Wenger buoyed by bright young things

Arsène Wenger believes his current Arsenal FC side can "go as far as they want" after marking 13 years at the club with a 6-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers FC in north London, twice coming from behind.

Attacking culture
There was a sense of carnival at the Arsenal Stadium, with Thierry Henry among a triumphant crowd, as Wenger oversaw his first game since becoming the Gunners' longest-serving manager on Thursday. Thirteen years after making his bow with a 2-0 victory over Blackburn, the Rovers were again the visitors and although Steven Nzonzi threatened to spoil the party with a fourth-minute opener, the Frenchman would not be denied. "Our culture is about going forward and scoring goals – you saw that again," said Wenger. "We can score goals from everywhere."

'Fantastic potential'
Indeed, Thomas Vermaelen, Robin van Persie, Andrei Arshavin, Cesc Fàbregas, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner were all on target as Arsenal registered six goals for the second time this season, adding to the 6-1 opening-day win at Everton FC – for now their 59-year-old coach is concerned only with the present. "I do not look back at my time at the club," he said. "Maybe I will when I have no choice, but now I look forward because there is so much to come from this team. They have fantastic potential. It is so enjoyable living with these players on a daily basis – to get them to improve and see how much they love the game."

'Arsenal are unstoppable' 
What makes it all the more remarkable, according to Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce, is just how many have come through the ranks at Arsenal. "To football, Wenger has given a tremendous amount," he said. "He has showed everyone how to find young talent and develop it through their system. We would all like to say we have 25 per cent of our players from our academy, but he has 80-90 per cent of his side through their academy. Arsenal are unstoppable. Paul Robinson pulled off some really good saves. We could have conceded more than six."