Arsenal’s woeful Premiership form on the road continued as Ewood Park was added to Anfield, Goodison, The Hawthorns, St James’, the Reebok, the Riverside and Stamford Bridge as their least favourite venues this season.

The Gunners’ majestic Champions League victory against Real Madrid in midweek seemed a million miles away as Pedersen side-footed home from close range in the 18th minute after Craig Bellamy had out-muscled Philippe Senderos to get to the byline.

It was the Norwegian’s last contribution as he appeared to pull a hamstring in scoring the goal and was immediately replaced.

The result lifted Blackburn into fifth, overtaking the Gunners.

After a 10-day break since their last match, which took in a sunshine break in Dubai, Rovers manager Mark Hughes was able to name an unchanged side.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made two changes to the team which beat Real Madrid, leaving out Freddie Ljungberg (calf) and dropping Alexander Hleb to the bench to be replaced by Abou Diaby and, on his 22nd birthday, Emmanuel Adebayor.

Just before kick-off Arsenal went through a bizarre hugging routine with each player embracing his 10 fellow team-mates and if it was designed to engender some kind of united spirit it initially appeared to work.

Ryan Nelsen took just 10 seconds to commit the first foul, on Thierry Henry, before Tugay then brought down the forward-running Diaby 35 yards out in the fifth minute.

Nelsen’s body-check on Cesc Fabregas 25 yards out presented Henry with his first sight of goal in the 11th minute but the defensive wall did its job.

Arsenal could not find the final pass and Blackburn made them pay with a breakaway goal completely against the run of play.

In the 18th minute Craig Bellamy chased a hopeful ball down the right touchline and held off Senderos to get to the byline and cut it back for the on-rushing Pedersen to side-foot home.

However, it was his last action as in his fall after the goal he injured himself and was replace almost immediately by Sergio Peter.

Andy Todd was booked in the 24th minute for a foul on Jose Antonio Reyes in a dangerous position on the right angle of Blackburn’s penalty area but Henry’s quick free-kick was comfortably claimed by Brad Friedel.

Diaby then somehow escaped without a booking for a very late challenge from behind on Lucas Neill, referee Uriah Rennie not for the first time eliciting howls of protest from the home crowd.

A Peter corner to the edge of the area saw Tugay volley goalwards but Todd could only deflect the ball over from eight yards, while Robbie Savage achieved the same result after Jens Lehmann flapped at a Steven Reid cross minutes later.

Wenger replaced Reyes with Robert Pires on the left at the start of the second half and within seconds he had picked out Henry on the penalty spot but, for once, the France striker could not turn his man.

Savage should really have done better having been put through Tugay but he ran the ball too close to Lehmann, who then leapt to his feet to remonstrate with the Rovers player over his challenge.

Seconds later the goalkeeper, who had just had a talking to from Rennie, pushed over Reid after he got in the way of a quick free-kick and the German was rightly booked.

Senderos’ miserable afternoon continued when he headed over from six yards while Fabregas should then have really tested Friedel after a flowing move from right to left involving Hleb, a 62nd-minute substitute for the fading Diaby, and Henry but he rolled the ball into the goalkeeper’s arms.

David Bentley was then given the chance he was craving against his former employers, replacing Tugay with 20 minutes to go.

Friedel made a superb 71st-minute save from Adebayor 12 yards out while Arsenal’s tendency to over-elaborate was costing them with Pires and Henry both declining to shoot in favour of Eboue, who blazed over.

As the match entered its final few minutes Henry was still to have a single clear-cut chance thanks to the effective job done by Todd and, if anything, Rovers finished the stronger.