FULL TIME! Arsenal run out 3-1 winners after a professional performance and goals from Diaby, Van Persie and Eboue. They stay second in the Barclays Premier League, seven points behind Manchester United with a game in hand and with United still to visit the Emirates. Blackpool are 17th just a point above the relegation zone. That's their lowest position all season.

Three minutes to be added.

Substitution Cesc Fàbregas Aaron Ramsey

The game is drawing to a close here and all hope of Blackpool mounting a late comeback seems to have disappeared.

Substitution Jason Puncheon Sergey Kornilenko

Substitution Samir Nasri Kieran Gibbs

Another great chance for Ian Evatt who seems to have had all the best chances for Blackpool today. Baptiste took a return pass from his own throw in. He crossed and Evatt was left unmarked but he headed straight at Lehmann.

Substitution Keith Southern Matt Phillips

Robin van Persie's 12 league goals this season have been his best ever return for Arsenal. This is despite the fact that he has played only 18 games.

Blackpool could have been back in it there. Gael Clichy was far too casual with the ball on the edge of his own box. He was dispossessed by Puncheon who squared infield to Campbell. However, the could only fire his shot straight at Jens Lehmann.

GOAL for Arsenal. More good work from the impressive in his own corner. He managed to clip the ball down the line to Fabregas who hooked it on towards the on-rushing Walcott. He raced clear of the Blackpool defence and squared for Van Persie who fired home.

Assist Theo Walcott

Goal Robin van Persie

However, Blackpool seem to have lost the thrust they had going forward. The spell following their goal seems to have finished and you wonder whether they'll get anymore chances.

Arsenal really starting at assert themselves here. Crainey seems to be struggling with Walcott's pace and has been booked already for fouling the England winger.

Yellow Card Stephen Crainey

Arsenal seem to have steadied the ship since conceding and are getting forward again at every opportunity. Can't help but think another goal would surely bring Blackpool's hopes of getting something from this game to an end.

Yellow Card Keith Southern

Diaby picks up the loose ball in midfield and squares to Fabregas who again picks out Van Persie. The striker had the ball on his favoured left side by dragged his shot narrowly wide. This game could go either way now.

Substitution Andrey Arshavin Theo Walcott

Arsenal have a sub of their own - Theo Walcott. Not a bad player to bring on as players start to tire.

Substitution Luke Varney Andy Matthew Reid

Andy Reid is set to come on for Blackpool.

Here's Greg who's at the game for goal.com: "Well, everything has changed here at Bloomfield Road and the Arsenal fans next to the press box are very quiet and very worried. Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is still chuntering away at the fourth official, still furious that his side were denied a penalty for Laurent Koscielny's foul on goalscorer Gary Taylor-Fletcher. Arsenal will have to weather this storm."

Blackpool have been denied what looks like a clear cut penalty. Taylor Fletcher nicks the ball past Koscielny and gets taken out. Mason waves away protests.

Assist DJ Campbell

Yellow Card Jack Wilshere

Goal Gary Taylor-Fletcher

GOAL for Blackpool. Luke Varney was taken out off the ball in the middle of the park but referee Lee Mason plays advantage. Jason Puncheon runs forward with the ball and plays in DJ Campbell who rounds Lehmann but is taken down by the German. Again Mason plays advantage and Taylor-Fletcher fires home. Game on!

Commentator's curse there! Adam's free kick from the left ends up going hard and lwo after he slips as he makes contact with the ball. It ended up going in the direction of Luke Varney who was on the corner of the six yard box. However, his cushioned half-volley goes a few yards wide.

Quite an open start to the second half but we are yet to have any attempts on goal.

The game has restarted at Bloomfield Road!

Here are Greg's thoughts on the first half: "Arsenal go in at half-time more than happy with their response after a bright start from Blackpool threatened to make it a tough afternoon for the Premier League title-challengers. Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas has produced his best display in an Arsenal shirt for many months, opening up a flat-footed home defence with perfectly timed through balls. Arsene Wenger's side really should be four or five goals to the good but Ian Holloway will know that an early goal after the re-start could turn this game completely on its head."

Blackpool come to close to grabbing one back. Gary Taylor-Fletcher plays a lovely reverse ball to Varney who squares along the six yard box for DJ Campbell who gets a touch towards goal. The ball literally stops on the goalline before being cleared by Fabregas. So close for the Tangerines but that brings the end to a great first half. 0-2.

Yellow Card Abou Diaby

There's two minutes added time at Bloomfield Road and here's Greg's thoughts: "Arsenal may be on their way to a convincing victory here but a fan who starts singing 'we're going to win the league' receives no backing from those around him. At least they are able to put this game into some perspective."

The crowd behind the linesman on the far side have been berating him for some of his decisions and they finally feel he's got one right. Wilshere's clipped cross from the left found Van Persie who converted from close range but the official raised his flag for offside.

Here's the latest from Greg: "It's really settled down here now. Arsenal appear to be in cruise control and their fans are enjoying their day out in the sun as they sing in support of Jens Lehmann and watch their captain Cesc Fabregas pull the strings. Blackpool are working hard and being geed up by Ian Holloway – but the atmosphere of deflation suggests they know it will take a miracle to turn this around."

Arsenal are starting to really rip Blackpool apart. Nasri has one shot parried by Kingson from close range and from the rseulting play, Fabregas dinks one over the top for Nasri again but his volley hits the outside of the post.

Fabregas plays another delightful ball over the top for Van Persie. The Dutchman chests the ball down but his right foot shot is easily saved by Kingson. Should have been 0-3.

That's Emmanuel Eboue's first Premier League goal in over two years.

Greg Stobart live at Bloomfield Road: "Amateur defending from Blackpool has completely undone a bright start from the hosts. Not one defender bothered to track Abou Diaby as he ran through for the first goal and moments later Emmanuel Eboue was gifted far too much space to smash home the second. Ian Holloway claims his side's defending is improving but that was shocking on both occasions and you get the feeling there will be more to come."

Assist Jack Wilshere

Goal Emmanuel Eboue

Second GOAL for Arsenal! Emmanuel Eboue has the ball wide on the right. He does a lovely give and go with Jack Wilshere who puts him through on goal. Eboue stayed calm and fired the ball left footed passed Kingson. It's going to be hard for Blackpool to come back from this.

GOAL for Arsenal! Abou Diaby wins the ball in the middle of the field and passes to Fabregas who played a delightful ball over the top for Robin Van Persie. The Dutchman could have pulled the trigger but instead played a inch-perfect, low cross to the forward running Diaby who taps home. Great goal.

Assist Robin van Persie

Goal Abou Diaby

Good work from Jason Puncheon gives him the option of cutting inside. His curling shot deflects wide for a corner but it looked to be going at least on target. The resulting corner is headed over by Ian Evatt, again.

There's break in play here whilst Charlie Adam receives treatment - he looks ok though.

Here are Greg Stobart thoughts on the match so far: "Superb noise from both sets of fans in the opening stages here at Bloomfield Road, where three-quarters of the ground is a sea of orange and roaring the home team on. Also a lively start on the pitch with both teams clearly in attacking mood. Jens Lehmann is yet to be tested in the Arsenal goal but the 41-year-old's kicking has been less than convincing."

Following an Arsenal cross from wide, Blackpool goalkeeper Richard Kingson punches clear and the ball breaks to Andrei Arshavin just 20 yards out with an open goal to aim at, but the Russian slices his shot wide. Poor effort.

Blackpool have had too early corners. The second of which was whipped in by Charlie Adam but the header from Ian Evatt went wide. Great start by the home side.

The game has started. It will be interesting to see how Jens Lehmann does after replacing the injured Manuel Almunia in the warm-up. He has conceded four goals in two reserve games since rejoining Arsenal. There's a great atmosphere at a very sunny Bloomfield Road.

More from Greg: DJ Campbell makes his first start for Blackpool following a six-week absence forced by a red card at Wolves that resulted in a thee-match ban. He's certainly not lacking in confidence as he talks up his England prospects in today's programme. He says: “Playing for my country has always been a dream of mine and every player will have the same ambition. My form has been fairly good and Fabio Capello came to our game against Tottenham, so you never know whether I would have been in the squad for the Wales and Ghana games.”

Greg Stobart: Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has used his programme notes to defend his side's ball-playing brand of football - of which Arsenal are the masters - and says he is counting on the Tangerines' home form as the club look to avoid relegation this season. “I had quite a remarkable trip to Spain during the recent international break and I returned knowing that the football we're trying to play here is the way forward. “Every player can pass and move and football should be all about entertaining. Now we just need to keep possession of the ball a lot more and keep creating chances. “Arsenal are one of the best teams in this division at doing just that and some of their goals make you want to stand up and applaud. “This is now the first of seven games remaining this season, five of which are at home, so that's 15 points from a total of 21 that are available at Bloomfield Road. We need everyone to unite together and make our ground a real fortress in the run-in.”

Arsenal: Lehmann; Eboue, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy; Nasri, Wilshere, Fabregas, Diaby, Arshavin; Van Persie Subs: Almunia, Gibbs, Rosicky, Walcott, Ramsey, Chamakh, Bendtner

Blackpool: Kingson; Crainey, Cathcart, Evatt, Baptiste; Southern, Adam, Taylor-Fletcher; Varney, Puncheon, Campbell Subs: Rachubka, Eardley, Phillips, Reid, Kornilenko, Beattie, Ormerod

Afternoon all, here are the thoughts of Greg Stobart who is at Bloomfield Road for goal.com: "Glorious sunshine here at Blackpool where the roads to the seaside town on the way in were jammed with day-trippers looking to make the most of the unseasonal weather. Arsene Wenger will be hoping that his Arsenal side don't treat this game like a day out on the beach while Blackpool supporters will be expecting their team to display as much energy as the flock of seagulls flying over Bloomfield Road – they are making a real racket. All eyes will be on Jens Lehmann, who has been called into the side after Manuel Almunia felt an injury in the warm-up. The 41-year-old German makes his first appearance for Arsenal since coming out of retirement to re-sign for the club last month. His last outing for the Gunners was against Everton on the final day of the 2007-08 season. Blackpool boss Ian Holloway will be grateful to see Theo Walcott on the substitutes' bench for the Gunners despite his hat-trick in Arsenal's 6-0 win when the sides met back in August." Teams to follow...