Goals from Philippe Senderos and Emmanuel Adebayor gave Arsenal a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers which, after slip-ups by their rivals over the weekend, opened up a five-point gap at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Arsene Wenger’s side made the perfect start, taking the lead after just four minutes with Senderos, the Switzerland international central defender, profiting from lax marking by Blackburn at Eduardo’s corner to power a header past Brad Friedel.
Blackburn’s American goalkeeper made a smart save with his legs to prevent Mathieu Flamini from doubling the home side’s advantage midway through the first half.
Having been on the back foot for most of the first quarter, Blackburn then took charge of the game and Benni McCarthy should have done better than head wide from David Bentley’s cross from the right ten minutes before the interval.
Sensing a way back into the game, Bentley almost embarrassed Jens Lehmann early in the second period with a free-kick around the blindside of the defensive wall, but the Germany goalkeeper was down at his near post to scramble clear.
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Alexander Hleb struck the post at the other end in the next move after Eduardo picked him out on the edge of the area, then Friedel was forced to save with his legs again when Adebayor sped past Ooijer and got a shot away.
Despite playing below their best, Arsenal remained in control and Adebayor bustled his way through with 12 minutes left only to be denied by Friedel again, this time with a sprawling save.
The decisive second goal did not arrive until the second minute of stoppage time, when Hleb cut in from the right and found Adebayor, who finished with a clinical strike just inside Friedel’s right-hand post.