Arsenal 6 Blackpool 0: Walcott scores a hat-trick as Gunners hit six past 10-man Tangerines
By Rob Draper for The Mail on Sunday
Updated:
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After the dream, inevitably, comes the awakening. The tangerine hordes of Blackpool gathered at the Emirates Stadium with a sense of trepidation but sung and celebrated throughout, never allowing the details of the scoreline and an early sending-off to spoil their day out.
Yet this was the reality check they feared. When Arsenal were 5-0 up with 30 minutes to play, they brought on Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, which is as dispiriting as it must get for any opposition team. While not every club will be able to boast such reserves, Arsenal provided a more authentic welcome to the Premier League than Wigan last week.
‘They were absolute class,' acknowledged Blackpool boss Ian Holloway. ‘If my team play like that one day I'd be delighted. The ball hardly left the grass, the pace and movement were terrific and it's a joy to watch. It shook us that we couldn't play our natural game and it was an absolute education. We have to learn quickly.
On fire: Theo Walcott opens the scoring before going on to hit his first Premier League hat-trick
‘That was a masterclass but we'll take it on the chin and try to improve. But we didn't launch into horrible tackles, we tried to pass the ball and play. Well done to Mr Wenger. It was an honour to come here and I'm relieved it wasn't 10 or 12!'
That said, Blackpool were unfortunate in two respects; firstly in losing Ian Eevatt on 31 minutes for a professional foul; secondly in coming up against a rejuvenated Theo Walcott.
Ever since bursting into the consciousness of the nation as a 17-year-old, the world has waited for performances such as this. Walcott played with verve and ambition and looks altogether a more confident young man than the one who struggled to make an impression on Fabio Capello three months ago. />
Last man: Arsenal are awarded a penalty as Evatt sees red for bringing down Arsenal's new signing Chamakh
The summer break seems to have re-focused him and though tougher trials lie ahead than Blackpool's back four, from the moment he opened the scoring on 13 minutes with a fine finish having been played in by Andrey Arshavin, he dominated this game. He demanded the ball rather than begged for it and his crossing matched his finishing, both of which were excellent.
‘He's more electric than he has been and Í liked the fact that he mixed his final ball and his finishing well today,' said Arsene Wenger. ‘That is a sign of a player who is becoming more mature. You have to remember he does everything at high pace so it's not easy to make the right decisions. Today he did so.'
Even before the game's pivotal heatmoment, when Evatt was dismissed, Walcott was the stand-out player. Nevertheless, he would not have had as much freedom to play had not Mike Jones sent off the defender when Marouane Chamakh was closing in on goal after being put through by Tomas Rrosicky, man of the match on any other day.
Sent off: Mike Jones shows no hesitation in pulling out the red card for 먹튀검증 Blackpool defender Evatt
Though Evatt's clumsy challenge started outside the box and even involved an early touch of the ball, there was no doubt he felled the Frenchman when through on goal and that the foul ended up in the penalty area. Arshavin converted the spot-kick.
‘I think we would still have lost the game but we might not have been smarting as much pride-wise,' added Holloway.