ARSENAL came from behind to thump Blackburn 6-2 in the Barclays Premiership at the Emirates Stadium after Rovers took a shock lead on three minutes through a penalty from Shabani Nonda.

But Gilberto levelled for the Gunners and they led at halftime through Alexander Hleb and Emmanuel Adebayor's spot-kick.

Another for Nonda with 20 minutes left looked to have set up a nervous finish - but Robin van Persie wrapped things up with a late double before substitute Mathieu Flamini completed the rout in stoppage time.

Rovers' shock lead came when Andre Ooijer played in Bentley, who was tussling arm-to-arm with Kolo Toure and the pair went to ground.

Referee Howard Webb was convinced there had been enough contact from the Arsenal defender to point to the spot. The home side were incensed, and from television replays they looked to have good case. Congo striker Nonda, on loan from Roma, confidently stroked the penalty low to the right of Jens Lehmann.

Arsenal immediately went on the offensive. Robin van Persie drove Adebayor's cutback from the left just wide of the near post. After 10 minutes, Toure's flicked header clipped the crossbar following a corner on the left.

Moments later the Gunners were level. Van Persie sent over a delivery from the opposite flag, and Gilberto got up above marker Emerton to head past Brad Friedel.

Arsenal soon settled into their natural passing game.

However, on 16 minutes, Lehmann had to be alert to touch over a dipping 30-yard strike from Bentley. The Gunners then went ahead with a brilliant goal from Alexander Hleb. Fabregas slipped the ball through to Adebayor on the edge of the Blackburn area. He in turn fed Hleb. The Belarussian midfielder danced around Andy Todd before rolling the ball past Friedel on 23 minutes.

Before Rovers had time to regroup, it was 3-1. A delightful flick from Adebayor sent van Persie clear into the sixyard box ahead of Lucas Neill, who promptly pulled him down. Referee Webb pointed to the spot, before then consulting with his assistant and, showing leniency, produced only a yellow card for the Blackburn skipper. Punishment was served, though, when Adebayor sent Friedel the wrong way from 12 yards.

Tomas Rosicky tested the Rovers goalkeeper with a low 20-yard strike as Arsenal finished the first half in control.

However, there was a warning when Lehmann again had to be at full stretch to save another well-hit, long-range effort from Bentley.

Arsenal kept up the pressure at the start of the second half, Fabregas going close twice while Rosicky was somehow denied a goal by Ooijer clearance off the line.

Rovers made a change when Michael Gray was replaced by Matt Derbyshire on 63 minutes, and the substitution soon paid off. A deep cross from the right looped over the Arsenal backline, and Derbyshire's far-post header bounced back off the bar where Nonda was on hand to hook it into the net to give his side renewed hope with 21 minutes left.

Arsenal looked nervous at the back, with Lehmann turning Pedersen's snapshot over with nine minutes left as his defence failed to clear. Van Persie though wrapped things up, turning Bentley inside out on the right of the area before dispatching a low strike into the far corner on 85 minutes.

Adebayor and Fabregas then combined to set up van Persie for a fifth, before substitute Mathieu Flamini swept in a sixth in stoppage time to complete the rout.