Arsenal against Blackburn Rovers

Extravagant and unnecessary overhead kick from Toure in a defensive position - lucky no Blackburn players were on hand to exploit the foolish clearance

Ferguson launches one forward but the Gunners back line take control

Time running out for Rovers, despite having played so well they are at risk of gettig nothing from the game

Vieira tidies up at the back and Arsenal break with Parlour

Henry's shot, poor by his standards, is saved by Friedel after Edu found the striker in acres of space

Offside again, and again its Henry who falls into the trap

Late pressure being pilled on by Rovers, Andy Cole ruled offside

Ljungberg is subbed and on comes Edu

Another great save from Lehmann after Craig Short flicked a header goalward from the corner

Andy Cole wins Rovers a corner

Dino Baggio comes on for Marcus Babbel

Emerton crosses in and yet again Lehmann comes and plucks it out of the air

10 minutes to go and Rovers are not out of this game

Tugay slips the ball to Yorke who opted to thread a pass to Emerton rather than shoot, Ahsley Cole slid in to prevent Emerton from getting a shot away

Babbel and Reid under pressure from Parlour

Tugay vollies a pass to Emerton who gathers and works it to Andy Cole

Henry takes the freekick and goes for goal, but it creeps wide of the post

Andy Todd is in the book for a foul on Pires - he could have been off but the ref decided that Short was covering and therefore the last defender

Vieira crosses in from the left but Todd blocks and clears

Tugay loses the ball and Pires capitalises by finding Vieira

Henry offside from a Campbell pass

Perhaps Wenger is trying to steal the midfield after Tugay, Ferguson and Emerton have managed to see so much of the ball

Ray Parlour joins the game in place of Dennis Bergkamp

Another corner and Emerton takes again - this time Lehmann claims the ball with ease

Emerton takes but Pires clears

Rovers corner after a mistake by Cole

Henry goes on a mazt run in the Rovers area but is tackled by superior numbers

Henry get his header on target after from a freekick, but Friedel saves

The corner comes in and is punched away by Friedel. Ljungberg follows up with shot, but it is blocked

Pires slips the ball to Henry but he is muscled off the ball and its a corner

Fine save from Lehmann after Ferguson latched onto a perfectly weighted ball from Andy Cole

Pascal Cygan goes into the book for a foul on Emerton

Bergkamp over-hits his pass

Todd intercepts a dangerous pass and brings the ball out

The final ball into the Rovers box fails to find Ashley Cole on the back post and Rovers are let off

Ferguson gives it away to Vieira and Pires collects and breaks as the game gets stretched

Reid clatters into Vieira and the foul is given

Tugay hesitates after Emerton's pass is deflected and Rovers lose the ball

Ljungberg plays a great pass to Gilberto but the move ends with an offside flag against Henry

Bold decision by the ref, Babbel executed a great header but he was climbing all over Toure's back

Controversy as Babbel heads the ball into the back of the net - but the ref rules that Babbel was impeding Toure

Pires thing he's been fouled - but he just fell over two defender, quite right refere - not that the fans agree

Great play by Emerton to shrug off Vieira, he ran forward but couldn't get the right pass in the end

A Blackburn shot flies over the Arsenal bar

Andy Cole comes on for 19-year-old Paul Gallagher. Cole, formerly on the Arsenal staff before his move to Newcastle, gets boos from the Highbury faithful

Rovers win it and try to find Yorke, but Campbell towers over the striker to clear the threat

Pires skips past Ferguson and finds Gilberto

Emerton's corner fails to reach an attacker and Campbell clears

Rovers win it back immediately and the visitors win another corner

Yorke finds Babbel who crosses, but Gilberto clears

Change coming for Rovers - Andy Cole getting ready

The ball is lofted in and Lehmann is in trouble off his line. But the whistle goes and the keeper is givn the advantage

Tugay works a great pass towards Gallagher, but Cygan covers and concedes a corner

Solid defended from Toure ends the immediate threat from a Rovers attack down the left flank

Good, probing move by Rovers ends with a poor shot from Ferguson

Good move by Toure finding Bergkamp, but the Dutchman lashes out at Neill and concedes a freekick

Henry crosses but it is too long for Bergkamp

Cole under pressure from Emerton lobs the midfielder and find Henry

Ljungberg finishes the move he started by strike a good shot at Friedel, but it is saved

Ljungberg intercepts a lose pass, and streaks forward

Henry races back to tackle and fould Emerton

Gresko did well going forward but defensively his was at a fault and had paid the price

Vratislav Gresko has been subbed at halftime, on in his place is Steven Reid

The game is back underway

Blackburn started very brightly and are unlucky to have to been unable to exploit some excellent crosses and bold attacking play. Can Souness get his players back into it? Keep it here for the second half!

Halftime at Highbury. Arsenal could be two or three to the good after some spells of brilliance from Pires, Henry and Ljungberg but Friedel has been on hand to save the day.

Bergkamp cross in, Cygan heads and the ball is cleared

Pires slips a ball to Henry down the left, he cuts inside and tries to deliever a ball - Babbel surely caught him there! Corner ball

Tugay tries a cross from the right, but Campbell heads clear

Errant pass from Gresko in the Arsenal half gives it back to the Gunners

Emerton controls with his chest and plays it neatly to Babbel

Offside against Arsenal - marginal call

Pires turns two men and can only be stopped by Babbel who hauls the Frenchman back - foul and a yellow card for the German right-back

Bergkamp slips a ball to Pires, who tries a similar pass to Henry but it is too strong

A mistake by Tugay allows Henry a clear chance on goal but Friedel again is off his line to make an excellent save

Ferguson robs Vieira and now Rovers have it

Gallagher squanders possession and Arsenal have it again

Gunners in the driving seat now - Henry feeds a great ball on the floor to Pires but Friedel races off his line to smother the danger

Bergkamp picks out Gilberto on the right wing, the pass is too long and the Brazilian tries but fails to get a shot on target from a narrow angle

The ball almost drops for Pires, but luckily for Friedel the shot it not on

Babbel, like Gresko, his counterpart on the opposite wing is getting forward and getting some good crosses in - but not that time as a ricochet loses him possession

Another questionable offside after Pires tried to find his man - Short with his arm in the air got the decision he wanted (again) from the linesman

Australian Emerton recieves the kick and tries a cross-cum-shot and succeeds in only fluffing his lines

Gresko wins a corner of Toure

Henry slip a great ball to Bergkamp who in turn tries to stroke his shot into the corner of the goal, but it is inches wide - Offside flag up after Henry's pass

Pires uses Cole on the overlap and slips it to Henry, who races through the midfield with an explosive turn off pace

Henry gets it in the area and only stout defendin from Andy Todd saves Short's blushes after his earlier run!

Centre-half Short tries to bring it forward but is robbed on the halfway line and Ljungberg races forward

Pires with a magnificent 45 yard ball to Toure as Arsenal look to build from the back

Pires hits the post with Friedel beated! Superb strike on goal!

Tugay slips it to Yorke, but that is a poor lay off and Arsenal break

Tugay fouled by Gilberto, and the Brazilian is yellow-carded

Ljungberg races forward, lays it off to Vieira who threads it to Henry his shot is saved

Tugay finds Dwight Yorke, who threads it wide to Emerton, but he fouls Cole

Furious pace so far - plenty of attacking promise from Rovers, but Arsenal are so, so dangerous breaking out of defence

Handball by Henry in the middle of the pitch - Freekick Rovers

Gresko caught in possession under pressure from Bergkamp and Ljungberg who then finds Henry in the penalty box - he swivels and passes to Vieria, but he put his shot wide. Great fluid move!

The ball is back with Rovers who launch another good cross into the Arsenal box via Gresko, but Lehmann again claims

Determination from Campbell to clear the ball - Referee seemingly not worried about him man-handling Gallagher, a high foot and fierce lunge on Emerton

Henry, playing deep, switches play to the other flank with a sweet pass to Toure

Great control from Yorke to hold off his marker and thread a pass on the left to Babbel

Vieira and Gilberto Silva swap passes and feed the ball to Toure on the right

Great take from Lehmann to claim a cross from the right

Great defending under pressure from Cygan who turned his man to play a great pass

Another Ljungberg cross finds Pires unmarked, but his tame header is dealt with easily - he could have chested it and struck with his boot. That's twice that Gresko has been embarrassed by Ljungberg

Ljungberg dleivers a great cross for Henry by Friedel did enough to put the striker off

Despite two bookings and the goal Rovers have started well - can they keep the momentum going after the setback?

Barry Ferguson is booked for a silly shove on Pires

The goal came rather against the run of play, but now the Gunners are pressing home the advantage

Toure received the ball and carried down the right wing before reaching the byline and pulling it back to Bergkamp who swept the ball past Brad Friedel with the minimum of fuss!

Goal for Bergkamp and Arsenal!!

Dennis Bergkamp and Pires exchange passes but are forced back

Danger signs for Rovers - nearly caught on the quick break after Ljungberg raced out of defence, but failed to find Henry with his pass

Craig Short is off the field getting a bloody nose seen to

Ferguson hoists the ball towards the back post and Babbel connects, but his header is directed neither towrad goal or a colleague and a goal kick is the result

Campbell fouls Gallagher outside the Arsenal area - freekick

Good take from Gunners' keeper Lehman who came off his line to claim a dangerous Emerton cross

Defensive header from Patrick Vieira

Toure dispossessed by Ferguson and the ball is lofted towards Yorke

Ljungberg is felled by Gresko and the Slovakian is cautioned

Cygan feeds it to Cole who squanders possession again

Robert Pires on the left flank is fouled by Brett Emerton

Babbel and Ferguson exchange a neat one-two and surge up the pitch - the visitors are really going all-out early on!

Yorke is muscled off the ball by a swarm of Arsenal defenders and the Gunners hack it clear

Ahsley Cole dribbles the ball in touch and Rovers are on the offensive

A missed header from Marcus Babbel almost lets Henry in

Positive start from Rovers, applying pressure through Yorke and Gallagher

The ref has a word with Lucas Neill to calm him down after a rash tackle on Freddie ljungberg

That was nearly one of the quickest goals of the Premiership this season - what a start

A very early opporunity for Dwight Yorke, he evades Sol Campbell and digs shot out from between his feet, but it is wide

Referee Andy D'Urso blows the whistle and we are off and running, Rovers in possession

The players have taken the pitch and the fans greet them with rousing reception! Not much of the Library about Highbury so far!

And for Blackburn: Friedel, Babbel, Short, Todd, Gresko, Emerton, Tugay, Ferguson, Neill, Gallagher, Yorke. Subs: Flitcroft, Cole, Reid, Baggio, Enckelman.

The Arsenal team: Lehmann, Toure, Campbell, Cygan, Cole, Ljungberg, Vieira, Silva, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry. Subs: Keown, Parlour, Edu, Kanu, Stack.

Join us for commentary of Arsenal v Blackburn, all the action live on Sunday from 14.00 UK time.

Babbel and Reid under pressure from Parlour

Tugay vollies a pass to Emerton who gathers and works it to Andy Cole

Henry takes the freekick and goes for goal, but it creeps wide of the post

Andy Todd is in the book for a foul on Pires - he could have been off but the ref decided that Short was covering and therefore the last defender

Vieira crosses in from the left but Todd blocks and clears

Tugay loses the ball and Pires capitalises by finding Vieira

Henry offside from a Campbell pass

Perhaps Wenger is trying to steal the midfield after Tugay, Ferguson and Emerton have managed to see so much of the ball

Ray Parlour joins the game in place of Dennis Bergkamp

Another corner and Emerton takes again - this time Lehmann claims the ball with ease

Emerton takes but Pires clears

Rovers corner after a mistake by Cole

Henry goes on a mazt run in the Rovers area but is tackled by superior numbers

Henry get his header on target after from a freekick, but Friedel saves

The corner comes in and is punched away by Friedel. Ljungberg follows up with shot, but it is blocked

Pires slips the ball to Henry but he is muscled off the ball and its a corner

Fine save from Lehmann after Ferguson latched onto a perfectly weighted ball from Andy Cole

Pascal Cygan goes into the book for a foul on Emerton

Bergkamp over-hits his pass

Todd intercepts a dangerous pass and brings the ball out

The final ball into the Rovers box fails to find Ashley Cole on the back post and Rovers are let off

Ferguson gives it away to Vieira and Pires collects and breaks as the game gets stretched

Reid clatters into Vieira and the foul is given

Tugay hesitates after Emerton's pass is deflected and Rovers lose the ball

Ljungberg plays a great pass to Gilberto but the move ends with an offside flag against Henry

Bold decision by the ref, Babbel executed a great header but he was climbing all over Toure's back

Controversy as Babbel heads the ball into the back of the net - but the ref rules that Babbel was impeding Toure

Pires thing he's been fouled - but he just fell over two defender, quite right refere - not that the fans agree

Great play by Emerton to shrug off Vieira, he ran forward but couldn't get the right pass in the end

A Blackburn shot flies over the Arsenal bar

Andy Cole comes on for 19-year-old Paul Gallagher. Cole, formerly on the Arsenal staff before his move to Newcastle, gets boos from the Highbury faithful

Rovers win it and try to find Yorke, but Campbell towers over the striker to clear the threat

Pires skips past Ferguson and finds Gilberto

Emerton's corner fails to reach an attacker and Campbell clears

Rovers win it back immediately and the visitors win another corner

Yorke finds Babbel who crosses, but Gilberto clears

Change coming for Rovers - Andy Cole getting ready

The ball is lofted in and Lehmann is in trouble off his line. But the whistle goes and the keeper is givn the advantage

Tugay works a great pass towards Gallagher, but Cygan covers and concedes a corner

Solid defended from Toure ends the immediate threat from a Rovers attack down the left flank

Good, probing move by Rovers ends with a poor shot from Ferguson

Good move by Toure finding Bergkamp, but the Dutchman lashes out at Neill and concedes a freekick

Henry crosses but it is too long for Bergkamp

Cole under pressure from Emerton lobs the midfielder and find Henry

Ljungberg finishes the move he started by strike a good shot at Friedel, but it is saved

Ljungberg intercepts a lose pass, and streaks forward

Henry races back to tackle and fould Emerton

Gresko did well going forward but defensively his was at a fault and had paid the price

Vratislav Gresko has been subbed at halftime, on in his place is Steven Reid

The game is back underway

Blackburn started very brightly and are unlucky to have to been unable to exploit some excellent crosses and bold attacking play. Can Souness get his players back into it? Keep it here for the second half!

Halftime at Highbury. Arsenal could be two or three to the good after some spells of brilliance from Pires, Henry and Ljungberg but Friedel has been on hand to save the day.

Bergkamp cross in, Cygan heads and the ball is cleared

Pires slips a ball to Henry down the left, he cuts inside and tries to deliever a ball - Babbel surely caught him there! Corner ball

Tugay tries a cross from the right, but Campbell heads clear

Errant pass from Gresko in the Arsenal half gives it back to the Gunners

Emerton controls with his chest and plays it neatly to Babbel

Offside against Arsenal - marginal call

Pires turns two men and can only be stopped by Babbel who hauls the Frenchman back - foul and a yellow card for the German right-back

Bergkamp slips a ball to Pires, who tries a similar pass to Henry but it is too strong

A mistake by Tugay allows Henry a clear chance on goal but Friedel again is off his line to make an excellent save

Ferguson robs Vieira and now Rovers have it

Gallagher squanders possession and Arsenal have it again

Gunners in the driving seat now - Henry feeds a great ball on the floor to Pires but Friedel races off his line to smother the danger

Bergkamp picks out Gilberto on the right wing, the pass is too long and the Brazilian tries but fails to get a shot on target from a narrow angle

The ball almost drops for Pires, but luckily for Friedel the shot it not on

Babbel, like Gresko, his counterpart on the opposite wing is getting forward and getting some good crosses in - but not that time as a ricochet loses him possession

Another questionable offside after Pires tried to find his man - Short with his arm in the air got the decision he wanted (again) from the linesman

Australian Emerton recieves the kick and tries a cross-cum-shot and succeeds in only fluffing his lines

Gresko wins a corner of Toure

Henry slip a great ball to Bergkamp who in turn tries to stroke his shot into the corner of the goal, but it is inches wide - Offside flag up after Henry's pass

Pires uses Cole on the overlap and slips it to Henry, who races through the midfield with an explosive turn off pace

Henry gets it in the area and only stout defendin from Andy Todd saves Short's blushes after his earlier run!

Centre-half Short tries to bring it forward but is robbed on the halfway line and Ljungberg races forward

Pires with a magnificent 45 yard ball to Toure as Arsenal look to build from the back

Pires hits the post with Friedel beated! Superb strike on goal!

Tugay slips it to Yorke, but that is a poor lay off and Arsenal break

Tugay fouled by Gilberto, and the Brazilian is yellow-carded

Ljungberg races forward, lays it off to Vieira who threads it to Henry his shot is saved

Tugay finds Dwight Yorke, who threads it wide to Emerton, but he fouls Cole

Furious pace so far - plenty of attacking promise from Rovers, but Arsenal are so, so dangerous breaking out of defence

Handball by Henry in the middle of the pitch - Freekick Rovers

Gresko caught in possession under pressure from Bergkamp and Ljungberg who then finds Henry in the penalty box - he swivels and passes to Vieria, but he put his shot wide. Great fluid move!

The ball is back with Rovers who launch another good cross into the Arsenal box via Gresko, but Lehmann again claims

Determination from Campbell to clear the ball - Referee seemingly not worried about him man-handling Gallagher, a high foot and fierce lunge on Emerton

Henry, playing deep, switches play to the other flank with a sweet pass to Toure

Great control from Yorke to hold off his marker and thread a pass on the left to Babbel

Vieira and Gilberto Silva swap passes and feed the ball to Toure on the right

Great take from Lehmann to claim a cross from the right

Great defending under pressure from Cygan who turned his man to play a great pass

Another Ljungberg cross finds Pires unmarked, but his tame header is dealt with easily - he could have chested it and struck with his boot. That's twice that Gresko has been embarrassed by Ljungberg

Ljungberg dleivers a great cross for Henry by Friedel did enough to put the striker off

Despite two bookings and the goal Rovers have started well - can they keep the momentum going after the setback?

Barry Ferguson is booked for a silly shove on Pires

The goal came rather against the run of play, but now the Gunners are pressing home the advantage

Toure received the ball and carried down the right wing before reaching the byline and pulling it back to Bergkamp who swept the ball past Brad Friedel with the minimum of fuss!

Goal for Bergkamp and Arsenal!!

Dennis Bergkamp and Pires exchange passes but are forced back

Danger signs for Rovers - nearly caught on the quick break after Ljungberg raced out of defence, but failed to find Henry with his pass

Craig Short is off the field getting a bloody nose seen to

Ferguson hoists the ball towards the back post and Babbel connects, but his header is directed neither towrad goal or a colleague and a goal kick is the result

Campbell fouls Gallagher outside the Arsenal area - freekick

Good take from Gunners' keeper Lehman who came off his line to claim a dangerous Emerton cross

Defensive header from Patrick Vieira

Toure dispossessed by Ferguson and the ball is lofted towards Yorke

Ljungberg is felled by Gresko and the Slovakian is cautioned

Cygan feeds it to Cole who squanders possession again

Robert Pires on the left flank is fouled by Brett Emerton

Babbel and Ferguson exchange a neat one-two and surge up the pitch - the visitors are really going all-out early on!

Yorke is muscled off the ball by a swarm of Arsenal defenders and the Gunners hack it clear

Ahsley Cole dribbles the ball in touch and Rovers are on the offensive

A missed header from Marcus Babbel almost lets Henry in

Positive start from Rovers, applying pressure through Yorke and Gallagher

The ref has a word with Lucas Neill to calm him down after a rash tackle on Freddie ljungberg

That was nearly one of the quickest goals of the Premiership this season - what a start

A very early opporunity for Dwight Yorke, he evades Sol Campbell and digs shot out from between his feet, but it is wide

Referee Andy D'Urso blows the whistle and we are off and running, Rovers in possession

The players have taken the pitch and the fans greet them with rousing reception! Not much of the Library about Highbury so far!

And for Blackburn: Friedel, Babbel, Short, Todd, Gresko, Emerton, Tugay, Ferguson, Neill, Gallagher, Yorke. Subs: Flitcroft, Cole, Reid, Baggio, Enckelman.

The Arsenal team: Lehmann, Toure, Campbell, Cygan, Cole, Ljungberg, Vieira, Silva, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry. Subs: Keown, Parlour, Edu, Kanu, Stack.

Join us for commentary of Arsenal v Blackburn, all the action live on Sunday from 14.00 UK time.