Arsenal 7 Blackburn 1:ARSENE WENGER was doing a decent job of managing the hype around Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, emphasising it is important to get the balance right between giving him confidence and not burdening him with unreasonable pressure. But then he was asked about the way the 18-year-old plays with a certain innocence and the Arsenal manager let his guard drop.

“I feel that is always a brand of top players. They just play,” Wenger said. “When you saw [Wayne] Rooney start he played like it was natural, the same with [Cesc] Fabregas. They are happy on the pitch and comfortable.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain looked at home on Saturday and, although these are early days to be talking about him in the same breath as two of the most talented footballers in the world – he has played only 252 minutes of Premier League football – anyone who witnessed his performance against Blackburn Rovers could not have failed to be impressed.

Robin van Persie walked off clutching the match ball and Thierry Henry marked what could be his last appearance at the Emirates Stadium with a goal (Wenger left the door open to the forward’s loan spell from New York Red Bulls being extended to include the visit of Tottenham Hotspur). But it was Oxlade-Chamberlain’s intelligent movement, dextrous footwork on the left flank and composed finishing that warmed the hearts of the Arsenal supporters who gave him a standing ovation when he was withdrawn.

By that point Arsenal were 6-1 in front against a dishevelled Blackburn side and Oxlade-Chamberlain had registered his first and second league goals.

Van Persie was also full of praise for the €15 million summer signing from Southampton. “He is a fantastic player already,” said the Arsenal captain, whose hat-trick took him to 123 goals, two beyond Dennis Bergkamp on the club’s all-time goalscorers’ list. “He has everything. He’s good on the ball, he’s quick, has movement, technique.”

It was a display to put a smile on the face of Fabio Capello, who will also have taken encouragement from the sight of Theo Walcott wreaking havoc on the opposite wing. Walcott set up Van Persie’s first two goals and later danced his way through the defence to create Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second.

Apart from Morten Gamst Pedersen’s exquisite free-kick, there was nothing positive that could be said about Blackburn. Gael Givet’s dismissal for a lunge on Van Persie will bring a three-match ban and deprive Steve Kean of another key defender at a time when Ryan Nelsen has departed to Tottenham and Christopher Samba seems unlikely to play for the club again.

“It’s a position where we’d like to get it resolved as soon as possible,” said Kean, when asked about Samba’s absence.