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Arsenal emphatically swept aside claims from Tottenham that they were ready to challenge the supremacy of their north London rivals with a convincing victory at the Emirates.
The game turned inside 11 seconds shortly before the interval as Arsenal struck twice to set up a victory that gave manager Arsene Wenger 1,000 Premier League points since his arrival at the club in 1996.
It also ended any hopes Spurs may have harboured of ending a winless league sequence against Arsenal that now stretches back 20 games.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp would have been satisfied with how his side had coped with Arsenal's threat until they imploded spectacularly as half-time approached.
Robin van Persie reacted quicker than Ledley King to meet Bacary Sagna's cross in the 42nd minute, but Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes should have done much better than fumble the ball over the line.
And worse was to follow for Spurs straight from the kick-off when Wilson Palacios gifted possession to Cesc Fabregas, who ran through the heart of a static defence to beat Gomes.
Any lingering optimism that Spurs could follow in the footsteps of West Ham and claw back a two-goal lead against Arsenal was snuffed out by more crass defending that saw Wenger's side add another on the hour.
Referee Mark Clattenburg played a clever advantage after Benoit Assou-Ekotto fouled Eduardo and, while Spurs inexplicably waited for a whistle that was never going to come, Sagna set up Van Persie for his second from eight yards.
Spurs striker Robbie Keane had insisted, perhaps unwisely given the timing, that they now had a squad capable of competing with Arsenal. But it soon became clear that the absence of suspended Jermain Defoe, injured Aaron Lennon and long-term casualty Luka Modric had robbed Tottenham of a crucial cutting edge.
Arsenal had absentees of their own with Theo Walcott again sidelined, but they coped with their loss more convincingly than Spurs.
The vast swathe of empty spaces in the visitors' section, well before the final whistle, told the story of another day of derby disappointment for their half of north London.
And, as Arsenal performed their passing party pieces in the closing stages - when Eduardo should have added a fourth - Spurs' misery was complete as defender Sebastien Bassong pulled up with a hamstring injury.
Arsenal boss Wenger recalled Manuel Almunia in goal with Lukasz Fabianski sidelined by a thigh injury and Vito Mannone relegated to the bench while Spurs gave starts to Peter Crouch and David Bentley.
Bentley, so often a marginal figure in his Spurs career, appeared over-eager to prove a point in the early stages and was fortunate to be spared by the leniency of referee Clattenburg.
He escaped a yellow card for deliberately handling an Arsenal clearance and then received only a lecture when a late lunge left defender Thomas Vermaelen requiring lengthy treatment.
Spurs keeper Gomes has been dogged by inconsistency - as he was to subsequently prove - but he showed his best side when he saved superbly from Fabregas after 20 minutes when Andrey Arshavin's effort deflected invitingly into his path off King.
Arsenal were forced into a change two minutes later when Nicklas Bendtner, who had made a bright start, signalled to the bench that was struggling with an injury and limped off, to be replaced by Eduardo. Wenger later said Bendtner can expect to be out "for a while".
Spurs were surviving in relative comfort and even threatened to prosper as the Emirates crowd started to show signs of frustration, but they gifted Arsenal control of what had been a tightly-contested game in a minute of madness just before the interval.
Slack marking from a throw-in allowed Sagna to cross for Van Persie to beat King and steer in a near-post finish which left question marks over Gomes, who allowed the ball to squirm through his grasp.
As the Emirates basked joyously in the breaking of the deadlock, matters became considerably worse for Spurs as Palacios was robbed straight from the kick-off by Fabregas, who waltzed through unchallenged to fire a composed shot low past the exposed Gomes.
The gap between the goals was timed at 11 seconds - and in that space of time, the destiny of the three points was decided.
Spurs needed to find a way back into a game in which they had self-destructed, and Bentley almost provided hope with a long-range free-kick turned over the top in acrobatic fashion by Almunia.
Then, as if to confirm their defensive incompetence of the first half was by no means an accident, Spurs switched off fatally once more as Arsenal extended their lead with a third goal on the hour.
As the linesman flagged for a foul by Assou-Ekotto on Eduardo, Spurs defenders stood around obligingly as referee Clattenburg played a splendid advantage. Sagna took advantage with a ball into the box that was bundled home by Van Persie.
Keane was hauled off to a reception liberally sprinkled with mockery as Redknapp took the desperate measure of introducing Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Arsenal were revelling in the time and space they were being afforded and Eduardo was guilty of squandering an opportunity to make it four when he shot wide with only Gomes to beat after being released by Fabregas.
Spurs simply indulged in damage limitation until the final whistle - but many of their aspirations have now been placed in context, after they failed to seriously test an Arsenal team they believe they can beat to a place in the Premier League's top four.
Arsenal
* 01 Almunia
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen yellow card
* 10 Gallas
* 22 Clichy
* 02 Diaby
* 04 Fabregas
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin (Eboue 78)
* 11 Van Persie (Ramsey 86)
* 52 Bendtner (Eduardo 37)
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 06 Senderos,
* 27 Eboue,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 08 Nasri,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 09 Eduardo
Tottenham
* 01 Gomes
* 19 Bassong
* 22 Corluka (Hutton 86)
* 26 King
* 32 Assou-Ekotto
* 05 Bentley
* 06 Huddlestone (Bale 55)
* 08 Jenas
* 12 Palacios
* 10 Keane (Pavlyuchenko 65)
* 15 Crouch yellow card
Substitutes
* 35 Button,
* 02 Hutton,
* 03 Bale,
* 20 Dawson,
* 39 Woodgate,
* 21 Kranjcar,
* 09 Pavlyuchenko
Goals: Van Persie 1-0 '42, Fabregas 2-0 '43, Van Persie 3-0 '60
Ref: Clattenburg
Att: 60,103
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Late goals from Carlton Cole and substitute Alessandro Diamanti saw West Ham come from 2-0 down to claim a deserved draw with Arsenal.
Robin Van Persie tapped Arsenal ahead after an error by Rob Green and William Gallas headed in Van Persie's corner.
But West Ham rallied in the second half and Cole nodded in after Vito Mannone could only parry Diamanti's free-kick.
Alex Song then felled Cole and Diamanti scored from the spot but Scott Parker was sent off late on for two bookings.
The result sees Arsenal move above Tottenham into third on goal difference but manager Arsene Wenger will rue his side's failure to see out the match and move to within three points of leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.
West Ham remain second from bottom and are still yet to win since the season's opening day, but should take confidence from an outstanding fightback.
Boss Gianfranco Zola introduced Diamanti and Zavon Hines in the second half and those decisions turned the game on its head.
But the euphoria surrounding the Hammers comeback should not disguise their defensive frailties.
There were early signs that all was not well in the hosts' back four when, inside a minute, Van Persie raced on to Alex Song's chip and mistimed a header from a completely unmarked position eight yards out.
Moments later, the Dutchman ran unchallenged on the left before seeing a rasping drive from an acute angle tipped over the bar by Green.
West Ham were an altogether different proposition going forward, the quality of their passing and movement making it difficult to believe they had previously collected just one point at home all season.
With Parker driving them forward from the base of a midfield four, Mark Noble, Jack Collison and Valon Behrami were able to push forward and support strikers Guillermo Franco and Carlton Cole, who failed to seize on an early sight of goal.
Collison then drew a fine save from Mannone and his rebound looked set to squirm over the line - only for referee Chris Foy to halt play for an offside flag against debutant Franco.
Wenger rues missed opportunties
West Ham looked comfortable and were enjoying plenty of possession but their good work was undermined by a woeful piece of defending which enabled Arsenal to open the scoring.
Green came for a Bacary Sagna cross but ended up colliding with team-mate James Tomkins, allowing Van Persie an easy finish for his fourth goal in as many league games.
West Ham, who were without a goal in their last four meetings with Arsenal, responded positively and worked hard to restore parity.
Noble's cross-come-shot was deflected narrowly wide and Cole should have scored from Jonathan Spector's right-wing cross but glanced his close-range header off target.
For the second time, however, the hosts' defensive frailties were exposed all too easily as Gallas outjumped both Tomkins and Herita Ilunga to head home Van Persie's corner via a despairing Parker on the line.
West Ham looked to be hurtling towards defeat but with Diamanti replacing Noble on 55 minutes, Zola replaced a midfielder with a striker and indicated his intention to go for the jugular.
Hines soon came on for the ineffective Franco and West Ham looked a team reborn.
The 20-year-old striker was sent through on goal by Diamanti's scoop over the top but was foiled by Gael Clichy and, after Andrey Arshavin had a drive well saved by Green, the hosts struck.
Hines was felled by Clichy and Mannone palmed Diamanti's superb curling set-piece straight onto the forehead of Cole.
Arsenal were on the ropes and, with West Ham swarming forward, an equaliser seemed inevitable.
Parker had a strong penalty appeal rejected when he appeared to be tripped by Gallas but Foy had no hesitation as Song needlessly bundled Cole down from behind.
Diamanti sent Mannone the wrong way with an assured spot-kick and West Ham went in search of a winner.
The only blemish for Zola was the dismissal of Parker, for fouls on Eboue and a handball, but West Ham's evening ended on a high when Green saved brilliantly with his feet deny Van Persie's goalbound header from six yards out.
West Ham
* 01 Green
* 15 Upson
* 18 Spector
* 23 Ilunga
* 30 Tomkins
* 08 Parker yellow card, red card
* 16 Noble (Alessandro Diamanti 56)
* 21 Behrami (Kovac 90+2)
* 31 Collison yellow card
* 10 Franco (Hines 64 yellow card)
* 12 Cole
Substitutes
* 28 Kurucz,
* 22 Da Costa,
* 14 Kovac,
* 20 Faubert,
* 46 Stanislas,
* 32 Alessandro Diamanti,
* 41 Hines
Arsenal
* 24 Mannone yellow card
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas
* 22 Clichy
* 27 Eboue yellow card (Bendtner 82)
* 02 Diaby (Eduardo 88)
* 04 Fabregas
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin
* 11 Van Persie
Substitutes
* 01 Almunia,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 08 Nasri,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 09 Eduardo,
* 52 Bendtner
Goals: Van Persie 0-1 '16, Gallas 0-2 '37, Cole 1-2 '74, Diamanti 2-2 '80 (pen)
Ref: Foy
Att: 34,442
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Robin van Persie believes the Premier League title race is more competitive than ever this season.
The Arsenal striker is hoping to help his side to a first top flight crown in six years and feels the Gunners are well placed to end that barren run.
Arsene Wenger's men have seen a number of their rivals wobble of late, while they have established the kind of consistency which suggests they will be in the mix come next May.
Dutch ace Van Persie expects that to be the case, insisting the north London outfit have learned from mistakes they have made in the past and are ready to reclaim their standing at the summit of English football.
"We're very encouraged by other teams dropping points," he said, with Arsenal currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table and holding a game in hand on all of the sides above them.
"When you look at last weekend, Liverpool lost three points, Chelsea lost.
"In our last eight league games, we've won six so it's looking good for us.
"As long as we stay consistent against the smaller teams. We need to keep winning the three points against them.
"Last season we had some bad spells. We had four draws as well back-to-back so we have to avoid that."
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Arsenal conceded a stoppage-time goal in the Champions League as David Mendes Da Silva struck to snatch a point that Dutch side AZ Alkmaar hardly deserved.
Cesc Fabregas had put Arsenal ahead from close range while AZ keeper Sergio Romero made several good saves, particularly from Robin van Persie.
But Abou Diaby deflected a cross off his chest and on to the woodwork while Hector Moreno missed from close range.
Mendes Da Silva then superbly volleyed home from Graziano Pelle's knock-down.
The equaliser was harsh on Arsenal, who despite the absence of the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott seemed to have the measure of their opponents for the vast majority of the match.
But their failure to score the decisive second goal during an opening 70 minutes that they dominated was punished when Ronald Koeman's team struck.
Alkmaar had failed to muster a single shot on target in the opening half, although Gunners keeper Vito Mannone, preferred to the fit-again Manuel Almunia, did have to be alert to cover a vicious strike from Mounir El Hamdaoui that flew narrowly over his crossbar.
The Gunners, who were looking for their third straight win in Group H, should have opened the scoring inside 10 minutes when a cross from Diaby picked out an unmarked Van Persie, who cut inside Stijn Schaars but saw his subsequent shot saved.
There was a low-key feel to the game although the impressive Andrey Arshavin shot over from a tight angle minutes before capitalising on a mistake from Niklas Moisander in the build up to the opening goal.
The Finnish defender was caught in possession by Arshavin, who played in Van Persie down the left. The Dutch forward looked well placed to shoot but selflessly squared the ball for Fabregas to slot home.
Argentine international keeper Romero was almost embarrassed before the break when he tried to punch clear a powerful Van Persie shot that swerved through the air. Thankfully for Romero the ball skimmed off his gloves and deflected narrowly wide of his goal.
Romero denied Van Persie again after the break but there was nothing fortunate about this save as the keeper dived to his left to stop a free-kick that the forward had whipped around the wall with plenty of pace.
The match looked more like a training game than a high-intensity European tie, and as the game reached the hour mark Arsenal appeared to be in complete control.
However, AZ substitute Pelle seemed to have a positive effect on the home team and the Dutch side almost levelled when Diaby inadvertently guided a cross against the woodwork.
Moreno was then left completely unmarked from Schaars's free-kick but missed the target from six yards.
AZ suddenly looked a team transformed, although Arsenal should still have had the opportunity to seal the win when Moussa Dembele appeared to foul substitute Carlos Vela inside the AZ area but referee Martin Hansson opted against awarding a penalty.
And a brilliant finish from Mendes Da Silva, who smashed a header across goal from Pelle into the roof of the net, ensured a miserable end to the evening for Arsene Wenger and his team.
AZ
* 22 Romero
* 02 Jaliens
* 04 Moreno
* 06 Mendes Da Silva
* 08 Schaars
* 11 Martens (Lens 69 yellow card)
* 15 Poulsen
* 25 Moisander (Wernbloom 84)
* 10 El Hamdaoui
* 18 Dembele
* 27 Holman (Pelle 73)
Substitutes
* 01 Didulica,
* 14 Klavan,
* 23 Van der Velden,
* 16 Wernbloom,
* 28 Swerts,
* 07 Lens,
* 29 Pelle
Arsenal
* 24 Mannone
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas
* 22 Clichy yellow card
* 27 Eboue (Ramsey 82)
* 02 Diaby
* 04 Fabregas
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin
* 11 Van Persie yellow card (Vela 75 yellow card)
Substitutes
* 01 Almunia,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 19 Wilshere,
* 32 Merida,
* 12 Vela
Goals: Fabregas 0-1 '36, Mendes Da Silva 1-1 '90+3
Ref: Hansson
Att: 16,000
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has compared Robin van Persie with Dutch striking legend Marco van Basten.
"I think he's a Van Basten type. By which I mean he's a technical centre-forward. He has that classy first touch, sharp movement and a short back-lift," Wenger told the Gunners' official website.
"I always thought he was more a first striker than second striker and I must say I love him there because he has a brain. He can play others in and he can score. His movement is intelligent around the box and if we score a lot of goals, a big part is down to him.
"Look at the one he scored [against Birmingham on Saturday]. You can say it was a bit lucky but you need a specialist soft touch to control the ball in that situation. With a normal player, the ball goes five yards away but with his second touch he puts it straight back on his left leg and scores."
www.goal.com
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Arsenal were not quite at their clinical best but still proved too strong for Birmingham at the Emirates.
Robin van Persie opened the scoring with a precise, low drive across goal after Alex Song had played him in.
Abou Diaby doubled the lead when he smashed in a rising shot before Lee Bowyer volleyed in after Vito Mannone's mistake to halve Birmingham's deficit.
Substitute Andrey Arshavin shot wide and Robin van Persie hit the bar before Arshavin curled in to seal the points.
Arshavin's strike came at a time when Birmingham were threatening to get an equaliser but overall, the Gunners were good value for the three points that moves them up to fourth in the Premier League table.
The only blemish on the Gunners' afternoon was an injury suffered by Theo Walcott, who had started a match for the first time this season but was forced off on the half-hour mark after failing to shake off the after-effects of a robust challenge by Liam Ridgewell.
England winger Walcott had been one of three changes for Arsenal, with Kieran Gibbs playing at left-back and Mannone keeping his place in goal despite Manuel Almunia's return to fitness.
Walcott had started brightly and tested Blues keeper Joe Hart with a curling shot that came at the end of a strong run before he was replaced by Arshavin.
Arsenal had already posted warnings of their attacking intent by then, with Thomas Rosicky twice getting in good positions only to fail to connect properly with volleys.
It must have made uncomfortable viewing for new Birmingham owner Carson Yeung as he sat in the stands as president of the club for the first time since he completed his takeover.
Yeung has promised to make £40m available for new players but any green shoots of recovery that may come from that potential cash injection look a long way off on this showing.
Fielding a team with four changes from that side that lost to Burnley, the visitors, who had lost four of their last five league games going into the match, struggled to keep pace with their opponents.
And they were soon undone by Song's fine through ball and Van Persie's equally well-placed finish gave Arsenal the lead.
Moments later, Arsenal worked a great opening with some fluid football, and Diaby arrived at the far post to hammer home Rosicky's cross.
Birmingham's first effort at goal came form Sebastian Larsson, but his free-kick was pushed away by Mannone.
However, the Italian keeper was soon to make a costly mistake when he flapped at a cross and succeeded only in patting the ball down at the feet of Bowyer, who dispatched the ball into an empty net.
Arsenal almost restored their two-goal lead when Arshavin took a snap shot but Joe Hart made a decent low stop to his right.
Birmingham started the second half well and Cameron Jerome's ball almost reached Lee Bowyer via Barry Ferguson as Arsenal looked vulnerable.
But the hosts hit back and Arshavin dragged a shot wide when he looked set to score before Cesc Fabregas was just about kept out by Hart.
As Arsenal began to assume full control once more, they were presented with an indirect free-kick in the area after Larsson was harshly judged to have played a deliberate back pass.
From the set-piece, Van Persie smashed the ball against the top of the bar.
Arsenal then suffered a scare when Ridgewell's cross looked certain to be turned in before Mannone made up for his earlier error by clawing the ball away from two waiting Blues players.
But the home side's nerves were settled when Arshavin cut in from the right and curled a sweet shot into the far corner.
Arsenal might have had a fourth goal but Hart made a fine save to deny Diaby from close range and Van Persie's shot was blocked by Ridgewell.
Arsenal
* 24 Mannone
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas
* 27 Eboue (Wilshere 90)
* 28 Gibbs
* 02 Diaby
* 04 Fabregas
* 07 Rosicky (Sagna 72)
* 14 Walcott (Arshavin 33)
* 17 Song Billong yellow card
* 11 Van Persie
Substitutes
* 01 Almunia,
* 03 Sagna,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 30 Traore,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 19 Wilshere,
* 23 Arshavin
Birmingham
* 25 Hart yellow card
* 02 Carr
* 06 Ridgewell yellow card
* 14 Johnson
* 15 Dann
* 04 Bowyer
* 07 Larsson
* 12 Ferguson
* 26 Carsley (Phillips 79)
* 10 Jerome (O'Connor 61)
* 16 McFadden (McSheffrey 70)
Substitutes
* 01 Taylor,
* 19 McSheffrey,
* 22 Johnson,
* 24 O'Shea,
* 08 O'Connor,
* 09 Phillips,
* 23 Bent
Goals: Van Persie 1-0 '16, Diaby 2-0 '18, Bowyer 2-1 '38, Arshavin 3-1 '84
Ref: Probert
Att: 60,082
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AZ manager Ronald Koeman and his assistent Tonny Bruins Slot saw two weeks ago that Arsenal scored six goals against Blackburn Rovers (6-2). It was a superb match from Arsenal with Robin van Persie as the main man on front.
"After the match, I spoke with Wenger and he was very happy with Van Persie. Robin did a fantastic job as a striker. He was great. Fabregas put a lot of balls in the box and Robin was untouchable for the defenders. Yes I think he's the best striker at the moment," says Koeman.
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Robin van Persie's wife Bouchra gave birth to a baby girl. The baby was born yesterday, Saturday 10th of October in a hospital in London. Her name is Dina Layla. It's the second child for Robin & Bouchra. They also have a 2 years old son, Shaqueel.
We want to congratulate Robin, Bouchra and Shaqueel with their daughter/little sister and we wish Dina a happy and healthy life!
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| Robin didn't travel today to Australia with the Dutch national team because the baby is still not born. The baby will be expected around October 15.
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Arsenal produced a performance of flair and invention to hammer Blackburn.
Rovers struck first when Steven Nzonzi headed in from Paul Robinson's free-kick before Thomas Vermaelen lashed in a 20-yard drive to level.
David Dunn made it 2-1 to Rovers with a deflected shot before Robin van Persie coolly slotted home from 12 yards.
Andrey Arshavin's low shot put Arsenal ahead before Cesc Fabregas volleyed in, Theo Walcott slotted home and Nicklas Bendtner's drive sealed the romp.
It was the perfect start for Arsene Wenger as he entered his era as the longest-serving Arsenal boss - he celebrated 13 years in charge of the club in midweek.
And all the hallmarks of Wenger's influence on the Gunners were on display as they put on a masterclass of attacking brilliance and creativity - but they also showed glimpses of defensive frailty.
While Fabregas was at his imperious best, running through the full range of his passing - and scoring with a sweet strike - there was also hesitation at the back from Arsenal and a susceptibility to the long ball.
And Rovers took full advantage of that early on when keeper Robinson launched a free-kick from within his own half and Nzonzi out-jumped Vermaelen to loop in a header.
But Arsenal look more resilient this season and while they might have folded against a Sam Allardyce side in the past, they quickly regained their composure.
They almost equalised when Fabregas headed against the bar and Arshavin's cross-cum-shot zipped narrowly wide before they got the leveller through Vermaelen.
The centre-back might have been at fault - along with keeper Vito Mannone - for Rovers' opener, but he made up for that with a fierce drive into the bottom corner from outside the box.
As Arsenal threatened to completely dominate, Fabregas twice tested Robinson, who made smart saves.
And from Robinson's second stop, Rovers stunned Arsenal by launching a counter-attack that ended in Dunn scoring via a defection off William Gallas.
Arsenal's response was almost immediate, as Fabregas slid a pass between two defenders for Van Persie to take one touch and rifle a low shot into the bottom right corner.
Fabregas was involved again when the Gunners took the lead for the first time, another precise pass from the Spaniard playing in Arshavin to slot in.
The creator almost turned scorer when he met Tomas Rosicky's superb cross with a header but Robinson made another fine save and Pascal Chimbonda scrambled the ball clear.
But as Arsenal threatened to run riot, they almost undid their good work again but Vermaelen fortunately got away with a challenge on Dunn that should have handed Rovers a penalty.
And while the visitors were thoroughly outclassed for long spells, they did still have their chances.
Martin Olsson's fierce volley was pushed away by Mannone and, later, Vermaelen headed David Hoilett's volley against his own post.
Before that Van Persie could have added to Arsenal's lead had he headed the ball rather than chesting it down and allowing Robinson to smother.
Opportunities kept on coming for Arsenal, though, and it was fitting that their fourth goal was scored by the outstanding Fabregas, who volleyed in with the outside of his boot.
The breathtaking demonstration of the Gunners' free-flowing football showed no sign of abating and Abou Diaby shot narrowly wide before Alex Song's point-blank header was kept out brilliantly by Robinson.
Moments later, Fabregas' sublime lay-off invited substitute Walcott to shoot and the England winger, making his first appearance of the season after injury, cracked home a fine shot.
Fellow substitute Bendtner had a chance to score Arsenal's sixth but could not convert a one-on-one chance.
However, the Dane did get on the score sheet when he let fly with a thumping drive from outside the box that flew in off the post.
Arsenal
* 24 Mannone
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas
* 22 Clichy
* 02 Diaby
* 04 Fabregas (Ramsey 76)
* 07 Rosicky (Walcott 69)
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin (Bendtner 76)
* 11 Van Persie yellow card
Substitutes
* 53 Szczesny,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 27 Eboue,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 14 Walcott,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 52 Bendtner
Blackburn
* 01 Robinson
* 02 Jacobsen
* 05 Givet
* 21 Olsson
* 39 Chimbonda
* 07 Emerton (Pedersen 55)
* 08 Dunn (McCarthy 61) (Hoilett 70)
* 15 Nzonzi
* 17 Andrews
* 18 Diouf
* 26 Di Santo yellow card
Substitutes
* 32 Brown,
* 27 Salgado,
* 28 Jones,
* 12 Pedersen,
* 10 McCarthy,
* 22 Kalinic,
* 23 Hoilett
Goals: Nzonzi 0-1 '04, Vermaelen 1-1 '17, Dunn 1-2 '30, Van Persie 2-2 '33, Arshavin 3-2 '37, Fabregas 4-2 '57, Walcott 5-2 '75, Bendtner 6-2 '89
Ref: Walton
Att: 59431
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Rafael van der Vaart must wait and see whether he will make Holland's friendly date with Australia.
The Dutch are set to face the Socceroos in Sydney on 10th October.
However, they look set to do so without Real Madrid playmaker Van der Vaart.
The 26-year-old has been left out of Bert van Marwijk's 22-man squad after failing to hold down regular first-team football this season.
He could, however, be drafted into the fold should Arsenal ace Robin van Persie be forced to stay at home for the birth of his child.
"I spoke with Rafael about it and he showed understanding," said Van Marwijk.
"He played only one match and a bit in the last four months and I made an exception for a long time as he is a special player who always brings something special.
"But if Robin van Persie's wife has not given birth to her baby before we leave, Robin will stay at home and Rafael will replace him."
The only other notable absentee from the Dutch squad is Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben, who picked up a knee injury in UEFA Champions League action against Juventus in midweek.
Holland squad to face Australia on 10th October:
Goalkeepers: Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Michel Vorm (Utrecht), Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem)
Defenders: John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Edson Braafheid (Bayern Munich), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Glenn Loovens (Celtic)
Midfielders: Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), David Mendes da Silva (AZ Alkmaar), Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Orlando Engelaar (PSV Eindhoven)
Forwards: Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Eljero Elia (Hamburg), Ryan Babel (Liverpool)
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