Arsenal Kids Battle To Victory

Young Arsenal showed both flair and fight, skill and steel to defeat full-strength Blackburn Rovers 3-2 after extra-time at Ewood Park. Abou Diaby and Eduardo gave them a two-goal lead before Roque Santa Cruz scored just before half-time and againshortly after it to turn the game on its head. Denilsion was sent off in injury-time before tie went into extra-time, when Eduardo struck again without reply.

An archetypal game of two halves - plus extra-time - saw Arsenal's youngsters completely out-play full-strength Blackburn Rovers in the first half, taking a two-goal lead that could easily have been four, but conceding a goal that looked offside right on the stroke of half-time.

But that goal - and no doubt a blistering half-time team-talk from an angry Mark Hughes - proved the catalyst for a transformed Blackburn to fly at the visitors after the break and power their way to an equaliser, then force the young Gunners onto the back foot for most of the second period.

It was a breathless cup tie of fierce intensity and, inevitably, some high octane tackling.

Arsene Wenger took a squad up north whose average age was a mere nineteen and three-quarters. And the first half really was men against boys - but the boys were the ones handing out the lessons.

Arsenal started the brighter, more purposeful and the more alert, and it was no surprise when they took an early lead. After good work from youngster Mark Randall, Nicklas Bendtner crossed from the right and Abou Diaby met it first time to sidefoot his shot over keeper Brad Friedel and into the net.

Bendtner almost doubled Arsenal's lead soon afterwards, sprinting into space inside the Blackburn area and producing a sweet shot that curled onto the crossbar.

But the Gunners did get a second when the big Rovers centre-back Christopher Samba missed Denilson's astute through-ball and Eduardo da Silva pounced to beat Friedel.

David Bentley was looking dangerous against his former team, particularly with free-kicks, but Lukasz Fabianski was effective if unorthodox in the Arsenal goal.

With Lassana Diarra imperious in midfield, supported by good performances from the young heads around him, notaby Armand Traore, Denilson and Alexandre Song, Arsenal had been outstanding, but two-nil is often a dangerous lead to defend - and so it proved.

There was more than a hint of controversy about the goal that Blackburn scored just before the break. Matt Derbyshire was offside but he whipped in a low cross which Roque Santa Cruz turned in with his outstretched leg.

After the break Fabianski saved at the feet of Santa Cruz and the ball looped up into the air giving Cruz what looked like a simple tap-in until Song tracked back to clear for Arsenal.

Blackburn were a side transformed from the first half and putting Arsenal under sustained pressure and an equaliser looked just a matter of time. It duly arrived through a Bentley-Cruz combination, Bentley curling in a free-kick from the right that Santa Cruz rose highest to head home.

Howevee, Arsenal showe resilience after losing their lead, and gradiually steadied the ship,
Denilson whipped in a low free-kick to the near post and Philippe Senderos just failed to get the vital touch to put it in the net as Friedel gathered the ball.

Santa Cruz mis-timed his shot when a free-kick was nodded back to him and it looked as if he might grab a second consecutive hat-trick.

Then tempers boiled over with a late two-footed tackle from Denilson on David Dunn sparked a melee. Denilson, already booked, was shown a straight red to reduce the Gunners to ten men. Savage was booked for raising his hand to the young Brazilian.

So the game entered extra time with Rovers holding the advantage. And their advantage increased 17-year-old Arsenal substitute Nacer Barazite fell awkwardly and had to be stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder.

But Arsenal showed their tenacity and class by taking the lead again when Song played Eduardo through on goal and the Croatia striker was ice cool as he took one touch before sidefooting home for 3-2.

Samba hit the post in the closing minutes but the young Gunners hung on to achieve a truly remarkable - and character-building - victory

courtesy of goal.com