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Arsenal Vs Blackpool: 5 things we learned – Young guns explode

By Andrew Dowdeswell

BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Alex Iwobi celebrates after scoring his team's third goal with teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Blackpool and Arsenal at Bloomfield Road on January 5, 2019 in Blackpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images)
BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Alex Iwobi celebrates after scoring his team's third goal with teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Blackpool and Arsenal at Bloomfield Road on January 5, 2019 in Blackpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images) /
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BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 05: Armand Gnanduillet of Blackpool heads the ball towards the goal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Blackpool and Arsenal at Bloomfield Road on January 5, 2019 in Blackpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images)
BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 05: Armand Gnanduillet of Blackpool heads the ball towards the goal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Blackpool and Arsenal at Bloomfield Road on January 5, 2019 in Blackpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images) /

1. The ideal cup performance

As soon as I turned the TV on and witnessed the brown-marred surface, with swathes of muddy patches running right through the middle of the pitch, I was concerned. I have seen this movie before, and it rarely ends well for Arsenal.

10 minutes after Mike Dean blew his whistle, however, Arsenal were one goal to the good and never really looked back. Blackpool certainly had their moments, especially through the physical presence of Armand Gnanduillet, but for the most part, Unai Emery’s side controlled the game and held their hosts at arm’s length.

In these early rounds of the FA Cup, these type of performances are invaluable. It is a knockout competition. It is about beating the team in front of you, and even League One opposition can cause major issues to Premier League teams in the right conditions. And this looked like it could be the very right — or wrong — conditions.

Next. Arsenal Vs Blackpool: Player ratings. dark

Credit to Arsenal, then, for handling their business. They started the game well, got the early lead, and controlled the match from there. In the end, that is all you can ask for.

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