As far as away ties go, Stoke turned up at the Emirates with an intention to play some football. While that may not have been the running theme in the Pulis era, times and manager have changed since then with Mark Hughes now leading the Potters in the Premier League.
Given the animosity between Hughes and Wenger, one could have expected some urgency in the encounter between these two sides. Stoke started on the front foot with three corners and a half chance for Shaqiri. A long range-volley from Muniesa was also tipped over the bar by Petr Cech as Stoke looked for their first win at Arsenal’s home ground since 1981.
Also read: Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City - Player Ratings
Up stepped Xhaka with an elbow on Joe Allen and the referee pointed to the spot which led to Charlie Adam’s opener. The Gunners were quick to react as they knocked the ball around with purpose and patience to release Bellerin down the right. The Spaniard fired in a low cross and in the blink of an eye, Walcott equalised.
Arsenal were level and soon took the lead through an Ozil beauty. Stoke almost grabbed a foothold back into the game with Crouch’s first touch but Iwobi gave the scoreline a more emphatic tone with a well-taken finish.
Here are the talking points from the game:
#1 Ozil’s ghosting run leaves Stoke City haunted
The goal when it came was a combination of beauty and magic. A deft finish by the most gentle person on the football pitch on the evening was a moment of high-quality football at its best.
Ozil had been making some deft movements since the start of the game. Chamberlain noticed the German on the move and floated a pass over the Stoke defence. Erik Pieters, the man who was supposed to mark the German, lost him for a moment and could only watch helplessly as Ozil planted a delicate header to give Arsenal the lead.
The 28-year-old has led from the front this season and was a calming presence even when things threatened to boil over on Saturday. Other than his attacking talents the Gunners need Ozil’s leadership if they are to ensure a title challenge this season.
#2 Potters flutter briefly
The Potters played some good football initially with Allen drifting inside from an unfamiliar left midfield role. Arnautovic played ahead of Shaqiri while Diouf provided protection along the right flank. Stoke functioned nicely and they were rewarded when a rash challenge by Xhaka led to a penalty.
Adam stepped up to convert on his birthday and gave Stoke the lead. But that was it as Arsenal ran away with the game thereafter. Hughes did try and change things in the second half by bringing on Crouch and was almost rewarded immediately. Unfortunately for Stoke, Arsenal went down the other end and scored a goal themselves to seal the game.
In the end, Plan B was a reminder of the old-school Stoke that one felt had been shelved since the arrival of Mark Hughes.
#3 Walcott puts in a shift
There has been a marked maturity in the Englishman this season and that was on showing at the Emirates yet again. Walcott was at the heart of everything against Stoke. His work rate was excellent and speaking at the end, he emphasised on the “hard work” he put in over the summer as the reason behind his returns this season.
169 minutes per goal for his 7 goals this season means that the Gunners have a threat other than Sanchez. The Chilean has already scored 11 goals this season at a rate of 114 minutes per goal. However, for a change the Chilean had a quiet night by his standards.
Walcott, 27, brilliantly timed his run to glance in his 100th club goal at the near post past Grant to score a deserved equaliser. Along with Bellerin on the right flank, they troubled Stoke constantly with their pace and movement.
#4 Are Stoke flat-track bullies?
Before this game, Stoke’s season this term has been a tale of two halves. As Barry Glendenning of the Guardian pointed out, Stoke have managed their 5 wins against opposition who lie in the bottom half of the table.
Emirates was supposed to be a stern test and the result meant that the assessment is much closer to the truth than one may agree. Nevertheless, Stoke had their chances in the game and can consider themselves unlucky in the way they conceded the goals.
If only, Stoke could have been more clinical in the early stages then it could have been a different story altogether. And Mark Hughes summed up the positives form this display at the end stating, “We created a number of good opportunities when in previous years we have struggled to even get shots on goal here. We stood up to them and maybe conceding the equaliser before half-time lifted them and hurt us more than we thought.”
#5 Bellerin makes an impressive return
The Spaniard impressed on his return as he created Walcott’s equaliser and made interventions in defence. The defender’s assist was his seventh since the start of last season which makes it the most for a defender.
Bellerin replaced Mustafi in the 25th minute and immediately increased the tempo of the game. Arsenal’s attacking play soon had new verve as the Spaniard began to find space on Allen’s flank. Other than assisting the goal, the Spaniard also created a chance for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and was excellent throughout.
Ahead of the City game, Wenger will be pleased with this performance. Speaking after the game, Arsene stated, “We had a hesitant start, but when you play every few days sometimes it takes you time to get into a rhythm and that is what happened. We are there for the fight and we have been consistent after the first game. It is down to us to maintain the focus and the desire to improve.”
