Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool: Walcott Hits Hat-Trick As Five-Star Gunners Whitewash 10-Man Seasiders

Posted Sunday, August 22, 2010 by Goal.com

Holloway's side brought crashing back down to earth after Gunners

Arsenal were in rampant mood to ruthlessly dispatch newly promoted Blackpool 6-0 inside the Emirates on Saturday afternoon. The Seasiders were subject to a Theo Walcott hat-trick and a sending off as Wenger's side put down a marker for the season.

Walcott was the star of the show in the first half with a brace each side of an Andrei Arshavin penalty after Ian Evatt was dismissed for a professional foul. After the break, Abou Diaby struck before Walcott found his third. To round it all off on a fine night for the Gunners, summer signing Marouane Chamakh opened his acount for the Gunners with a late header.

The suspension of new centre-back signing Laurent Koscielny and injury to Samir Nasri meant Arsene Wenger had to shuffle his pack slightly from that which started at the Gunners opening fixture at Anfield. Alex Song was drafted into central defence whilst Tomas Rosicky was given a starting berth after coming off the bench last week. Cesc Fabregas and Van Persie would again wait on the bench.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway selected an unchanged eleven that recorded a shock victory over Wigan athletic last Saturday aside from the inclusion of Ludovic Sylvestre ahead of Brett Ormerod. New Israeli signing Dekel Keinen was given a spot on the bench.

The Seasiders would have expected a much tougher test than their Premier League debut at the DW Stadium last week and certainly Holloway's side were put under pressure early at the Emirates. Walcott has impressed in fits and starts with the Gunners lately but he started this match in good form. The England interntional was giving Stephen Crainey the run-around from the off and a good dart into the box should have brought an early goal when Walcott squared but the Gunners had nobody making an attacking run and the ball rolled harmlessly wide.

It was a warning from Arsenal but Blackpool didn't seem overawed and had their own attack at goal down the other end mintes later. Sylvestre picked out David Vaughn in space in the final third and the forward turned into goal and had a go with his right foot but Almunia was well placed to catch his shot.

Admirable as it was, Blackpool were bombing forward but looking too open and it was only a matter of time before they were punished. And punishment arrived in the form of a great break from the Gunners on the eleventh minute. The ball was worked up to Andrey Arshavin and the Russian slipped through Walcott, who was in miles of space, and the Englishman ran into the box and side-footed past Mathew Gilks to give his side an early lead.

The Seasiders were down and looking out of their depth at this point. Rosicky was floating around and running things in midfield and Walcott was causing terror down the right flank.

It should have been two goals to the good for Arsenal when Walcott simply put on the burners and ran at the Blackpool back-line before sliding through Marouane Chamakh for a great one-on-one chance, but the Moroccan fluffed his lines and Gilks dived out to smother the chance.

In a rare foray forward, brave Blackpool strung together a move to give Arsenal a scare at the back, Crainey stealthed down the left channel and delivered a delicious ball to the back post but Gary Taylor-Fletcher could only head wide to miss a great chance.

If things were hard for the visitors, they got a whole lot harder when Holloway's side were reduced to ten-men. Chamakh was slipped in-behind the opposition back-line easily by Arshavin and just on the edge of the box he was brought down by Ian Evatt. It was inconclusive as to whether the foul was actually inside the box or not but referee Michael Jones pointed to the spot, and in double bother to the Seasiders, pulled out a red card for Evatt.

Arshavin stepped up to the spot and powered the penalty into the bottom left of goal. 2-0 up and with the man advantage, Arsenal could now really put on a show.

Holloway had to do something to save a potential embarrassment so he took off Sylvestre and brought on Keinan to shore up the defence.

The tactical shift didn't seem to be effective in stemming an Arsenal tide though and on the 33rd minute, Blackpool were breached again. Walcott, who had been impressive all game long, would be the scorer after taking up a good position in the box and being fed the ball by Jack Wilshere. With Keinan behind him, Walcott was allowed to easily turn his man and fired a shot across goal which out-foxed keeper Gilks and nestled into the back of the net.

It was wave after wave of red and white coming forward now and the Gunners were threatening a fourth. The full-backs were getting in on the action now and a great run up the channel by Gael Clichy allowed him to deliver a peach of a cross at the near post which Chamakh hit on the volley. Thankfully for the visitors, Gilks was adept enough to beat the shot away.

Blackpool must have been wondering when the tide would abate when at the end of the half Arsenal squandered another great chance with a lightning break. Arshavin ran 30 yards before sliding the ball to the feet of Walcott on the right of goal but the Englishman squared ball back across the box was mis-directed at Chamakh and the Seasiders were let off.

Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool: Walcott Hits Hat-Trick As Five-Star Gunners Whitewash 10-Man Seasiders
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The second half and it looked business as usual with Walcott immediately resuming his one-sided relationship with Crainey and putting the defender on the back foot with an attempted run into the box. This time though, the Scot managed to dispossess the forward with a well timed sliding tackle.

Unfortunately for Blackpool, Arsenal had started the second in rampant mood again and less than five minutes after the resumption, a fourth goal was notched.

The 'Pool backline was understandebly occupied with the Gunners attack on the edge of the box and that allowed Bakary Sagna acres of space to deliver a great cross into the dangerzone from the right-flank.

Abou Diaby timed his run well and showing his sublime technique, hit the cross on the half-volley and the ball flew across goal and into the far right corner of the goal. Gilks had no chance.

Blackpool were all washed out now and Diaby nearly found another goal minutes after his
first after jinking into the box but fired wide on this occasion with the opposition defence all at sea.

If you give Arsenal this much time and space in their own back-yard you are in for a hiding. Blackpool must have learnt that lesson by now but the Gunners were determined to hammer it through and found a fifth goal in what was becoming something of a routine during the game.

Diaby strode onto the edge of the box and fed into Walcott in the box. The Englishman was threatening a hat-trick all game and he found it by turning and firing into the bottom right of goal for an excellent finish.

At this point with Blackpool barely able to get out of their half, Arsenal had the luxury of resting a few of their star performers so the excellent Walcott and Diaby were both rested and on came Carlos Vela and returning captain Cesc Fabregas to a huge ovation.

That didn't exactly make things easier for Blackpool, such is the quality of the Arsenal squad, and soon the home side were threatening a sixth.

Chamakh will rarely get an easier chance to score than in this game but the Moroccan missed a sitter after Arshavin crossed to him at the far post. The Morroccan was in the right place at the right time, which would be encouraging for Wenger, but again he fluffed the chance and headed wide when he was un-marked and five-yards in front of goal.

To Blackpool's credit, they seemed to rally somewhat in an attempt to not concede any more goals. They could hardly get worse. But they managed to shut out the Gunners for as long a period as any after the sixth goal.

But that did not stop Arsenal rounding off their night by getting summer recruit Chamakh finally off the mark in his goal-scoring account. Vela won a corner and the Moroccan finally made his chance tell by rising highest and burying the cross with a neat header.

Right at the death Wilshere tried to find his first for the season after running clear through but the ball got stuck between his feet. Arsenal and Wenger won't mind too much though after thoroughly blowing away the opposition on the day.