Pires and Pennant start for Gunners

Arsenal brought in Robert Pires and Jermaine Pennant for their first Premiership starts of the season as they looked to make history at Highbury tonight.

The Gunners needed to avoid defeat against Blackburn to stretch their unbeaten league run to an incredible 43 games, eclipsing Nottingham Forest’s 42-match run, which was set 25 years earlier.

Arsene Wenger moved to freshen up his side by replacing Jose Reyes and Fredrik Ljungberg with Pires and Pennant, while Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell were still injured and Edu was being rested.

Blackburn, meanwhile, were captained by Tugay in the absence of Barry Ferguson through suspension in the 100th competitive meeting between the two sides.

Arsenal v Blackburn

Arsenal: Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Cygan, Cole, Pennant, Silva, Fabregas Soler, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry. Subs: Ljungberg, Reyes, Flamini, Hoyte, Almunia.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Gray, Gresko, Emerton, Tugay, Johansson, Matteo, Dickov, Stead. Subs: Amoruso, Flitcroft, De Pedro, Enckelman, Yorke. Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire)