Yakubu bagged a brace for Blackburn and Arsenal scored two comical own goals as the pressure eased on under-fire Rovers boss Steve Kean.

Sloppy Arsenal score two own goals in Ewood Park thriller

Yakubu bagged a brace for Blackburn and Arsenal scored two comical own goals as the pressure eased on under-fire Rovers boss Steve Kean with a 4-3 victory at a soggy Ewood Park. But for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, who hoped a corner had been turned after last week's unconvincing victory over Swansea and the midweek draw away to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, it is back to the drawing board after some truly dismal defending. Twice the North London club led against a side who had previously been unable to claim three points in the Premier League, with Gervinho applying a fine finish to Alex Song's slide-rule pass after just 10 minutes and then Mikel Arteta driving home Aaron Ramsey's cut-back before the interval. However, the demons which emerged in the recent 8-2 drubbing at Old Trafford rose back to the surface as the powerful Yakubu first showed a deft touch to divert Junior Hoilett's beautiful pass beyond Wojciech Szczesny. Song could then only deflect Ruben Rochina's clipped free-kick beyond his own goalkeeper early in the second half before Yakubu showed his poacher's instincts to tap home from close range after Hoilett's deep corner went all the way to the far post where Steven N'Zonzi drilled the ball back in across box. And things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the 68th minute as a lightning break from the home side saw Martin Olsson released down the right where he drove into the box and fired across goal for the hapless Laurent Koscielny to turn the ball home. Subsitute Marouane Chamakh set up a grandstand finish with his fine header from Robin van Persie's cross five minutes from time, but the Gunners could not find an equaliser as Kean, who came under fire with a demonstration from home fans prior to the game, celebrated three vital points. Arsenal had given Kean just the start he must have feared when Gervinho scored his first goal for the Gunners in the 10th minute. Song's masterly run in midfield was followed by a peach of a through-pass that Gervinho ran on to and hit first-time, the ball going through Chris Samba's legs and across Paul Robinson into the far corner.

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Samba exposed Arsenal with a free header at a free-kick - but high and wide - before Andrey Arshavin then brought a sprawling save out of Robinson with a sharp low shot from 20 yards. Gervinho then wasted two more chances to extend the lead, and Rovers made the Gunners regret such largesse when Yakubu brought the scores level with the neatest of finishes in the 25th minute. Arsenal had half-cleared the ball but Hoilett produced a pass to match Song's, and Yakubu instinctively nudged it past the on-rushing Szczesny to score. Samba's presence at set-plays continued to upset Arsenal, who had been heavily linked with a move for the giant Congo defender in the summer, and he won a corner but again headed over. Ten minutes before the break a patient Arsenal build-up led to an incisive move that saw the Gunners regain the lead. Ramsey surged into the box on to Song's pass and, with Blackburn's defence expecting a ball to Van Persie at the near-post, cut the ball back for Arteta to rifle the ball into the roof of the net. It was the Spaniard's first goal for Arsenal - but his second against Blackburn this season, having scored a last-minute winner for Everton from the spot. Gervinho was wasteful again