HALF-TIME: Blackburn Rovers 1 Arsenal 2 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

HALF-TIME: Blackburn Rovers 1 Arsenal 2

1:40pm Saturday 17th September 2011 in Sport By Matt Baxter

Arsenal have kept Rovers subdued in the first half after taking an early lead at Ewood Park. The Gunners end the half 2-1 up as Rovers failed to keep possession and respond to the away side’s assaults with many solid chances of their own.

Junior Hoilett made an impressive run down the left in the opening minutes only to have his shot caught by Szczesny on the 6-yard box.

However with most of Rovers’ possession limited to their own half it didn’t take Arsenal long for Arsenal to develop some threatening plays down the wings; with Andrey Arshavin proving particularly dangerous.

A header off Van Persie across goal was cleared by Givet but shortly after in the ninth minute a through-ball from Alex Song cut through Rovers’ backline to put Arsenal a goal up courtesy of Gervinho.

Rovers tried to fight back the early lead but with most of their breaks slowing to allow Arsenal to get men back they weren’t having much success.

Jason Lowe was moved to right-back after Salgado was taken of in place of Radosav Petrovic at eighteen minutes in.

Rovers managed to pull a goal back twenty-five minutes in though after a through pass from Hoilett fed the Yak for an easy tap-in giving his first goal for Rovers.

However, despite pulling a goal back Rovers were kept on the back foot with Givet looking vulnerable on the left often leaving too much space for Gervinho.

Thirty-four minutes in Arsenal exploited their dominance again when Aaron Ramsey broke into the 6-yard box and pulled a pass back to the waiting Mikel Arteta who hammered on into the back of the goal.

In the closing minutes of the half Arsenal almost had a third from Van Persie but for a brilliant clearance from Scott Dann.

All in all Rovers have been kept busy by an Arsenal side that have been allowed plenty of chances forward against a vulnerable defence.