Arsenal’s young guns put six past Blackburn

Arsenal 6 Blackburn 2. Former Arsenal great Thierry Henry returned to the club where he made his name yesterday, and saw that his one-time boss Arsene Wenger was doing all right thank you, as the north Londoners put six past Blackburn on an afternoon of scintillating attacking football.

Henry will have returned to Barcelona, his new home, telling the club hierarchy that the talent of Cesc Fabregas, once of the Nou Camp but now a true Gunner as club captain, was progressing very nicely, as the Spanish midfielder set up four goals and scored one himself.

Fabregas made great play of kissing the Arsenal badge on his shirt after his left-foot volley on 57 minutes made it 4-2, but the suspicion that he would return to the club that first nurtured him still remains among many fearful Arsenal fans. The player attempted to quell such thoughts after the game, pledging himself again to Wenger's buzzing team.

"There's always speculation I don't like it here but I am committed to this club 100 per cent," he told the Guardian. "It's my seventh season and it's hard to hear people say they think I'm not committed enough. It was a good time to show them I really love this club."

Blackburn played their part in this match, which remained open until Fabregas's strike opened up a two-goal cushion for the home side. The visitors took the lead on four minutes, when Paul Robinson's long goal kick was flicked on by Steven N'Zonzi, who beat Thomas Vermaelen to the ball and put it past the despairing Vito Mannone.

Vermaelen soon made amends for his error, equalising after smashing home a 25-yarder for his fourth league goal of the season to become the club's top scorer. David Dunn soon had Rovers back in the ascendant, getting a deflection off William Gallas to restore the lead, but two Arsenal goals in four minutes, from Robin Van Persie and Andrei Arshavin restored a lead that the home side would not lose again.

Fabregas made it four, before teeing up the returning Theo Walcott for a welcome strike on his return to the team from long-term injury. There was still time, despite a raft of substitutions for Nicklas Bendtner to notch the sixth in the last minute of regulation time to make for a perfect 13th anniversary present for Arsene Wenger.

"When we are confident we have a flow that looks like the goals will come at any moment and from anywhere," the Frenchman said. "There is something in the side that is lighthearted and enjoyable to watch. Why? Because they enjoy to play together and that for me is the most important." ·