Robin van Persie owed Arsenal a match-winning performance and the young Dutch striker duly obliged to keep the heat on Manchester United in the quest for second place.

Van Persie infuriated Arsene Wenger when he got himself sent off against Southampton last month and his chances have been limited since then.

Given an opportunity against Blackburn due to injuries to several senior players, the 21-year-old not only scored the winner against an in-form defence but impressed with his all-round game.

Van Persie had not even been in the original starting line-up despite the absences of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires but when Freddie Ljungberg aggravated a twisted ankle in the warm-up Wenger turned to van Persie who took his chance with relish.

Blackburn, playing five in midfield, did made headway early on. Paul Dickov wriggled into the visitors' box and setting up Aaron Mokoena for a long-range strike but a deflection took the sting out of the shot.

A slight hesitation by Brad Friedel nearly played Blackburn into trouble as van Persie chased a through pass, but though the keeper lost the ball the Dutch striker was just unable to keep it in play.

Ashley Cole then picked out van Persie who shot on the turn but Mokoena did well to deflect it for a corner.

David Thompson should have done better after tricking his way past Gael Clichy but he went for glory and pulled his effort badly wide.

Arsenal had been doing most of the good passing but Blackburn put together an excellent move ending in Steven Reid whipping over a cross and Morten Gamst Pedersen winning the header but only directing it at Jens Lehmann.

Then came van Persie's moment, and it was the culmination of an excellent Arsenal move. Cesc Fabregas fed Cole, his drag-back sent Lucas Neill the wrong way and he picked out van Persie on the edge of the Blackburn area.

Another drag-back and neat turn saw the Dutch striker clear and he skipped around Brad Friedel before slotting home into an empty net.

Arsenal nearly made it two within seconds of the restart when Fabregas' run led to Jose Antonio Reyes firing low towards the near-post but Friedel was able to beat it away.

Blackburn's need for an equaliser meant there was more space for Arsenal and Mathieu Flamini struck a piledriver towards goal but Neill managed to get his head in the way to deflect it over.

A lovely move between Reyes and van Persie saw the Dutch striker curl a shot against the crossbar, then Reyes from the follow-up went past two challenges and went for goal himself but could not beat Friedel.

Brett Emerton's introduction at least provided some extra pace for Blackburn and he came close to an equaliser after beating the offside trap before striking a fierce shot but it whistled past the top corner.

Blackburn could have snatched a point deep in injury-time when Steven Reid found himself through on goal but he wasted the chance and Arsenal were home and dry.

Teams

Blackburn Friedel, Neill, Todd (Tugay 45), Nelsen, Matteo (Johansson 42), Mokoena, Thompson, Flitcroft (Emerton 60), Reid, Pedersen, Dickov.

Subs Not Used: Stead, Enckelman.

Booked: Dickov, Neill, Reid.

Arsenal Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Fabregas, Vieira, Flamini, Cole, Van Persie, Reyes.

Subs Not Used: Ljungberg, Taylor, Cygan, Eboue, Owusu-Abeyie.

Booked: Clichy.

Goals: Van Persie 43.

Att: 22,992

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).