Arsenal feel Robin van Persie's absence in goalless draw with Stoke

Life after Robin van Persie is turning out to be every bit as painful as many Arsenal supporters feared. A day after the Dutchman opened his Manchester United account with an exquisite strike against Fulham, Arsenal fans departed the Potteries with their unbeaten start to the season intact but still waiting to celebrate their first goal.

Picking up a point at a stadium where Arsenal suffered defeat in three of their previous five visits hardly qualifies as a bad day at the office but as long as Arsène Wenger's side continue to lack a cutting edge, which was also the case in the 0-0 draw against Sunderland last weekend, it is difficult to look beyond the absence of the man who almost single-handedly dragged them to a top-three finish last season. "Robin van Persie, he would have scored that," the Stoke City supporters sang time and again.

None of the chances that fell to Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Mikel Arteta or Abou Diaby were clear cut, although the reality is that they never needed to be when Van Persie was still around. Wenger had a point when he talked about the need to be patient and give the new signings time to develop an understanding, but he also bemoaned the lack of spontaneity, something that Van Persie could never be accused of.

Giroud, in fairness, gave a decent account of himself on his full debut, and came close to scoring an outrageous winner in the closing minutes, when he spotted Asmir Begovic, the Stoke goalkeeper, off his line and clipped a left-footed shot from well outside the penalty area that skimmed the roof of the net.

Podolski, deployed in the wide-left berth he occupies for Germany rather than the central striking role he took up against Sunderland, showed some early promise but faded, and Gervinho, the other member of Arsenal's three-prong attack, was a disappointment.

Wenger, however, was entitled to be reasonably satisfied with the outcome. Stoke, as he pointed out, are formidable opponents at home – the top six all failed to win there last season – and this had the look of an awkward fixture beforehand. It was easy to imagine Tony Pulis rubbing his hands when he was given a team sheet that included the name of a rookie Arsenal goalkeeper. Vito Mannone was making only his seventh start for Arsenal and in his last appearance, against Olympiakos in the Champions League eight months ago, he made a dreadful blunder in a 3-1 defeat.

The Britannia Stadium hardly felt like the ideal place for a comeback but Mannone enjoyed a comfortable ride. Deputising for Wojciech Szczesny, who was ruled out with a rib injury, the 24-year-old Italian handled Stoke's aerial threat from set pieces with the minimum of fuss and had little to do other than make a couple of routine saves. Stoke, as Pulis later conceded, were poor as an attacking force, although they could have pilfered three points late on, when Jonathan Walters ran on to Michael Kightly's through ball only to snatch at the chance and shoot wide of the far upright.

Defeat would have been hard for Arsenal to accept. Although Begovic was not exactly overworked, Arsenal had plenty of possession and always looked the more likely team to score. Arteta should have done better when he curled wide in the second half, and Podolski had a sight of goal in the eighth minute only for his left-footed shot to be blocked by Andy Wilkinson. It struck the full-back on the forearm but there seemed to be little intent and Wenger did not even mention the incident afterwards.

Stoke had a penalty appeal of their own in the second half when Kieran Gibbs rather untidily tangled with Jermaine Pennant. Lee Mason, the referee, saw no offence and Pulis was not minded to make a big deal of the incident. The Stoke manager was more interested in making what felt like a point to the board about the importance of adding to his squad before the transfer window closes. "I hope next week will be a busy week for us because we need to freshen it up," said Pulis, who is keen on Tottenham's Michael Dawson as well as Tom Huddlestone.

There is certainly a need for some more imagination about their play on the evidence of this goalless draw. "I thought we were disappointing going forward. We can do better than that," Pulis said. "We looked unbalanced without Matty [Etherington] on the left-hand side but the attitude and the commitment of the players was absolutely first class, and as a football club we must never become blase about just taking a point off of one of the top clubs in Europe."

Man of the match: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

Source: Stuart James, The Guardian on 26 Aug 12

Arsenal's Robin van Persie proves the leveller against Stoke City

Arsenal could only draw at what is something of a bogey ground for them, but must still be favourites to finish third, guaranteeing qualification for next season's Champions League, after Newcastle's unexpected mauling by Wigan. Arsène Wenger's resurgent Gunners are now four points ahead of Newcastle, who have a game in hand, and seven in front of Tottenham, who have two more matches than their north London rivals still to play.

Arsenal have won one and lost three of their past five visits here, but it is not only their results that they dislike about the venue. The Stoke fans scorn Wenger and his passing game, and even for the impartial observer it was unpleasant to hear the vitriolic abuse of a manager who has always been a positive influence on football in England, and the booing of young Aaron Ramsey, apparently for having his career threatened when his leg was broken in two places by Ryan Shawcross two years ago.

"The Stoke crowd have a relationship with me, but I don't have one with them," Wenger said. "It's easy to sit in the stand and abuse people – the easiest sport in the world.

"Football has to tackle it. And if you want to stop it, it's easy to stop it. You can isolate every single face.

"Sometimes when I go out on the pitch at the end of the game, and people are angry or hateful, I would like a little picture to send home for them to show their son or daughter, and then come back next week and see if they will do it again."

Asked about Ramsey's hostile treatment, he said: "I don't see what he has done wrong and so I don't think the crowd can be proud of themselves."

In what, as usual, was the ultimate clash of styles, Arsenal stood up for themselves in the physical confrontations, which has not always been the case in the past and, in dressing room parlance, earned the right to play. Even Tony Pulis had to admit that Wenger's side was much the better team, especially in the first half.

"Arsenal's play was smashing, but we were a lot better in the second half and might even have nicked another goal," he said – adding that his players could take "great credit" that none of the top six clubs managed to win at the Britannia this season.

On the subject of the crowd's behaviour, Pulis said: "It's not just Arsène who gets it. I go to other grounds and get abused. You have to accept it as a manager. Should you accept it? I don't know. You'd better ask the police."

The match could be personified as a tale of two strikers. Peter Crouch did his prospects of making the England squad for Euro 2012 no harm at all with his 10th goal of the season in the Premier League and his 13th in all competitions. Wenger had warned his players on Friday about the aerial threat posed by the itinerant beanpole, but the lesson went unheeded when Crouch headed home Matthew Etherington's left-wing cross.

When Arsenal equalised, in the 15th minute, it was almost inevitably through Robin van Persie, newly crowned as Footballer of the Year. The Dutchman's 35th goal in 46 games took the form of a cushioned volley at close range, the chance set up by Tomas Rosicky.

Stoke were without their regular right-back, Andy Wilkinson, and Kieran Gibbs, Rosicky, Yossi Benayoun and Gervinho all took it in turns to exploit Ryan Shotton's fallibility in the role, forcing Jermain Pennant to track back to help out. Shotton, turned inside out, gave way to Matthew Upson 10 minutes into the second half with Robert Huth switching to right-back.

It was midway through the second half that the Stoke fans started booing Arsenal's every pass and turned on Ramsey. It was disappointing behaviour and all the more risible for the fact that many of the same people will probably criticise England's inability to play like Arsenal at the Euro 2012 finals.

Arsenal might have had a penalty after 75 minutes, when Benayoun went to ground inside the 18-yard area, the claim being that he had been pushed in the back by Glenn Whelan.

Stoke threatened to steal it at the death when Bacary Sagna made a last-ditch clearance from Crouch, but such an outcome would have been a travesty.

Arsenal's recovery since the turn of the year probably merits third place in the league, which will be theirs providing they gain favourable results from their two remaining games, at home to Norwich and away to West Brom.

Wenger was talking about the Britannia's hostile atmosphere when he spoke about his thick skin, but he has needed it since January, when three successive defeats had a voracious media, and a vocal minority of Arsenal fans, calling for his dismissal. At least it's all gone quiet over there.

Source: Joe Lovejoy, The Guardian on 28 Apr 12

Wenger's reaction to the Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal match

on the performance...
I believe that it was a game where we have shown great character, great battling qualities. It was a game of two different approaches - one very direct in the air and one who tries to play on the ground. Both teams are good at what they do and that's why I think it was still an interesting game. We had good chances, especially in the first half. In the second half I felt our fluency dropped a bit in midfield - we still had chances though, especially a penalty that was not given. Overall we deserved at least a point and I can only give credit to my players for their battling qualities and the way they responded to what Stoke offered us - full commitment, well-organised, direct. We did not always cope with it but today I felt we did.

on the penalty claim…
It will go on the tape of all the penalties we have not got this season.

on Stoke spending time on set-pieces…
You are used to it. I was frustrated at times but that happens in every game because I am completely in the game. I was sometimes frustrated but not surprised.

on jeers for Aaron Ramsey…
I don't think you can be especially proud to boo Aaron Ramsey because I don't see what he has done wrong in his behaviour. That's an old story where the fans of Stoke stand behind their player. But it shouldn't go as far as booing Aaron Ramsey.

on Newcastle's defeat...
The good result we got was that Newcastle dropped points today but for us it is important to win our next two games. Anything less will not do it [guarantee third place].

on sharpness in the final third...
In the first half we had the chances but we lacked something. It is more about belief because recently we didn't score so many goals - we didn't score against Chelsea last week. Maybe it is linked with belief.

on Chamakh's future…
He did well. Nothing is definite at the moment. At the end of the season I think you will have big surprises because there will not be a lot of movement in football.

on his relationship with the Stoke fans…
They have a relationship with me but I don't have one with them! They do [enjoy my visits] but I personally have enough experience to cope with that [criticism]. It doesn't bother me too much. I don't listen too much to what people chant and I just think one day people in football will have to tackle that as well. It is easy to sit in the stand and insult people - it is the easiest sport in the world.

on insulting chants...
I focus on what I love in my job and the way my players behave on the pitch. I am not responsible for the way people behave in the stands. If you want to stop that it is easy to stop but I cannot influence it. I have had so much [criticism] in England, I have been here for 15 years, and basically I don't hear it because I am focused on the game.

on how it could be stopped…
You can isolate every single face. The only thing I think sometimes when I leave the pitch at the end of the game and people insult you or are angry or hateful, I'd just like a little picture and send it home to you. Show that to your son or your daughter, and then come back next week and see if you would do it again, if they are proud of you. That's all that you can do.
 
Source: Arsenal.com on 28 Apr 12

28 April 2012: Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal, Britianna Stadium

Arsenal prised a valuable point away from Stoke on Saturday thanks to Robin van Persie's 28th Premier League goal of the season.

The Dutchman touched home an excellent cross from Tomas Rosicky in the 15th minute to equalise an early strike from Peter Crouch.

The draw was the least Arsenal deserved. They created a flurry of chances in the first half and, though the latter period was more even, the visitors might have taken all three points if referee Chris Foy had awarded a penalty when Yossi Benayoun appeared to be bundled over in the area with 16 minutes left.

A superb clearance from Bacary Sagna in injury time preserved Arsenal's point. Newcastle's defeat at Wigan means Arsène Wenger's side are now four clear in third place having played a game more than the North-East side.

Arsenal are inching their way into the Champions League. But the means does not matter - it never does at this stage of the season - as long as they get the job done in the end.

Slowly but surely Arsenal are securing third place.

Wenger made two changes from the side held to a draw by Chelsea last Saturday.

Benayoun replaced Theo Walcott while Gervinho came in for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose father and uncle had both played for the home side in the 1980s.

Stoke came into this game in 14th; lower than one would expect. However the Britannia Stadium was their stronghold once more. Liverpool and Tottenham had been beaten here while Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs had only taken away a point.

Since Stoke had returned to the top flight, Arsenal had been beaten twice in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup. Their only victory had been blighted by a nasty injury to Aaron Ramsey.

This game had stood out like a sore-thumb in Arsenal's run-in. Taking one point in their last two games had left Wenger's men with a narrower margin for error.

This afternoon, they would need to draw on all of the calm, professionalism that had hauled them up the table in February and March.

And that is exactly how they started.

In the sixth minute, Benayoun charged the ball down and fed Van Persie. He returned the ball to the Israeli, whose goalbound shot was easily saved.

Then Rosicky clipped a ball to far post and Van Persie's header was snaffled around the post by Asmir Begovic.

It seemed that Arsenal had slipped easily into gear. However their poor record at the Britannia Stadium is founded on conceding early goals and they would let in another one this afternoon.

In the ninth minute, Stoke worked the ball to the left and Matthew Etherington's high, hanging cross was guide home by the head of Crouch.

It was a sucker-punch but Arsenal were not in the mood to rest of their laurels this afternoon. They just rolled up their sleeves and redoubled their efforts.

Within six minutes they were level.

Benayoun won the ball and fed Rosicky on the left. The Czech international dinked a cross to the far post where Van Persie ghosted in to prod home.

It was the major moment of the first half as Arsenal kicked on and took control. They created a host of decent chances after that and should have netted at least one.

Sagna's raking cross might have been nodded home by Gervinho, Van Persie's shot was blocked, Koscielny headed over and Gervinho burst through only to blaze wide.

Stoke were blunted and reliant on set-pieces to threaten the Arsenal goal. They did manufacture their fair share of nervousness in the area but the visitors stayed strong.

Wenger's men went into the break level in terms of the scoreline but on top in the game.

They continued in that vein after the restart. Song and Rosicky set up Sagna on the right and, though Van Persie made clean connection with is header, it did not have enough power to beat Begovic.

Stoke had mustered some response after the restart but Arsenal were still edging the game. Gervinho and Vermaelen thumped over while Kieran Gibbs had a glimpse of goal but his shot was blocked.

However the home side were now pressing with more force and asking more pertinent questions of the Arsenal defence.

The visitors would respond. Van Persie's free-kick was blocked and Ramsey drove wide.

In the 74th minute they had strong claims for a penalty when Glenn Whelan appeared to be bundle over Benayoun as the Israeli raced onto Van Persie's ball.

If Arsenal failed to win, it would be seen as a key moment.

Cameron Jerome stung the hands of Wojciech Szczesny with a fierce snap-shot eight minutes from time. But Arsenal ended strongly and Vermaelen's low piledriver whistled inches past the post in the dying seconds.

It would have been a travesty had Stoke snatched something at the death. But they nearly did.

A late throw-in from Rory Delap caused consternation in the area and Sagna had to hack the ball away from under his own bar. Jon Walters then fired just wide.

However Arsenal can be satisfied with their work and their point.

Another tough obstacle had been overcome.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 28 Apr 12

Robin van Persie rides to the rescue for Arsenal against Stoke City

The problem with having only one dependable forward on the books is there is something of a Bermuda Triangle when he is not there. For three quarters of this match Robin van Persie watched from the sidelines, having been given the well-deserved breather that Arsène Wenger had been summoning up the courage to give him for some time.

Poor Marouane Chamakh, a man who appears to have mislaid so much confidence that he looks as if he would struggle to find his shirt on his peg, was given his first Premier League start of the season, but laboured for just over an hour. Park Chu‑young, the South Korea forward signed in the summer transfer window, has played once in the Carling Cup. The bottom line is this: no Van Persie, no va va voom.

With Arsenal straining for cohesion their top-scoring captain came on in the 66th minute. It took him around a quarter of an hour to score twice, swat aside any semblance of threat from Stoke and lift the mood immeasurably. Van Persie's outstanding record of 30 goals from 36 games shows how much he is carrying his team.

Chamakh's two goals in 32 games do not breed enormous reassurance. His confidence, in mind and in touch, is a long-term problem. That was evident with Arsenal's first chance of the game. Chamakh got himself into position to meet Mikel Arteta's corner but the downward header was weak.

Aaron Ramsey, who had his own reasons for having a few nerves about this game, began to exert his authority. His creative eye carved open a chance for the lively Gervinho, which the Ivorian could not quite control; then his knack for arriving in the right place for a shot saw him drag a fierce effort from outside a packed penalty box narrowly wide.

In the 27th minute Ramsey's influence led to the opening goal. The Welshman chipped a pass in to Gervinho, who this time chested down to finish unerringly.

Stoke's response was nothing if not predictable. A set piece attacked with conviction, allied to Arsenal's defensive confusion, made it easy for Peter Crouch, who tapped in after Ryan Shawcross and Jon Walters had helped the move along. Wenger had written in his programme notes that his team were "improving" in terms of set pieces. Not enough, clearly. Collective paralysis set in as soon as the ball hit the box, and Stoke claimed every free ball. Arsenal were enraged by the free-kick in the first place, given when Laurent Koscielny leaned into Crouch as they competed for a ball in the air.

Arsenal appealed for what looked like a reasonable penalty when Andy Wilkinson dragged down Chamakh but the referee Lee Mason was unmoved.

The first plaintive shouts for Van Persie began four minutes into the second half. When he made his entrance, he made an immediate impression. Suddenly there was some thrust and imagination in the final third. There was also some heat, as the Dutchman reacted furiously to an elbow in the side of the head from Shawcross.

Although Asmir Begovic will be disappointed, Arsenal could take heart from the combination play between Gervinho and Van Persie. The Ivorian twice teed up the Dutchman, who has become wonderfully clinical from close range. And so Arsenal won their sixth match out of seven, thus aiding their recovery from the early-season calamities.

They are in the bizarre position of being so reliant on Van Persie (who even by his own manager's admission is not an authentic striker) that they have to get down on their knees and pray he stays injury free.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 23 Oct 11

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City match

on his win over Stoke...
We had a solid team performance where you could see that the team improves defensively, especially against a team that is challenging like Stoke. We looked much more solid defensively and we had a good start to the game until they equalised. Then I felt we became a bit nervous and we needed half time to calm down and then come back.

The second half basically was all us, especially after the first 15 minutes, and then the problem was to score goals. Van Persie can do that better than many people and he did it when he came on. Overall it was a good, spirited performance and the crowd feels that this team wants to do well because they stood behind the team again and that is very positive. They feel that the team is ready to put effort in.

Of course Robin with the two goals deserves a massive credit but I feel Gervinho as well had a very lively game, a very influential game.

on the reason for first-half nerves...
Frustration. Also the players were a bit angry because they knew for us the second ball was vital. We could not win every ball against Crouch so the second ball was important. The players felt at half time that we had been caught on the second ball. But I have to give credit to Stoke, they surprised us with the free kick, and after that we were a bit in no-man's land on all the second balls. They took advantage of it and after that the frustration took over and our passing became less fluent until half time.

on the free kick that led to Crouch's goal...
I think that it was not a free kick at all, I just felt it was a wonderful header. I couldn't understand what the referee saw. It is a concern [that we did not pick up Shawcross] but the players knew straight away at half time that they had been caught. But we had a great response in the second half and in the final part of the game it was all us.

on why he rested Van Persie...
He had muscular tightness and I took 19 players [in training] yesterday because I was not sure whether to involve him on the teamsheet. He made a check this morning and he was medically alright to be on the bench. Before you leave him out you always think 15 times 'should I really do it or not?' but if you look at the number of games he plays and the history he has, you are a bit cautious.

on accusations of being a 'one-man team'...
I don't have that feeling at all. When you want to be a team with quality you always have a player who stands out and who gets on the end of things. We had Thierry Henry before. Robin has exceptional quality and so you get these questions.

on Johan Djourou at right back...
Permanently I don't know [if he has made a case to play there] but he had a very good game today. What was good today was that we were tall at the back. We had Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Santos in the back four. When you face Stoke that is an interesting quality.

on Van Persie's fitness for the Chelsea game…
He was not injured, he was just tight muscularly. He will be fit.

on the performance of Marouane Chamakh…
I think he worked very hard. He is running after a goal at the moment. I felt there were two or three occasions in the first half where he was nearly there on crosses and just didn't get in front of Shawcross. I am pleased with his effort. I think he knows in his mind that at the moment Van Persie is untouchable. Because we play with two wingers it is very difficult to play with two strikers because you are too open in the middle of the park. So unless I change the system it will be him or Van Persie. It is difficult. But he will get confidence by playing games and scoring goals like all strikers.

on Manchester City's win at Old Trafford…
It was a surprise. You look today that France nearly beat New Zealand [in the Rugby World Cup final] - I didn't see that coming either! The big scores for me have no special meaning because it means something special has happened in the game.

We conceded four goals in the last 20 minutes [at Old Trafford] and today Manchester United conceded three goals in the last 15 or 20 minutes. Once you are in a position where you have to attack with ten men against a good side you are vulnerable. What is more difficult to face afterwards is the emotional aspect of a result like that which remains in your heads and your body.

Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Oct 11

23 October 2011: Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City, The Emirates

Substitute Robin van Persie grabbed a late brace as Arsenal continued their revival with a 3-1 win over Stoke at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Dutchman slotted home cut-backs from Gervinho on 73 and 82 minutes as Arsène Wenger’s side registered their third win inside eight days.

But while the victories over Sunderland and Marseille had been tight affairs, this was more like the old Arsenal. Yes they had to rely on Van Persie’s late introduction after he had been rested at kick-off, but their overall performance was arguably the best of the season so far.

Gervinho had given them the lead just before the half-hour when he cleverly converted from Aaron Ramsey’s scooped pass. However, seven minutes later, Stoke were on level terms when a well-worked free-kick saw Peter Crouch convert from close range.

In previous games this season the equaliser had been prelude for doubts to creep in. Not this afternoon.

Arsenal fought the physical with the physical but retained their grace and guile. They ground down one of the most robust sides in the top flight and fully deserved the three points.

This was a sixth win in seven games for Wenger's men and moved them up to seventh place in the table.

Arsenal are not quite back yet – but they are clearly on the way.

Wenger made four changes from the side that had gleaned that last-gasp victory at Marseille in midweek.

The most eye-catching omission was Van Persie in favour of Marouane Chamakh. However, at his pre-match press conference, the manager had hinted the Dutchman needed a break.

“On Monday I decide always to rest him and on Friday I play him again,” he joked.

Elsewhere Gervinho and Aaron Ramsey came in, pushing Andrey Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky to the bench.

Johan Djourou started at right back - the position in which he had ended the game in France after Carl Jenkinson went off with a knee injury.

This was the 100th Premier League game at Emirates Stadium. The first 99 had been a statistician’s dream - W66 D22 L11.

It was also the 150th game in all competitions and two goals this afternoon would bring up a double century in five years at the new ground.

However the opening quarter-hour this afternoon never looked like bringing up that landmark.

Chamakh nudged a header beyond the far post from Mikel Arteta’s corner, then the Spaniard himself drove wide.

Perhaps the closest Arsenal came was when Gervinho raced into the area to collect Ramsey’s pass, but Asmir Begovic scooped up the ball before he could convert.

Maybe it was the European exploits of both clubs, perhaps it was shadow created by the Manchester derby - but this was tame stuff.

The first time the crowd had cause to leave their seats was midway through the half when Arteta’s free-kick fell to Gervinho at the far post. He pushed a pass back into the path of Ramsey, who cracked an effort just wide.

Having said all that, Arsenal had the copyright on creativity up to this point. So, when the goal came in the 27th minute, it had to go to the home side.

Arteta made headway down the left and, after Walcott was dispossessed, Ramsey shovelled a pass over the Stoke defence for Gervinho to collect and then convert.

It was the Ivorian’s second for the Club and had been based on his speed of thought to avoid running offside.

However, within seven minutes, it would be Stoke’s quick thinking that carved out an unlikely equaliser.

Glenn Whelan pumped a seemingly aimless free-kick down the right flank but Shawcross escaped the Arsenal defence to race round the back and nod the ball into the area from the byline. Matthew Upson prodded it on and Jon Walters headed down for Crouch to convert from close range.

It was a soft equaliser and acutely disappointing given the graft required to put the home side in front.

The goal changed the flow of the game and suddenly Stoke began to sustain their attacks on the Arsenal goal. However, they never really looked like grabbing a second.

Just before the whistle, Upson nodded Arteta’s left-wing cross away from Chamakh and then Gervinho fired over.

As the players went down the tunnel it seemed like the first half had been a microcosm of the season so far – decent going forward, punished for mistakes at the back.

Once again Arsenal were making hard work for themselves.

In contrast, Wenger’s men began the second half on the offensive. Walcott and Gervinho both popped up in penetrative positions on the right. Although their crosses were dangerous, both came to nothing.

But it would be a case of ‘possession without penetration’ from then until the midway point of the second half. Wenger’s response was to bring on Van Persie for Chamakh.

The introduction of the captain put the home side into another gear. His first touch was to whip in a cross which was just too tall for Koscielny at the far post.

The rest of the side seemed to be a yard faster just by having the Van Persie on the pitch. Arsenal started to set up camp just outside the Stoke area. The introduction of Arshavin – on for Walcott – only added to the attacking intent of the home side.

Wenger’s men were starting to look irresistible and, in the end, they were.

In the 73rd minute, Gervinho darted to the right-hand byline and cut the ball back for Van Persie at the near post. His stabbed sidefoot shot was fumbled over the line by Begovic – but the scorer celebrated like it was a virtuoso 25-yarder.

Van Persie knows his side are scrapping their way back to form and nothing succeeds like success – however it arrives.

In the wake of the goal, Tony Pulis made immediate attacking changes. They nearly paid dividend when Wojciech Szczesny snatched a Kenwyne Jones nod-down away from Cameron Jerome.

However, Arsenal gave themselves some breathing space eight minutes from time when Gervinho sprinted down the left and cut the ball back for Van Persie to sweep home his second.

It was Dutchman’s 25th goal in 26 Premier League games this calendar year.

Some might argue Arsenal are over-reliant on Robin – and use this afternoon as a prime example.

But the performance without the skipper was enough to instill confidence.

Arsenal are going in only one direction right now – upwards.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Oct 11

Arsenal's title challenge comes to an end with meek surrender at Stoke

Arsenal's disappointing season took another turn for the worse, with a deserved defeat which leaves them with nothing but third place in the Premier League for which to play. Stoke City were supposed to have the FA Cup final on their minds, but still won even more convincingly than the scoreline might suggest.

The crowd were singing about Wembley from the start, and Tony Pulis must have been tempted to rest two or three important players before the final next Saturday. Instead, favouring continuity, he opted to use the match as a rehearsal for the strongest team available.

Robin van Persie spurned an excellent early chance, shooting over at close range, but after that Stoke took command.

These two sides are chalk and cheese in approach, the home fans' preferences vocally expressed when they bellowed "boring" at Arsenal's composed passing game, then cheered loudly when Rory Delap launched one of his howitzer throw‑ins.

The clash produced its first sparks after a quarter of an hour, when the combative Jack Wilshere provoked a melee in the centre circle with an over-the-top tackle on Dean Whitehead. The first goal was the product of further indiscipline by Arsenal, Andrey Arshavin senselessly pushing over Jermaine Pennant in the corner quadrant on the right. Pennant got up and directed the free-kick to the near post where Kenwyne Jones, rushing in, bundled it over the line.

The Potters loved that, taunting their more celebrated visitors with choruses of "one-nil to the rugby team" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" – references to Arsène Wenger likening their tactics to the oval‑ball game. They upped the volume again after 39 minutes to celebrate the drive, from the edge of the D, with which Pennant made it 2-0. The ball was deflected upwards by Johan Djourou's desperate lunge, but Wojciech Szczesny should have done better than help it on its way into the net. This time the crowd's ironic taunt was: "We only score from a throw-in."

Remarkably, Stoke were tantalisingly close to scoring a third before half-time, Jonathan Walters shooting against the crossbar from near the byline on the left.

Arshavin and Aaron Ramsey, both poor, were substituted during the interval, but any improvement was negligible and Robert Huth, with a fulminating header, threatened to improve Stoke's advantage. The simmering ill feeling which was never far below the surface boiled over in the 69th minute, when Wilshere was fortunate to escape with only a booking for a bad foul to which Pennant took retaliatory exception. Stoke immediately substituted their enigmatic winger, with next Saturday in mind.

Van Persie finally pulled one back in the 81st minute, with a shot which appeared to go through Asmir Begovic, but Stoke hit back immediately, Walters beating Szczesny from eight yards.

Source: Joe Lovejoy, The Guardian on 8 May 11

Pennant stars as Gunners slump

Stoke once again exposed Arsenal's soft underbelly with a deserved victory which finally extinguished the dying embers of the Gunners' outside chance of making a late run for the Premier League title.

First-half goals from Kenwyne Jones and Jermaine Pennant were conceded far too easily and further defensive weaknesses were exposed after the break as the Londoners got themselves back into the game late on only to throw away their good work seconds later.

Robin van Persie hit his 19th in his last 21 matches, the eighth time in succession he had scored away from home, with less than ten minutes remaining only for Jon Walters to go straight down the other end and make it 3-1.

It was a defeat which put the top of the table beyond reach for Arsene Wenger's side, although in truth they had blown their chances of ended a six-year wait for a trophy several weeks ago.

Much of the pre-match focus had been on the return of midfielder Aaron Ramsey to the ground where he horrifically broke his leg in two places last season and a first meeting with Ryan Shawcross, the player whose tackle inflicted the injury.

As a result, despite Stoke's short time in the Premier League, these two sides have managed to build up plenty of history, with Wenger heavily critical of what he perceives as Stoke's over-physical style. But the more relevant history related to Stoke's threat from set-pieces and Arsenal's tendency to concede soft goals.

Both were prevalent at the Britannia Stadium and contributed significantly to the result. Their problems were mainly all of their own making, typified by the opening goal which was scored with far too much ease.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had already flapped at one cross which Pennant hooked wide when he was left totally exposed by his defence in the 28th minute.

Andrey Arshavin's needless push on Pennant close to the corner flag allowed the winger to clip over a free-kick and Jones, having evaded Johan Djourou far too easily, simply jogged in and let the ball hit him on the chest to divert it over the line.

The lack of effort required by the Trinidad and Tobago international to score against the league's third-placed side was embarrassing and Jones, presumably surprised by such a gift, did not even celebrate.

Arsenal should have been ahead well before that point though as the usually prolific van Persie blazed over from ten yards when put through by Ramsey's through-ball.

Stoke fans' chant of "1-0 to the rugby team'' was aimed at Wenger but the only direct thing about Stoke's second was the run of Pennant.

Cutting in from the left he was allowed to advance unchallenged and when Djourou belatedly came to meet him the winger fired in a shot which deflected off the defender and over Szczesny.

Arsenal were spared further embarrassment by the crossbar just before the break when Walters shot from a narrow angle on the left of the penalty area.

Strikers Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh replaced Ramsey and Arshavin for the second half but it was the other end of the pitch where the Gunners were lacking as within seconds of the restart Robert Huth headed over Pennant's corner.

In the ensuing melee Alex Song appeared to catch the defender in the face with an elbow which went unnoticed by referee Mark Halsey.

There was greater concern for Huth when he suffered an injury scare six days before the FA Cup final, limping off with a knee problem.

For all the complaints about Stoke's approach to the game, Bendtner was the first player to be booked when he upended Pennant close to the touchline, although the Stoke winger soon followed into the book for his retaliation to Jack Wilshere's studs-up challenge which also earned him a caution.

As the match entered its closing stages chances came at both ends; Begovic launching himself at Van Persie's feet to block an almost-certain goal and Glenn Whelan forcing Szczesny to tip his shot around the post from a counter-attack.

But with nine minutes remaining Begovic's slip up in allowing van Persie's shot to roll underneath him gave Arsenal a glimmer of hope.

But, true to form, a minute later Djourou's miserable afternoon was complete when his half-clearance fell to Walters who poked home.

Stoke still have a cup final to look forward to, for Arsenal there is only next season.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 8 May 11

Wenger's reaction to the Stoke City 3-1 Arsenal match

on a disappointing performance…
Yes, it was a disappointing performance. The competitive level of Stoke was higher than ours. I think we lost the game because Stoke defended much better than we did and with much more purpose.

on Arsenal’s inconsistency…
That’s the Premier League. If you do not turn up with the same competitive spirit in every game you can lose games everywhere. Stoke defend well and make it difficult for you. The most important thing here is not to be 1-0 down and with the first free kick we were 1-0 down. In a game like that, we did not penetrate enough. At the end of the day we were not dangerous enough.

on conceding another goal from a set-piece…
We [have] conceded, I think, 21 from set-pieces and only 17 in open play. Less than anybody else in open play [but] we have been caught on set-pieces. Today, [Kenwyne] Jones didn’t even need to jump to head the ball in. That is something we have to correct. It is the easiest thing to correct in the game but you still must understand the flight of the ball and want to be first to the ball. I feel we are sometimes a bit naïve.

on Arsenal’s season…
This team has done well overall this season. This is not the best moment to analyse [the season] after a disappointing game. If you analyse all the competitions and how we have done, we have done well. Something has gone [and] you could see that today. We have to take a distance and make the right analysis of the season.

on Thomas Vermaelen’s return to the squad…
I would love to have had him and maybe I can give him the last two games, I don’t know.

on going 1-0 behind…
I thought Stoke were more competitive than we were. Stoke are a good team. They have a lot of confidence. They have the FA Cup Final [next weekend] and maybe if they had to fight from 1-0 down it would have been different but from 1-0 up they didn’t have a lot to go for. They defended well and caught us on the break.

on Aaron Ramsey’s return to Britannia Stadium…
He did alright, he was not scared. But of course he is still short because he has not played enough games. [Substituting him] was just a tactical thing because we were 2-0 down and needed to go for more penetration. We had a lot of possession but not a lot of progression.

Source: Arsenal.com on 8 May 11

8 May 2011: Stoke City 3-1 Arsenal, Britannia Stadium

Arsenal’s title hopes have finally been extinguished.

Arsène Wenger’s side were not completely out of the running when they arrived at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday but Stoke inflicted their seventh defeat of the season - and there’s no way back from that.

Kenwyne Jones got the first – although he knew little about it - after poor defending from a free kick and former Gunner Jermaine Pennant delivered the killer blow with a deflected shot over Wojciech Szczesny.

Robin van Persie spurned two good chances before giving the visitors a glimmer of hope with a fine strike 10 minutes from time. But Jon Walters responded within seconds to snuff out any chance of a comeback.

Arsenal could have few complaints. They were off-colour for most of this contest and once again made life tough for themselves with a handful of basic errors.

The target now is to secure third place and the automatic Champions League spot it brings. Manchester City are five points adrift with a game in hand, so Arsène Wenger’s side still have work to do before their summer holidays.

The Frenchman waited on the outcome of two late fitness tests before finalising his line-up for this trip to Staffordshire. Johan Djourou passed his but Gael Clichy failed his so Kieran Gibbs stepped in at left back. Thomas Vermaelen, the likely replacement for Djourou, had to settle for a place on the bench as he returned to the squad for the first time since August.

With Cesc Fabregas (thigh), Samir Nasri (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (calf) all sidelined, Andrey Arshavin came into the starting XI while Aaron Ramsey continued in midfield after his match-winning contribution against Manchester United last weekend.

Predictably, much of the pre-match hype centred around the Welshman’s reunion with Ryan Shawcross 15 months after the Stoke captain broke his leg. Disappointingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Ramsey was jeered by the home fans. Wenger had predicted before the match that a return to the scene of his “car accident” would aid Ramsey’s mental rehabilitation. He certainly played as if his mind had been cleansed.

It was Ramsey’s fellow midfielder, Jack Wilshere, who took the fight to Stoke in the opening stages. His persistence set up a half-chance for Arshavin inside 90 seconds but the Russian skewed his shot wide of the near post. After six minutes Ramsey prodded the ball through to Van Persie but the Dutchman took time to adjust his feet and could only stab wastefully over the bar.

Arsenal’s brisk, breezy start augured well but it soon petered out in even breezier conditions that made life difficult for both sides. Frustratingly, the visitors regularly found themselves on the edge of the Stoke box but lacked the invention and sharpness to create chances.

You could have forgiven Stoke for having one eye on next Saturday’s FA Cup Final - they have already lost Matthew Etherington to injury – but the hosts soon awoke from their slumber.

Pennant was the catalyst. The former Arsenal winger hooked one effort wide while Szczesny was caught out of position and then delivered the free kick from which Jones gave Stoke the lead in the 27th minute.

It was a poor goal from Arsenal’s perspective. Arshavin conceded a soft free kick for a push, the cross was not cleared at the near post and Jones, whose run had not been tracked, saw the ball bounce off his chest and into the net. Before this game 56 per cent of the goals conceded by Arsenal this season had come from set-pieces - that statistic has crept up again.

Six minutes before the break it got worse. This time Pennant got away from Bacary Sagna and advanced as Arsenal’s centre backs backed off. Eventually Djourou came out to challenge but he only succeeded in deflecting Pennant’s fierce shot over Szczesny.
Walters hit the crossbar from an acute angle moments later after a slip from Song and half-time probably came at a good time for the visitors. When they emerged from the interval they had two new strikers on the pitch - Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh.

Both had a sight of goal early in the second half, Chamakh scuffing wide from a decent position and Bendtner curling an effort just off target. Nonetheless, Arsenal looked far more lively.

But Stoke weren’t done. It needed a great block from Sagna to deny Rory Delap while Szczesny saved brilliantly from Glenn Whelan after he burst through on goal.

When Van Persie stepped on the ball and fell over it seemed to sum up Arsenal’s day and the Dutchman’s woes continued when he was denied by Asmir Begovic’s point-blank save after Bendtner had played him through.

Van Persie did get the goal he deserved with 10 minutes left - taking him to 20 for the season - with a vicious right-foot shot from the edge of the box. But that glimmer of hope faded within 60 seconds after a poor clearance from Djourou was collected by Walters and smashed past Szczesny.

It was the final word on a forgettable day for Arsenal.

Source: Chris Harris, Arsenal.com on 8 May 11

Match Preview: Stoke City vs Arsenal

“There is a very little chance the title will happen,” said an earnest Arsène Wenger in his pre-match press conference. “But I do not want to come out of the season and think that if we had won at Stoke, then our last two games, we would have made it.

“I don't leave in dreamland, I live in a realistic world. But we all live in a competitive world and a real competitor fights until the end.”

It is only attitude the Arsenal manager can adopt right now. If his side win at Britannia Stadium on Sunday lunchtime and Chelsea beat Manchester United a little later that day then Wenger’s side will be a win away from the leading pair with two games left. They would be in touch but in need of assistance.

We thought we’d left all the hypotheticals back at Bolton a fortnight ago but the victory over the leaders last weekend allows us a little latitude once more. Some English bookmakers have Arsenal at 100/1 to win the title, Wenger himself says it should be about 20/1. Either way, the challenge this weekend is merely to remain ‘in the mix’.

“There's a little chance, yes,” said Wenger. “At the moment we have a five per cent chance to be in the battle. So the most important thing is for us to give absolutely everything to be in there. After that you never know.

“Of course, we need Chelsea to win and then the two teams involved still to drop points in one game. We need exceptionally positive circumstances and that has not been the case until now this year. But I do not want to have any regrets.”

So first place is a distant dream and second a target. But anything lower than third would be a blow to both Arsenal’s current and upcoming campaign.

“The first step for us was to be in the top four,” said Wenger. “Last Sunday was a decisive move in that because if Tottenham had won at Chelsea and we had lost against Manchester United, they would be six points behind us with a game in hand. Now, we still go step-by-step and the next step is to be in the top three.

“Of course, we want to avoid the Champions League qualifier. We always coped with it in the past. We had to do it a few times and we have done it in a convincing way.

“But we know we are not out of there yet. Many teams will try to be in the top three and we will do absolutely everything to be in there.”

Johan Djourou and Gael Clichy (hamstring) face late fitness tests. Cesc Fabregas (thigh), Samir Nasri (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (calf) are definitely out.

Thomas Vermaelen could be involved in a first-team game for the first time since August last year. Meanwhile Aaron Ramsey will make only his third start for Arsenal since suffering a horrible broken leg at the Britannia Stadium in February 2010.

The Welshman capped a wonderful display with the winning goal against Manchester United last Sunday. It is inevitable that Ramsey and his tackler on that fateful day, Ryan Shawcross, will have a back-page build-up to the game. But, during his media work, Wenger was keen to use football as the ultimate therapy.

“It was an accident that happened,” he said. “You do not want to skip games when you are a football player because of geography.

“The best way to deal with the situation is to focus to play well and win the game.”

Stoke have had a successful season. They secured their Premier League status very early and have reached the FA Cup Final. It will be historic should they beat Manchester City next week at Wembley while a top 10 place would be their best finish for 37 years.

They have lost just one of their last six games but then Arsenal have taken 30 points on the road this season – the best in the Premier League. However it is testament to their tail-off that victory on Sunday would be the first time they had registered back-to-back wins since February.

“Reaching the FA Cup final is a massive achievement for Stoke,” said Wenger. “Especially the way they won the Semi-Final.

“But if you look at the difficulty of staying in the Premier League then the fact they were safe so early is a great credit to them too.”

Last Sunday’s win over Manchester United was probably the best of the season. It was a dominant performance against a top side in fine form. Unlike the victory over Barcelona, Arsenal dominated throughout and when they beat Chelsea late last year the Stamford Bridge were off their game.

However in terms of significance the victory barely ranks in the top six.

Arsenal lost their way for a couple of months before Sunday and are now relying on others to put them back on course.

All they can do is win and hope.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 8 May 11

Arsenal's Theo Walcott misses cup final, Cesc Fábregas a major doubt

Arsenal face an injury crisis for Sunday's Carling Cup final after Theo Walcott was ruled out with a sprained ankle suffered in last night's 1-0 win over Stoke City and Cesc Fábregas emerged as a major doubt after going off with a hamstring problem.

Arsène Wenger hopes to discover on Thursday whether Fábregas will be able to play after his captain was withdrawn early in the first half. With Robin van Persie and Laurent Koscielny – who were missing against Stoke – awaiting fitness tests on Friday the manager may have to field a team against Birmingham City at Wembley missing five frontline players, because Thomas Vermaelen is a long-term absentee.

After a victory that was sealed by Sébastien Squillaci's first-half header and took Arsenal to within a point of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, Wenger said: "Walcott has an ankle sprain. For how long he is out, I cannot tell you. For Sunday, he is definitely out. Fábregas [has] a hamstring problem. We will assess that tomorrow. Tonight it is impossible to say how serious it is."

It would be a major setback to Arsenal to lose Walcott or Fábregas for an extended period as they enter a crucial sequence of fixtures. They hope to win their first trophy since 2005 on Sunday and among the games that follow over the next three weeks are a Champions League last-16 second leg at Barcelona, an FA Cup replay against Leyton Orient and a possible Cup quarter-final tie at Manchester United.

Fábregas's recent career has been blighted by hamstring troubles, which have already disrupted his season. He wrote on Twitter: "I dont know if I'll make Sunday or no, but all I know is that from this moment to Sunday 16:30 I won't sleep if it's necessary. I've waited too long to captain a final for Arsenal and I won't give up till the last second."

Wenger said: "It is of course a concern that he is injured but it can happen, unfortunately. He was very upset. I am as well. It is not his fault, it is not my fault, it is part of sport." Had it been a tackle that forced Fábregas off after 14 minutes? "No. It's strange that it happens so early in the game. We have to face it," Wenger said.

Regarding Walcott, whose pace was a threat before a second-half coming together with Dean Whitehead led to him being taken off on a stretcher, Wenger said: "I don't know what to answer [to how he is feeling]. He is disappointed of course."

When the teams met a year ago a Ryan Shawcross challenge on Aaron Ramsey broke the midfielder's leg and created bitter feeling between Wenger and Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager. Wenger had no complaints last night. "Overall the game was played in a good spirit. I cannot complain. It was committed with strong challenges but overall correct. I don't have an issue with Stoke or any aspect of their game. It is a team that you know that you have to prepare mentally before you go into this game as you won't take the points if you don't do that."

"Nobody likes to play against Stoke as they have a special way of playing the game but for me, tonight, they defended very intelligently for 90 minutes. They were very disciplined and denied us space. When we found a little bit of space, they quickly cut it off again and we could not take advantage. I was quite surprised how intelligent they were."

Wenger hailed how his team had overcome the early loss of Fábregas. "We have matured certainly as [we] can win tonight when we are less creative but with intelligence, braveness and calm. That is what has changed," he said. "One [or] two years ago when we were not on our top game we dropped points. Tonight the team realised that we must not make a mistake. We must give credit to the players."

Regarding the title race he said: "It was night when nobody else played [in the Premier League]. On a night like that, if you can take advantage, and take three points, [get] closer to the top, it means your team is really hungry for success."

Manchester United face Wigan Athletic on Saturday and then Chelsea next Tuesday in the league. Asked whether they are now under pressure Wenger said: "This is the period where everyone is under pressure. Chelsea is under pressure. Man United is under pressure. That is part of being in this position. Three months ago when we lost here against Newcastle who gave us chance to be in the top four? We have come back in a strong position and I am not complaining. I am happy to be in this position."

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 23 Feb 11

Arsenal's Theo Walcott out of Carling Cup final with ankle injury

Arsenal may now be only a point behind Manchester United but the full cost is yet to be confirmed after injuries to Theo Walcott and Cesc Fábregas on what ended as a frustrating evening for Arsène Wenger's team following the brightest of starts.

Arsenal's next outings are Sunday's Carling Cup final against Birmingham City, an FA Cup fifth-round replay on Wednesday and the visit of Sunderland in the league, before travelling to Barcelona for the return leg of the Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday 8 March.

Wenger, then, will pray that Walcott, who definitely misses the Wembley final, can recover from his ankle sprain quickly and that Fábregas's hamstring does not rule him out of the team to face Birmingham and beyond, though he is a big doubt for Sunday.

There had been scant hint of what was to unfold after Arsenal had taken 90 seconds to illustrate that they were in slick working order, and eight minutes to breach the visiting defence.

Their opening move featured Jack Wilshere marauding forward then linking with Fábregas sweetly on the edge of Stoke's area. The Spaniard delivered a perfect pass to place Walcott in behind the defence and he unloaded a shot that beat Asmir Begovic but smacked off his right-hand post and safely into the goalkeeper's hands.

Then came what proved to be the winner. From a corner on the right, Wilshere's left boot flicked in the delivery and though Ryan Shawcross stuck his head on the ball the possession was moved on to Nicklas Bendtner, who was lurking beyond the far post. He scooped the ball back on to the head of Sébastien Squillaci, who was stationed in front of the goal, and the central defender scored his first league goal since joining last summer.

Fábregas's problem occurred after 14 minutes and he was replaced by Andrey Arshavin, which meant Samir Nasri moving inside from the left to occupy the central position and the Russian taking up the place on the wing.

While this did not cause any break in Arsenal's hold over possession, it did stunt their dynamism, with many attacks becoming static around Stoke's 18-yard line. One move resulted in the passes accumulating and ended with Arshavin attempting a shot that hardly threatened to double the score. This was as encouraging as it got for a side who were then offered a reminder of the effectiveness of more direct play after 33 minutes.

Thus far, John Carew's contribution had been tapping Wilshere's ankles and little else. But a powerful 25-yard volley from City's lone striker forced Wojciech Szczesny to fling himself across goal to save, a clear warning for Arsenal that they had to maintain focus.

Wenger's men closed the half virtually becalmed. Nasri stepped up to pull a free-kick wide but beyond Tony Pulis complaining after Jonathan Walters was booked for fouling Walcott, Fábregas's exit had slowly drained the contest of quality and incident.

At the interval Wenger would surely have warned his team to be more ruthless, Pulis that his Stoke players could still get a goal and a point, or even better.

A year ago the sides had met in the reverse fixture and a Shawcross challenge on Aaron Ramsey left the midfielder with a leg broken and enmity between the two managers: after a quiet first half the emotion now began bubbling.

This started with Carew and Johan Djourou having a tame clash near the corner flag that drew abuse from the home support, something which was only heightened when Peter Walton refused to book the Norwegian.

Djourou played a crucial role in stopping the next Stoke attack. Jermaine Pennant collected possession from a throw, motored down the right flank, then delivered the cross on to Shawcross's head. It was on target but the ball hit Djourou and went wide.

Arsenal had played the opening 15 minutes of the second half incapable of breaking beyond halfway while Robert Huth came close to an equaliser when the Rory Delap slingshot delivered the ball perfectly in to Arsenal's area. But though the Stoke defender rose above a melee of players, his header was steered over.

Now, though, a difficult evening for Wenger and company was about to become worse. Walcott's coming together with Dean Whitehead ended with the Arsenal forward being carried off on a stretcher with an ankle strain. Wenger could not resist a jibe regarding one of Stoke's prime tactics. "I wonder if we should not change the rules because the throw-ins, just after halfway, are in the box," he said.

Pulis said: "In the first 10 minutes we looked like rabbits in the headlights."

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 23 Feb 11

Gunners count the cost of victory

The image of an Arsenal player departing the pitch on a stretcher against Stoke City has probably surfaced frequently in Arsene Wenger's nightmares of late. Twelve months on from the horrific broken leg suffered by Aaron Ramsey that hung inescapably over this game, Arsenal suffered collateral damage in their challenge on four fronts as they lost Theo Walcott to an ankle injury that will prevent his involvement in the Carling Cup final, while the extent of a hamstring problem afflicting Cesc Fabregas is yet to be determined. As feared, this 1-0 victory, which moves Arsenal to within a point of Manchester United at the top of the table, will be overshadowed by medical bulletins.

A year has been a long time to wait for Arsenal fans to deliver their judgement on Stoke City and Ramsey's assailant Ryan Shawcross, and they accepted it gratefully - "scum" appearing to be the popular description for a side that has been demonised in this corner of North London. Stoke are a side that do not appeal to Islington sensibilities, either with their direct approach or abrasive style, and were lambasted all night long.

But it was not a fair condemnation of Tony Pulis' side. While Dean Whitehead's challenge on Walcott that forced the winger off on a stretcher was messy, the injury it caused was merely a result of bad fortune as legs tangled, while Stoke's distinctive style and resolute defending frustrated the home side for long periods.

Wenger was notably complimentary about his opponents following a valuable yet potentially costly victory for the Gunners, as he said: "Overall it was played in a good spirit. I cannot complain. It was committed with strong challenges but overall correct. I have not an issue with the long throws; I have not an issue with any other aspect of their game. Nobody likes to play against Stoke because they have a very special way. But for me they defended in a very intelligent way."

It was certainly a different test to that which faced Arsenal last week at the Emirates Stadium. Indeed, a greater contrast in stylistic approaches would be difficult to envisage. Barcelona, held up as the global model of aesthetic football, and Stoke, demonised by some as the greatest exponents of 'anti-football' on English shores, are worlds apart, but they have both been subjected to one-goal defeats in this arena.

On the aesthetic scale, Arsenal are clearly towards the Barcelona end, their approach personified by tiny technicians like Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri rather than Stoke's towering colossuses. Certainly, the Premier League's most notable clash of styles has generated no end of bad blood in recent seasons. While neither side held a press conference prior to this fixture, helping to defuse any potential row, the residual resentment generated by Wenger's characterisation of Stoke as a "rugby" team at the start of the season, and Pulis' subsequent decision to write a letter of complaint to the FA and the Premier League, has not abated to any significant degree. That much was evident when a large banner emblazoned with 'One Aaron Ramsey' hung from the North Bank, while Shawcross' every touch was then met with a chorus of boos from the home fans.

But such antagonism did not initially translate to the pitch in a first half that grew quiet following an early explosion of action that left Stoke, in Pulis' own words, "like rabbits in headlights". As Walcott rattled the post inside two minutes when collecting a pass from Fabregas that bisected the Stoke defence, Rory Delap quickly exercised his dangerous long throw. However, it was instead Arsenal who unexpectedly profited from an early aerial bombardment.

The Gunners have seemingly not scored with any regularity from corners since the days of Tony Adams and Steve Bould, but Wilshere's set-piece caused havoc in the Stoke box, and when Bendtner calmly cushioned the ball back across goal, Sebastien Squillaci was in space to head home from close range. It was a moment to savour for a player who has been under some scrutiny of late, and the relief was clear in his face.

After 14 minutes, though, Fabregas' own visage was a picture of frustration as he was forced off due to injury. He had spoken in the match programme of how he wished to be the first Spaniard to lift a major trophy as a captain in England, but further tests on his hamstring will be required before his availability for Sunday's Carling Cup final can be assessed. "He was very upset," Wenger said. "I am as well. It is strange it happens early in the game but we have to face it".

Andrei Arshavin was introduced, pushing Samir Nasri into a central role, but the loss of Fabregas seemed to disrupt Arsenal's momentum. Stoke proved hard to break down, playing to stereotype by defending in crowds and playing the ball long, and lone striker John Carew went close before half-time as his stinging volley from Jonathan Walters' knock-down was palmed away by Wojciech Szczesny.

Hostilities resumed in more forceful fashion after the break, a succession of Stoke fouls drawing a furious reaction from the home supporters. Carew and then Delap pushed the borders of acceptability with challenges on Johan Djourou and Bacary Sagna, while Gael Clichy retaliated with a bad tackle on Jermaine Pennant that attracted a yellow card. Arsenal appeared to have lost their poise, a diagnosis confirmed when Robert Huth towered above the home defence from a Delap throw but headed over the bar with Szczesny stranded.

When Arsenal did break with purpose, and Arshavin avoided a lunging tackle from Shawcross, the Russian's square pass for Walcott was wasted by the forward as he betrayed a lack of composure and technique. Stoke, with massed ranks of bodies in their defensive third, had squeezed the fluency out of the home side and appeared capable of snatching a late goal.

Their impressive defensive endeavours going unappreciated by the majority of those in attendance, invective continued to rain down on the Stoke side, and despite Wenger's conciliatory approach in his own press conference, Pulis admitted: "You can't stop people's perception... It's very difficult shaking perception off our shoulders."

However, after a battling victory the likes of which have often eluded Arsenal, Wenger may well note that perceptions of his own side may be shifting slightly as their challenge for the Quadruple continues.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Alex Song
Imperious in the first half, his influence waned slightly after the break as Arsenal grew disjointed, but he won a worthy battle against Dean Whitehead and provided the platform for his team's victory.

ARSENAL VERDICT
A hard-fought win for a side that failed to regain its sparkle after the loss of Fabregas to injury. Song and Wilshere impressed in their deeper roles, but Arsenal lacked a touch of cohesion in the final third.

STOKE VERDICT
Pulis was unconcerned at 1-0 down and kept things tight in pursuit of a late equaliser. His gameplan was executed pretty well, though the Potters were unable to claim the goal they were seeking, despite a tense conclusion.

WENGER CORNERED
In his post-match press conference, the Arsenal manager appeared to call on football's governing bodies to negate the impact of Rory Delap's throws, saying: "I wonder if they should not change the rules a bit." However, when pressed on the matter, he then insisted he was merely being flippant, despite the serious tone to his voice.

Source: Tom Adams, ESPN Soccernet on 23 Feb 11

Squillaci goal closes gap

Arsenal edged past Stoke and moved to a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester United but their victory was overshadowed by injuries to Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas.

Sebastien Squillaci's seventh-minute header gave Arsenal the victory but injuries to their key duo will be of concern with the Carling Cup final and a Champions League match against Barcelona coming up.

Fabregas came off with what appeared to be a knee complaint in the first half while Walcott was carried off on a stretcher with an ankle injury after being flattened by a clumsy Dean Whitehead challenge.

Much of the pre-match talk had been about how the Gunners would cope without another of their key men, Robin van Persie, who was ruled out yesterday with a hamstring injury.

Arsene Wenger chose Nicklas Bendtner to lead the attack in his absence while Fabregas, Wojciech Szczesny and Samir Nasri returned after missing Sunday's disappointing draw with Leyton Orient.

Tony Pulis recalled Asmir Begovic and Whitehead while Ryan Shawcross skippered the side almost a year to the day the that he broke Aaron Ramsey's leg at the Britannia Stadium.

Clearly determined to put their shock FA Cup draw behind them, Arsenal came flying out of the blocks and rattled the Stoke woodwork with barely a minute gone.

Fabregas slotted in Theo Walcott after some good work by Jack Wilshere, and the England winger beat Begovic at the far post but his shot rebounded off the woodwork and into the goalkeeper's hands.

Walcott tore into the Stoke box again three minutes later after being played through by Bendtner but Begovic came out to smother the ball.

The early pressure paid off for the home side when they took the lead.

Bendtner volleyed across the box from a Wilshere corner to find Squillaci, who headed home unmarked from five yards for his first league goal of the season.

Fabregas looked to be struggling with an injury and was replaced by Andrey Arshavin 14 minutes in.

The Spaniard, who missed most of December with a hamstring injury, looked disappointed to have picked up a knock and will be badly missed by the Gunners if does not recover for Sunday's cup final and the Barcelona game in two weeks' time.

Arsenal remained in control but played the game at a much slower pace following their captain's departure.

Arshavin, who scored the winner against Barcelona last week, skipped past his marker before drawing a good save from Begovic at his near post.

Szczesny had to scramble down to his right to save John Carew's 25-yard volley with Stoke's first chance of the game at the other end.

The Stoke defence backed off as Arshavin raced at the defence and Shawcross, who had been booed with his every touch, hacked the Russian down 20 yards out.

Nasri curled the resultant free-kick a couple of yards wide of Begovic's goal.

Jonathan Walters entered the book for pulling back Walcott in the closing stages.

The decision angered Pulis, who raged at referee Peter Walton and Wenger, who agreed with the referee's call, in the opposing technical area.

Carew was lucky to escape a booking at the start of the second half when he appeared to push over Johan Djourou after coming in late on the tackle.

The away side almost equalised a minute later when Shawcross' deflected header whistled just past Szczesny's goal.

Earlier this season Wenger accused Stoke of playing like a rugby side because of their dirty tactics and he was angered by a late sliding challenge from Rory Delap on Bacary Sagna which the referee deemed not worthy of a booking.

It was Pulis who was up in arms next though as a result of Gael Clichy's late sliding tackle on Jermaine Pennant, which earned the defender a yellow card.

Stoke were looking much more assured in the second period and they went close when Robert Huth headed just over the bar from a Rory Delap long throw.

Arsenal then went on the attack through Arshavin, who dodged a Shawcross sliding tackle to find Walcott in the box but the 21-year-old was off-balance and mis-kicked his attempt on goal.

Walcott was bundled over by Whitehead on the edge of box in the 68th minute but referee Walton waved play on. The winger stayed on the ground, clearly in pain, clutching his ankle before being carried off to be replaced by Denilson.

Bendtner headed wide from six yards after a Wilshere corner as Arsenal looked for a killer second goal with 20 minutes left. Then Marc Wilson clattered into substitute Marouane Chamakh to earn a booking.

Pennant almost stole an equaliser in the last minute of normal time with a beautiful curling free-kick that went into Szczesny's side-netting.

Wenger was infuriated to see the fourth official show there would be five minutes of injury-time but his side held the ball for almost the entire added period to ensure the Gunners held out for a crucial win.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 23 Feb 11

Arsenal March On - But At a Price

Arsenal maintained their challenge at the top of the table last night with a pragmatic win over Stoke. The match was more notable for the injuries sustained by Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott than it was for the football on offer but, nonetheless, it was a massively important three points.

After an early flurry of attacking play from Arsenal which produced Seb Squillaci’s headed goal, the first half settled into a soporific tempo in which Stoke parked the bus in front of their goal and the Gunners strung together endless passes as if it were a training session. In truth, much of the home team’s momentum was lost when Fabregas departed after quarter of an hour.

It took until the second half for Stoke to realise that they had to offer a bit more if they were to get anything out of the match. What they did offer was their usual mix of long throws, hopeful punts forward and set-pieces. Though their methods are a long way away from anything appertaining to “the beautiful game”, it is the sort of approach that the Gunners have had plenty of trouble dealing with in recent years.

On this occasion though, Arsene Wenger’s men managed the threat with relative comfort and actually defended well. The visitors had a couple of near misses but there were no real heart-attack moments towards the end of the game when you would expect Stoke to have thrown the kitchen sink at stealing a draw. In fact, when five minutes of injury time was shown on the fourth official’s board, the Gunners simply held possession, passed the ball and ran the time out.

The much-hyped bad blood between the clubs didn’t really materialise either. The inevitable booing of Shawcross and derision at the interminable time it takes Delap to deliver his throw-ins was all rather half-hearted and, despite a few heavy challenges from both teams in the second half, nothing really spilled over on the pitch. This was a match against awkward but largely irrelevant opponents that simply needed to be chalked off with the minimum of fuss and bother - and that is what the Arsenal players did.

So, job done, three points, and a degree of pressure exerted on Man United ahead of their upcoming Premier League encounters with Wigan, Chelsea and Liverpool. As mentioned, the main concern coming out of last night’s match regarded the injuries to Cesc and Theo. It has to be said that though Fabregas’s injury looked the less-serious of the two, his absence would be the more sorely felt. Matters will be assessed at the training ground today and we can only cross our fingers and hope that he will make it for Sunday’s Carling Cup Final.

Walcott is already ruled out of the Wembley game. You have to feel sorry for him personally. After making a much-improved contribution this season, it is sad that he has to miss such a big match. However, he would seem to be more easily replaced than the Spaniard – the obvious contender being Andrey Arshavin whose form has been heading back in the right direction over the past couple of months. Again, we await news of how long Walcott will be out for. It will arguably be a bigger blow for him to miss the away leg in Barca than the Carling Cup Final as his pace would provide a good outlet in the sort of match that is likely to be.

Elsewhere this week, the Gunners continued their spluttering FA Cup campaign by drawing at Orient on Sunday. There was much moaning from the manager and certain sections of the fanbase about having to play an extra game. Personally, I don’t see what the problem is. The manager made ten changes after the Barcelona match and gave players who have been warming the bench for the last couple of months an opportunity. Undoubtedly, he will do the same again in the replay and, in all honesty, most of those players looked like they could do with some game-time. Certainly, the incentive of being involved in a match-up with Man United at Old Trafford in the next round ought to be enough to sharpen them up a bit for next Wednesday’s return.

Anyway, with all other business now put to one side, the countdown to Wembley on Sunday begins. Apart from sweating on the injuries to Fabregas and Walcott, Arsenal fans are looking forward to their first major final since meeting Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium in the same competition in 2007. Though the Gunners will go into the match as warm favourites, their own history in this competition shows that favouritism doesn’t always suit them, as evidenced by the finals against Swindon and Luton. Birmingham are going to be fired up for this game and the Arsenal players cannot afford to give anything less than 100% focus and effort.

Victory on Sunday would not be just about picking up a silver pot. It would also be about instilling belief in this set of players that they can do more than just produce moments of exquisitely attractive football. They can prove to themselves and their fans that they are capable of finishing a job off and coming out with a prize at the end of it. In a season where they are still fighting on all four fronts, that could be the most vital aspect of this match.

So, come on you Gunners. Get out there and do it!

Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 24 Feb 11

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 1-0 Stoke City match

On whether Cesc suffered a recurrence of his previous injury...
It is of course a concern that he is injured but it can happen unfortunately. He was very upset, I am as well, but it is not his fault and it is not my fault, it is part of sport. It's strange that it happened early in the game but we have to face it. Theo is disappointed of course.

On getting the three points...
We did the job in a very professional way. We faced a Stoke team that defended very well, very compact, but we were intelligent, calm, patient and overall I believe that we were resilient as well when Stoke had their strong moments because we didn't give in when they did what they do very well.

On Rory Delap's long throws...
I wonder if they should not change the rules in the game a little bit because the throw-ins just after halfway goes into the box. Every time you have to face the danger with Delap, every time it is in the box and it is difficult to defend. We did it very well because we didn't concede a goal against them and I am quite proud of that because it is so difficult. I have seen them at home against Sunderland and in five minutes they won the game with this kind of situation with the ball in the box [from a throw]. You are always under a threat and they can change games in a fraction of minutes.

On whether he would change the throw-in rule...
No, I just think it is a problem that you face here but imagine at Stoke! You have to be prepared for it. I have not an issue with the long throws or any other aspect of their game. It is a team that you know you have prepare mentally for because you will not take the points if you don't do that. Nobody likes to play against Stoke because they have a very special way to play the game. But for me they defended in a very intelligent way. For 90 minutes they were disciplined and we didn't find the space. When we did, quickly they cut it off and we could not take advantage. I was quite surprised how intelligently they defended.

On winning when playing below their best...
Tonight was a night when nobody else played [well] and if you can take three points and glide closer to the top, that means that your team is really hungry for success. The number of games we play, not to make a mistake at any stage... we were less sharp creatively but you could feel the team did not want to make a mistake and that's a very positive sign.

On the spirit between the teams...
I think overall the game was played in a good spirit. It was committed with strong challenges but overall correct.

On the growing maturity in his team...
I think we have matured, certainly. We can win a game tonight when we are less creative, less fluent, but with intelligence, brain and calm. That is what has changed. Before, one or two years ago when we were not at our best, we dropped points. Tonight you could see the team realised 'let's not make the mistake' and I must give a lot of credit to my players.

On whether the pressure is now on Man United...
Well we all have pressure now because that's the period where it starts, in March, everyone is under pressure. Chelsea will be, Man United will be, everybody is, but that's part of being in the position we are in. Three months ago when we lost here against Newcastle, who would have given us the chance of even being in the top four. We have come back in a strong position and I will not complain, I am very happy that we have a chance to be in there.

On whether facing Stoke was good practice for Sunday...
Yes because it was a little bit like a cup game tonight. Tactically we will face certainly the same kind of problem, yes.

On Koscielny and Van Persie's fitness...
We will know more on Friday.

Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Feb 11

23 February 2011: Arsenal 1-0 Stoke City, The Emirates

Arsenal edged their way to within a point of leaders Manchester United with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Stoke on Wednesday night.

But the victory may have come at a price.

Sebastien Squillaci’s eighth-minute header was enough to secure all three points. However, Cesc Fabregas hobbled off shortly afterwards with a hamstring injury. In the second half, Theo Walcott was stretchered off with a concerned look on his face having been brought down on the edge of the area.

After the game, Arsène Wenger confirmed that the winger would miss the Carling Cup Final with a sprained ankle. The prognosis on Fabregas will have to wait a little longer.

It is testament to Arsenal that they shook off these problems to secure a crucial victory on the night.

Stoke were Stoke - organised, robust, committed – but Arsenal matched them in those areas and made their class count when it mattered.

These sorts of ground-out 1-0s are said to win you titles. Time will tell there.

But this result is further evidence that Arsenal are the real deal this season.

This was the first of five games in 14 days - a spell that includes Sunday’s showpiece and ends with the game at Barcelona. It is a massive time for Arsenal and, as expected, Wenger brought back the bulk of the side that had been rested at Leyton Orient on Sunday.

In all there were seven changes. Only Alex Song, Bacary Sagna, Squillaci and Nicklas Bendtner retained their places. Wojciech Szczesny, Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Gael Clichy and Johan Djourou all came in.

Manchester United were otherwise engaged in the Champions League this evening but will play twice in the Premier League before Wenger’s men run out again in the same competition.

The Frenchman does not like to label any game as ‘must-win’ but this one was about as close as you could get if Arsenal wanted to retain control of their own destiny in the title race.

And the home side began as if they were fully aware of the magnitude of the fixture.

In the opening four and half minutes, Walcott would have three opportunities - one crystal-clear and two half-chances.

The best came first.

With less than 70 seconds on the clock, Wilshere found Fabregas on the edge of the area. Perceptive as ever, he spotted Walcott on the right. The skipper threaded a pass through to leave the Englishman clear but needing to beat Asmir Begovic from an acute angle.

He did so. But his cross-shot bounced off the inside of the far post, back across goal and into the hands of the keeper. Fist-gnawing stuff.

A couple minutes later, Walcott volleyed over when off-balance. Then he seemed to be beating a couple of Stoke defenders for pace but was caught as he shaped to shoot and sidefooted tamely into the hands of the keeper.

Stoke replied with a couple of Rory Delap throw-ins but, in the eighth minute, Arsenal grabbed the lead they deserved.

Wilshere fired over a corner from the right. It was touched on to Bendtner at the far post. He returned the ball into the midst of the six-yard box for Squillaci to nod home from close-range. It was the Frenchman’s second goal of the season and he celebrated like it meant something.

It was everything Arsenal needed but, five minutes later, they would suffer a crucial blow – they lost their captain.

Fabregas pulled up holding his knee and was soon replaced by Arshavin. The Russian took up the role on the left of midfield with Nasri moving into the middle.

The goal and the injury seemed to affect Arsenal. The home side were in complete control - on the half-hour the statistics said they had enjoyed an incredible 74 per cent possession - however their build-up play lead to nothing concrete.

In the 37th minute, they were nearly caught. In a rare foray forward Jonathan Walters nodded the ball back to John Carew 25 yards out. The Norwegian fired a thunderous volley toward the far corner but Szczesny threw himself to his right and made the block. It was a wonderful stop given he had been underemployed thus far.

At the break, Stoke needed to do something. Almost like Orient as the weekend, they seemed happy to cede territory and get men behind the ball. It was a risky ploy given the attacking options Arsenal had at their disposal.

Therefore the visitors were understandably more expansive in the second half. In the opening minutes, they nearly drew level from a move that started with a Delap throw-in - but not in the way you might think.

This one was tossed down the line for Jermaine Pennant. His cross was nodded goalwards by Ryan Shawcross at the near post but, fortunately for Arsenal, deflected wide.

Just before the hour, a more traditional Delap fling saw Robert Huth climb highest and nod over. A glorious chance.

The switch in style had put Arsenal back on their heels and it took them time to recover.

But, gradually, recover they did.

Wilshere thumped a long-range shot into the chest of Begovic then Arshavin skipped past the sliding Shawcross on the left-hand byline before cutting the ball back invitingly for Walcott. He tried to finish first-time but miscued.

It would be the last act from the Englishman. With 20 minutes left, he was hauled down by Dean Whitehead on the edge of the area and did not get up. He was stretchered off and Denilson came on.

Despite another change, matters were still tight and even. Shawcross miscued a volley at one end, Bendtner headed over at the other.

As the game entered its final phase, both sides brought on strikers – Marouane Chamakh for Arsenal, Ricardo Fuller for Stoke.

Stoke still pushed forward where possible but theirs was a blunt weapon. The closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Pennant rippled the sidenetting from a free-kick.

The finale was nervy but controlled. The finesse went from Arsenal and the fight took over.

But in the end they had the three points they wanted.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Feb 11