Arsene Wenger's men were stunned on two minutes when former young Gunner David Bentley was controversially adjudged to have been hauled down in the box by Kolo Toure. Despite Arsenal's vehement objections, referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot.
After winning the argument with Bentley as to who was to take the kick, Shabani Nonda stepped up to face Jens Lehmann. With a deliberate stutter to his run he fired the ball low into the left side of the net just beyond the outstretched arm of the Gunners keeper.
Arsenal were immediately back on the attack to level the scores. Kolo Toure almost made amends for his penalty concession when on ten minutes he headed fit again Tomas Rosicky's corner on to the top of the bar, although the ball must have touched a Rovers player on the way as the referee awarded a corner.
It was taken on the right side by Robin van Persie who swung in a left-foot effort which Gilberto met with a towering header that flew powerfully beyond Brad Friedel for 1-1.
Arsenal took the lead on 23 minutes with a superb move started and finished by Alex Hleb. The Belarus midfielder found Cesc Fabregas and continued his run towards goal. The young Spaniard in turn slipped a ball to Emmanuel Adebayor who laid off an intelligent ball for Hleb to run on to.
There was still work for the midfield dynamo to do, but he comfortably beat two Rovers defenders before picking his spot to slip the ball past the oncoming Friedel.
Arsenal went further ahead just five minutes later when a fine Gunners move culminated in van Persie being upended by Lucas Neill. After some deliberation with his linesman, Mr Webb pointed to the spot and Adebayor coolly despatched the penalty.
The Gunners continued in the ascendancy after the interval and van Persie should have added a fourth on 67 minutes when the home side broke through Rosicky.
The Czech midfielder sent van Persie through on the left side of the area and with just Friedel to beat he shot tamely with his right foot straight at the Blackburn keeper.
The visitors struck back on 70 minutes with a goal against the run of play. Brett Emerton got the better of Gael Clichy to deliver a cross to the far post. The ball was met by substitute Matt Derbyshire, but his acrobatic effort came back off the underside of the bar.
Fortunately for the visitors Nonda reacted first to fire the rebound into the back of the net with an overhead kick from two yards out.
The goal encouraged Blackburn who seemed to begin to play with more energy and purpose. They almost grabbed an equaliser in the 81st minute but another superb save by Lehmann from a fierce Robbie Savage shot saved the Gunners.
The resultant corner was well defended by the Gunners and Wenger's side broke forward with Fabregas finding Justin Hoyte on the left flank. The Gunners right-back then delivered a ball to the feet of van Persie who again fired wide.
Just as Wenger may have been thinking it was not his striker's day, the Dutchman netted a wonder goal. He received a pass on the right side of the penalty area, sent international colleague Andre Ooijer one way and then another before curling a left-foot shot around Friedel.
Van Persie made it 5-2 on 87 minutes when he was picked out on the penalty spot by midfield master Fabregas and the misery for Friedel didn't end there as substitute Matthieu Flamini was on hand to fire into the net after the Blackburn goalie had saved a Fabregas shot.