chamberlain to turn his marker and roll the ball past Robinson.

Van Persie completed his hat-trick in the 62nd minute when he diverted a cross from Francis Coquelin past Robinson at the near post.

Substitute Thierry Henry then completed the scoring in the final minute, after being set up Van Persie.

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