Stoke scored first as our defenders watched a player take a free header from a wide cross. Jack equalised with a brilliant goal bent into the far corner with the outside of his left foot. This kid is seriously good - but you all knew that didn't you? Ed did ok in the first half but didn't really get enough of the ball because Stoke were playing with ten men back and very narrow. It was all Arsenal possession for most of the half, which rather indicated that it could be the sort of game where it opens up late on as Stoke tired of chasing us. That however didn't ultimately happen. It was a very wet and very windy night for this match, which was played in the Britannia Stadium, so at least the pitch was in good nick. There was just the one chance for Ed in the first half, a well taken shot but well saved, he was moving off the ball really well and had shown some fairly decent touches. Randall and Lansbury looked a tad slack. But Jack was the man in the first half! Even though he's a boy ;0)

We hardly turned up for the second half, it was almost as if it was beneath us to play Stoke. We kicked into the wind in the second half and only gave it some real impetus after they'd scored another soft long diagonal far post goal with the scorer unmarked. 2-1 to Stoke and granted we only had ten men on the field with Coquelin off injured at the time, but that was no excuse for more rubbish defending. Randall then got himself sent off for an over the top challenge. Maybe it wasn't quite a red card offence because he did get some of the ball but he was lucky not to have got himself booked for some rash tackles earlier in the game. Either way it was petulant and stupid. He seems to lose it somewhat whenever he screws up with a naff pass and often follows up with something stupid. But when we did go down to ten men we finally started to play. Almost inevitably young Jumping Jack Genius got the equaliser this time with his right foot from the left side following a neat little jink to set up the shot. 2-2.

Near the end Ed slotted home a cool goal, but was called offside - we didn't see a replay so who knows if he was or not? Either side could have won it in the end but Stoke came closest in added time when they had chances that just had to go in but didn't.

Good games from Merida and Bischoff, another great game from Wilshere plus the two goals, but most importantly a full 90 minutes from Ed. He's not quite match sharp but his runs are as clever as ever and his movement and turns are almost there - he just needs that edge of sharpness that only matches can bring. Plus of course to come through a really heavy tackle unscathed. He didn't have to ride any heavy tackles tonight but it will happen sooner or later.

Update: Highlights of the game can be seen here - or at least, they can until some copyright owning killjoy instigates their removal!