Arsenal 7-1 Blackburn: Daily Mirror match report
Published 21:29 05/02/12 By John Cross
Robin Van Persie says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be going to the Euros if he were Dutch.
And if Oxlade-Chamberlain can get into the Dutch line-up then he has to be a must for England boss Fabio Capello this summer.
The 18-year-old scored twice, played brilliantly and also had a hand in one of hat-trick hero Van Persie’s brilliant treble as Arsenal restored much-needed pride with a first win in five league games.
It was no wonder the Holland striker was so glowing about Arsenal’s prodigious talent who is quickly becoming England’s bright new hope
And, let’s face it, Capello needs something to smile about.
When asked if he could make the Dutch squad for the Euros, Van Persie smiled: “Yeah, why not? We’ve got a really strong team, there’s lots of good attacking players there, but why not?
“It’s always good to have a good mixture of young talents, experienced players and I really like him.
“He is a fantastic player already, he’s only 18 and is so young. He’s good on the ball, he has everything.
“Alex is quick, has movement, and technique. He can score a goal, give an assist. He has a great future.
“In the future (he can make the England team), definitely. He’s a big prospect. Everyone is enjoying watching him, I do, you do and he brings something extra to the game and people just love it.
“Don’t put too much pressure on him. You always have periods when you are young when you have really high highs and you go up and down until you balance it a bit better.
“He will have ups and will have periods when he’s not playing so well. So my advice is to be aware of it and be patient.
“It reminds me of my own period when I was breaking through and was 18 or 19.
“When you have all these qualities then it gives you confidence and you can enjoy yourself.
“He’s not someone who thinks about negatives, just positives and you can enjoy the game like that.”
Van Persie believes that Oxlade-Chamberlain should not be over -hyped and that is also the message from Arsene Wenger. But it is hard not to get excited about a bright young English talent.
Arsenal boss Wenger believes he has natural talent like Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas and therefore can jump straight onto the big stage.
“That is always a brand of top players – they just play,” said Wenger.
“When you saw Rooney start he played like it was natural, the same with Fabregas. They are happy on the pitch and comfortable.
“It’s about trying to find the right balance between having confidence and not being too early and too much under pressure.”
But it seems strength of character and mentality are two of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s greatest qualities. And you need that spirit at Arsenal at the moment.
The fans have been restless, turning on Wenger and yet a thumping win was exactly what Arsenal needed to restore confidence and appease supporters. There are never any demonstrations when you win 7-1.
It also took Arsenal just one minute and 20 seconds to ease the nerves as Van Persie pounced on the outstanding Theo Walcott’s low cross. Walcott laid on three assists and his link-up with Francis Coquelin was key.
Morten Gamst Pedersen equalised with a stunning free kick.
But Arsenal outclassed Blackburn and Van Persie and Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 3-1 even before Gael Givet was sent off for a reckless challenge on Van Persie after 42 minutes.
From there, it was easy street. Mikel Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Van Persie – with his third hat-trick for the club – scored to set up the rout.
Arsenal’s all-round performance was superb, especially in midfield and attack.
But Van Persie, whose hat-trick put him above Dennis Bergkamp in the all-time Arsenal scoring charts, was unselfish enough to set up Thierry Henry for the Arsenal legend to score in injury time and make it the biggest win to date at the Emirates.
Van Persie said: “That was great because I wanted him to score. He scored a fantastic goal in the FA Cup but I wanted him to score in the Premier League as well.
“Every touch I had I was looking for him. ‘Where’s Thierry?’ I wanted to play him on. And with the last kick, it just happened. I wanted him to score and he did.
“It makes me proud (to go above Bergkamp) because Dennis is one of my heroes. He has been unbelievable. He scored 120 goals, had loads of assists and was an inspiration for everybody who loves football.
“I am proud of scoring more than Dennis, he is an Arsenal legend.
“We want to make fans enjoy football and give entertainment. It is not just goals, I want to make assists and make good moves.”
