The magic of the FA Cup may not mean quite as much as traditionalists suggest it should to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger or even Blackburn boss Graeme Souness.

But it clearly appears to have caught on with Arsenal's £13million French striker Sylvain Wiltord who cracked his sixth goal in four ties after just 75 seconds at Highbury to spark the strolling victory that sent Gunners into their third semi-final in four years.

The team selections showed that European glory is the obvious priority for Arsenal boss Wenger, whose side fight for a quarter-final place against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, and promotion the main driving force for first division high flyers Rovers.

No Thierry Henry nor Patrick Vieira in the starting line-up for Arsenal, no Matt Jansen nor Craig Hignett for Blackburn.

But Wiltord, who has suddenly caught light as an Arsenal goalscorer lately - his early strike was his 12th this season - rose to the occasion again after two goals against QPR, two against Chelsea and one at Carlisle in previous rounds.

His splendid first time drive from a Robert Pires cross here was the prelude to a runaway win with Arsenal practically declaring at half time after Tony Adams doubled their advantage with a towering header from a corner in only the fifth minute and Pires making it 3-0 with nine minutes still to go before the break.

The statistics promised a tight contest - Arsenal, seven times winners of the FA cup, Blackburn six; the Gunners beaten only once at home in a year, Rovers losers only once anywhere in their previous 19 games and pressing hard for promotion.

And when Marcus Bent headed only fractionally over the Arsenal bar from a Jason McAteer cross in the first 30 seconds we appeared to have a contest on our hands .

Cup specialist Wiltord scuppered that theory, though, about 45 seconds later. Picked out in the box by Pires after his fellow Frenchman had been released down the right by a lovely piece of work from Cameroon midfielder Lauren, Wiltord hooked in an unstoppable shot from 12 yards.

Within five minutes it was 2-0 even though Brad Friedel performed acrobatics to turn Dennis Bergkamp's exquisite chip shot over the top. From the corner by Ashley Cole, skipper Adams' muscular leap produced an emphatic header.

After that, Blackburn charged around like wounded animals but Arsenal merely roped them in and picked them off on the counter.

It might have been more interesting had referee Jeff Winter given Rovers a penalty when Eyal Berkovic fell dramatically over a challenge by Adams in the 16th minute but although the official clearly believed the Israeli dived he did not book him.

It was a similar story within seconds when Bergkamp crash-landed in the box after an untidy tackle by the lumbering Martin Taylor.

Again Winter took no action at all and his antics throughout the rest of the match produced a sideshow that was possibly a welcome distraction for some given that the result of the game had become a formality.

Pires had made it that way with a sweet right-foot finish from a tight angle after Wiltord, profiting from a firm tackle by Bergkamp that won the ball for him, picked out his fellow Frenchman on the far side of the box.

Blackburn had little to offer after that despite McAteer smuggling the ball past David Seaman in the 56th minute only to be pulled up for hands.

Mark Hughes, 37, owner of four FA Cup winners' medals and scorer of 26 FA Cup goals for Manchester United and Chelsea, made a sad sight when hauled off in favour of Jansen by Blackburn boss Souness with nearly half-an-hour to go.

It seemed hardly necessary for Wenger to send on Henry, Vieira and Silvinho as second half substitutes.

Arsenal should have added more goals when Wiltord left his shot too late from a brilliantly-weighted Pires pass and allowed Henning Berg to block it.

And Friedel saved well when Lauren turned cleverly in the box to fire a powerful drive.

Blackburn still suffered one last twist of the knife, though, when the luckless Bent's rocket shot crashed off a post in the closing seconds. Not even a consolation then for the outclassed visitors.

Now it is off to Munich for the Gunners for a shot at Bayern and Champions League quarter final status.

For Rovers it is a challenge against Birmingham City in search of regaining Premiership status.

In both cases you can expect a good deal more passion than in a one-sided 90 minutes of so-called FA Cup magic at Highbury.

Teams:

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Cole, Grimandi, Luzhny, Ljungberg (Silvinho 65), Lauren, Pires (Henry 69), Bergkamp (Vieira 69), Wiltord.

Subs Not Used: Manninger, Vivas.

Goals: Wiltord 2, Adams 5, Pires 36.

Blackburn: Friedel, Curtis, Berg, Berkovic (Duff 45), Taylor, McAteer, Flitcroft, Dunn, Mahon (Bjornebye 45), Hughes (Jansen 61), Bent.

Subs Not Used: Hignett, Kelly.

Booked: McAteer.

Att: 36,304

Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).