It was a dominant display from the hosts in the first 45-minutes with a number of chances that threatened Paul Robinson’s goal. Jack Wilshere had the best chance from just 7-yards out, but couldn’t even get is short-range effort on goal. Despite this, Blackburn weren’t without efforts of their own and goals could have gone in at either side.
The second-half was even more eventful, albeit taking time to warm-up. Arsenal found many more chances and after Steven Nzonzi was sent off for the visitors, believed they could take the game, but to no avail.
Arsenal welcomed back Theo Walcott and Alex Song to the starting line-up, with Cesc Fabregas and Abou Diaby only fit enough to start the game on the bench.
David Dunn managed to recover in time from a hip problem, but was only deemed fit enough to begin the game on amongst the substitutes. Vince Grella meanwhile will have to go the season without any more action after surgery on his Achilles.
Arsenal threatened early after a quick exchange interchange between Theo Walcott, Alex Song and Wilshere. Song was given the opportunity for the shot which was taken, but a perfect block saw the ball go out for a corner.
Minutes later there was almost an own goal from Blackburn’s Ryan Nelson after another Arsenal corner which left both sets of players stood watching the ball dribble over the by-line for another set-piece for the Gunners, from which Robinson was forced to make a great save off of a wicked effort from Walcott.
Blackburn got their first, but slim chance of the game with Martin Olsson being put through down the left channel and with pressure managed to get off a left-footed effort, but the Swede’s optimistic shot skewed left of Manuel Almunia’s goal.
Robinson kept the scoreline goalless for a second time following a short corner from Arsenal that eventually made its way to Andrey Arshavin and the Russian with space was able to get off a bending effort that the former Tottenham ‘keeper saw late, causing him to fumble the save and required the alertness of his defenders to get the ball clear.
Wilshere should have put the Gunners ahead 30 minutes into the game. Robin Van Persie found Samir Nasri down the right-side of the Blackburn area and the Frenchman neatly placed a swift pass into the feet of Wilshere who was all alone and just 7-yards from goal. However, the young Englishman didn’t anticipate the pass as well as he should and it rebounded off the 19-year-old’s shin and out for a ‘keeper-kick.
It was Almunia of the two goalkeepers who was called into action next as Olsson again getting himself in the mix fired a low and long-range effort, clipping the toe of Laurent Koscielny on the way and the flapping arm of the Spanish shot-stopper was enough to shift the ball wide, albeit in a less than convincing manner.
Blackburn might have been able to take the lead just before half-time after a free-kick was lofted into the Arsenal area to which Nzonzi was able to meet despite a rapidly approaching Almunia and his header dropped just inches wide of the post.
An early Arsenal chance in the first couple of minutes of the restart was all that was on offer to the fans at the Emirates, as the second-half struggled to meet expectations after the energetic performances of both sides in the initial 45-minutes.
The Gunners saw another chance come and go as a corner found Sebastian Squillaci all alone in the center of the Blackburn box, but a lack of power made it easy for Robinson to make a casual diving save.
Van Persie had the games next big chance to break the deadlock. Nasri working the ball on the right brought the Dutchman into play down the middle and cutting inside the Blackburn defenders, got a neatly struck shot off towards Robinson, but it was made too easy for the former England international and the ‘keeper was able to smoother the effort.
Blackburn got themselves in the match’s events for the wrong reasons as Nzonzi saw a straight red following a two footed dive on Wilshere with all studs showing, leaving no doubt in Phil Dowd’s mind what sanction to place on the midfielder.
Arsenal then missed a glorious set of chances after upping the tempo. Substitute Maroune Chamakh finds the ball at his feet 12-yards out and in an attempt to side-foot the ball into the back of the net, but an amazing body-wide block from Nelson spared Blackburn from going down in the late stages.
A free header from a rising Nicolas Bendtner could have won the game for Wenger’s men, but Micheal Salgado was in the way to chest the ball clear of danger, to which the Arsenal players scream for a hand-ball and a penalty, but the referee turned the appeals down.
It wasn’t to be for Arsenal and after late pressure, it seems they will have to wait at least another season before they are able to pick up their first Premier League title since 2004.
Originally posted here:
Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn Rovers