Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool

Normally when your side loses 6-0 there are mass repurcussions. Not today.

Despite the result, ‘Pool worked hard and played some nice stuff, backed by a wonderful away following.

And whilst some Arsenal fans looked down their noses at us, the rest applauded us on playing some good attacking football (they felt we were the better team until the opener and very much still in the game until the penalty), playing the game in the right spirit, having great supporters (thoughts echoed by the police), and weirdly, despite the scoreline, a lot of them think we’ll stay up.

Regardless of the result, there is no doubt that we all had a great day out in a great stadium, and that we’ve learned a few valuable lessons today. Indeed, none of us expected us to get anything out of today, and as long as we continue to beat teams like Wigan, we stand a (slim?) chance of staying up.

Ian Holloway made one change from the side that had thrashed Wigan last weekend; Ludovic Sylvestre replacing Brett Ormerod.

The Seasiders began the game well and were the better team in the opening stages, David Vaughan testing Manuel Almunia.

However, Arsenal always looked a threat going forward, and opened the scoring on 14 minutes through Theo Walcott. The winger absolutely destroyed Stephen Crainey all afternoon.

Blackpool could have levelled just moments later though, but Gary Taylor-Fletcher headed wide.

On 30 minutes the Seasiders were reduced to 10 men. Whilst the decision to send Ian Evatt off for his foul on Maroune Chamakh was correct, the foul was committed outside the area. Andrey Arshavin then converted the penalty and celebrated infront of the ‘Pool fans just to rub it in. For all their brilliant football, Arsenal need to learn to be more sporting.

Dekel Keinan then replaced Sylvestre (who was very unlucky to go off) to make his ‘Pool debut.

Just before the break though, Walcott made it 3-0 as Arsenal made the most of their man advantage.

Abou Diaby made it 4-0 just after the break after a slick move. Ollie responded by throwing on Ishmel and Brett Ormerod for Taylor-Fletcher and Marlon Harewood.

Walcott made it 5-0 just before the hour, before Chamakh headed Arsenal’s sixth from a corner.

Still the ‘Pool fans sang though and still the ‘Pool continued to try and play football.

At the end of the day though, we came up against a team that were just a different class.

Oh well, let’s hope that we can pick something up v Fulham next week.