After the dream, inevitably, comes the awakening. The tangerine hordes of Blackpool gathered at the Emirates Stadium with a sense of trepidation but sung and celebrated throughout, never allowing the details of the scoreline and an early sending-off to spoil their day out.
Yet this was the reality check they feared. When Arsenal were 5-0 up with 30 minutes to play, they brought on Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, which is as dispiriting as it must get for any opposition team. While not every club will be able to boast such reserves, Arsenal provided a more authentic welcome to the Premier League than Wigan last week.
‘They were absolute class,' acknowledged Blackpool boss Ian Holloway. ‘If my team play like that one day I'd be delighted. The ball hardly left the grass, 슬롯사이트 the pace and movement were terrific and it's a joy to watch. It shook us that we couldn't play our natural game and it was an absolute education. We have to learn quickly.
On fire: Theo Walcott opens the scoring before going on to hit his first Premier League hat-trick
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