History lesson for Rovers

HISTORY may have failed to repeat itself for Graeme Souness last night but Arsene Wenger and his all-conquering Arsenal side continue to re-write it unrelentlessly.

The Gunners etched their name in sporting folklore by setting a new record for the longest unbeaten run in English football, surpassing the previous mark of 42 games which had been posted by Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest in 1978.

Ironically, Souness was part of the Liverpool side that eventually brought Forest's magnificent run grinding to a halt all those years ago but any thoughts of the Blackburn manager spoiling the party again were emphatically blown away by an Arsenal team intent on achieving true greatness.

When Wenger first talked of his dream of going through a Premiership season unbeaten two years ago people scoffed at such a suggestion, claiming it was impossible.

However, Wenger's boys went on to do exactly that last season and now they've raised the bar again, setting a new benchmark that may never be beaten.

For 45 minutes at Highbury last night, Rovers managed to live with one of the finest sides that English football has ever produced.

But then the classy Londoners moved through the gears and second half goals from Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Jose Antonio Reyes made sure of the Gunners' esteemed place in history.

For those Blackburn fans who have yet to see their side win a game this season, it made for painful viewing.

One point from three games equals the club's worst start to a Premiership campaign and with tough games to come against Manchester United and Newcastle, there's early cause for concern.

But this was always going to be a hiding to nothing as the rest of the clubs in the Premiership have found to their cost in the last 12 months.

It's difficult to have anything but admiration for this Arsenal side and they deserve all the plaudits they get.

They've not only beaten the record but it's the manner and style in which they've gone about it that's so impressive.

Over the last three decades, English football has seen some truly great sides - Leeds and Liverpool of the 1970s, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and more latterly Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.

But of them all, Arsenal are undoubtedly the most entertaining and thrilling to watch.

The Gunners' record-breaking run began on May 7 2003 with a 6-1 victory against Southampton.

From there, Arsene Wenger's side have won 31 and drawn 12 of their last 43 matches, scoring an incredible 95 goals and conceding just 31.

To put that into some kind of perspective, Forest won 21 and drew 21 during their 42-game unbeaten run between November 1977 and December 1978, scoring 37 fewer goals, which adds further credence to the argument that Wenger's boys are the greatest and most exciting English club side of all time.

On current form, they are unstoppable and intoxicating in equal measure and as close to perfection as you are ever likely to get.

Even without Sol Campbell and Patrick Vieira, two pillars of last season's title-winning side, they have few obvious weaknesses and in the 17-year-old midfielder Fabregas, Wenger appears to have unearthed a new gem to add to his stellar collection.

Rovers, for their part, competed well in the first half, defending diligently when they had to.

But you need to score first against the Arsenals of this world and you sensed Rovers' chance might have gone after Lens Lehmann made two sharp saves to deny Craig Short and Paul Dickov shortly before half-time.

Had one of those gone in, the outcome might have been different but once Henry broke the deadlock five minutes after the break, there was only ever going to be one winner.

Arsenal started the game in the manner you'd expect from the champions and Henry warmed the fingertips of Brad Friedel on three separate occasions in the opening five minutes.

But Rovers weathered that early storm and created a couple of chances of their own. Vratislav Gresko fired wildly over from a Brett Emerton corner, then Emerton crossed for Short but Lehmann brilliantly saved the veteran defender's athletic volley.

Rovers needed a talisman to inspire those around him and they found one in Dickov, the former Arsenal striker, whose influence grew as the half wore on.

The feisty Scot may be small in stature but what he lacks in height he more than makes up for in spirit and endeavour.

His terrier-like running worried the Gunners' defence and he twice went close to breaking the deadlock, the second time forcing Lehmann into a diving save at full stretch.

But Arsenal always looked dangerous whenever they crossed the halfway line and the fabulous Fabregas should have done better than blaze wide after a delightful Bergkamp dummy had dissected a stretched Rovers defence.

With history beckoning, the Gunners moved up a gear when they emerged for the second half and Jermaine Pennant delivered a message of intent with a dazzling run and shot which tested Friedel.

The all-important breakthrough finally came in the 50th minute.

Fabregas caressed a pass out to Bergkamp on the right and the Dutchman crossed for Henry to thump the ball home at the far post.

From then on it became a procession as the Gunners engraved their name in history.

Fabregas put the result beyond doubt when he applied the finishing touch to Gilberto's towering header in the 58th minute, becoming Arsenal's youngest ever scorer in the Premier League in the process.

It was an exercise in damage limitation after that but still Arsenal kept coming.

Dominic Matteo's misplaced pass in the 78th minute sent Henry racing away from Nissa Johansson and although Friedel saved the Frenchman's initial shot, Henry showed remarkable composure to unselfishly tee-up Jose Antonio Reyes for the third.

What a stylish way to re-write the record books.