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| Arsenal's Captain Dennis Bergkamp
(L) is challenged by Blackburn's Nils-Eric Johansson (R) in their
English premier league soccer match at Highbury in London, August
25, 2004. (Reuters) |
Thierry Henry ensured Arsenal's place in history when they broke
Nottingham Forest's 26-year-old record of 42 English league matches
unbeaten when they defeated Blackburn Rovers 3-0 at Highbury.
Henry poked in Dennis
Bergkamp's 49th-minute cross and took the corner which Cesc Fabregas
nodded in eight minutes later. The France striker then laid on a third for
Jose Antonio Reyes 11 minutes from
time to send Arsene Wenger's side back above Chelsea at
the top of the English Premiership.
The Gunners' feat began with a 6-1 drubbing of Southampton back in May 2003 and
though Blackburn boss Graeme Souness was part of the Liverpool side that
halted Forest's run in 1978, he could not repeat the trick.
Arsenal passed the ball with the confidence of champions and Henry
served an early warning with three shots at America stopper Brad Freidel
in the first five minutes. The Gunners threatened outside the
box but Rovers were able to
get intercepting touches and break down Arsenal attacks.
Rovers gave Arsenal a fright five minutes later when goalkeeper Jens
Lehmann first kept out Craig Short's volley, then after Scotland striker
Paul Dickov's pullback from the goal-line, Jon Stead's goalmouth scramble
follow-up, without knowing much about either.
Australia's Brett Emerton and Lucas Neill were both booked for clumsy challenges on Arsenal's
France winger Robert Pires.
 Blackburn had two further opportunities within a minute of each
other when Vratislav Gresko's cross was just above Stead, and Neill's
cross from the opposite right flank was too strong for Dickov to control.
Dickov then broke into the box and wrestled off Pascal Cygan but
Lehmann got down well to his low cross-shot.
Spaniard Fabregas should have opened the scoring when Dennis Bergkamp's
superbly-judged dummy left Friedel's goal at the 17-year-old's mercy but
he placed his shot wide.
And the wonderkid, in for injured skipper Patrick Vieira, had another
shot deflected over just before the break after Pires' lay-off in the
area.
But four minutes after half-time, Henry broke the deadlock.
Bergkamp crossed from the right side of the penalty area and the France
striker dashed between the Rovers centre-halves, giving Friedel no chance
with his six-yard toe-poke high into the net.
Henry was the provider eight minutes later when Fabregas, on his 100th
Arsenal appearance, made it two from a left-wing corner. He directed a
far-post header downwards back
across Friedel, Fabregas getting a deflection to help it past a stranded
Gresko on the line.
With 11 minutes to go, Henry set up Reyes, who had come on for Bergkamp
three minutes earlier. The Frenchman broke through with a pacy run, and
though his shot was well saved by Friedel, just when it seemed Henry had
delayed too long with the rebound, he squared for Reyes to drive in a
sidefoot shot at the far post to round off the night and put the champions
into the record books.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-08-26 09:49