Kevin Whitcher
Arsenal generally win at home against Stoke, it is the trips to the Potteries that provide more angst for Arsene Wenger and his players. There was no doubt that to continue their title challenge, yesterday’s was the kind of game in which maximum points had to be taken. And although the all round performance was lesser than those seen in the wins at West Ham and Basel, it was a case of job done by the end of the match, and credit to the team for overcoming the early setback of going one down from the penalty spot.
We watch and wait to see if Arsene Wenger is now in a strict policy of rotation when it comes to his wide players. The Ox and Walcott against West Ham, Iwobi and Perez v Basel, and the former duo returning to face Stoke. I wonder if we might see Perez start on Tuesday evening. I certainly think Iwobi might. There is no question that Theo has his critics, but his goal tally is encouraging so far this season. History tells us it might dip, but perhaps if he is uncertain of a starting spot, it may focus his mind. Certainly for the manager, it is a nice problem to have. Whether or not switching the wide attackers in the starting eleven has a detrimental effect on the team, we can’t say, but in terms of results, it’s been so far so good this season. One league defeat gives cause for optimism.
There were plenty of goal attempts at both ends in the first half, the game unexpectedly more open than most we see at the E******s in the Premier League. Shkodran Mustafi didn’t last too long before an injury necessitated the welcome return of Hector Bellerin. I wonder if the German was carrying an injury, which would explain the surprise selection of Rob Holding in Switzerland. Gabriel switched from right back to partner Koscielny, and as an attacking unit, improvement was inevitable courtesy of Bellerin’s advances.
However it was a raised elbow by Grant Xhaka that led to the visitors taking the lead. My neighbour, the Highbury Spy informed me that Petr Cech has never saved a penalty for Arsenal. I can’t say whether that is true or not, but he certainly got nowhere near Charlie Adam’s effort. The mood in the stadium became one of frustration.
Arsenal’s play wasn’t as sharp as it might have been, a possible effect of their European trip in midweek, but they were still creating opportunities. Stoke began to use clock eating tactics, but also went forward in number when the opportunity arose, and Cech made a very decent save to tip the ball over from a long range Stoke effort.
The equaliser fortunately arrived before the interval to relieve pressure. And indeed, the contribution of Bellerin was key, set up by a ball from Sanchez, he centred and found Walcott who connected perfectly to convert at the near post.
After the interval there was a marked step up in Arsenal’s pace and energy. It told, as they dominated possession and territory. Not long after the restart, Oxlade-Chamberlain spotted Ozil ghosting into the area in a fashion reminiscent of Martin Peters to score with his head for the second time this season. Ozil’s adding goals to his game is a big plus this campaign and needs to happen if the team are going to genuinely compete. It was a sublime goal. Stoke were light in defence due to Peiters needing the trainer after an attempt at the other end. If it was a timewasting tactic, they paid heavily for it.
2-1 was a fragile lead and another was needed. It came eventually, after Iwobi had replaced the Ox. His combination with Sanchez was excellent and demonstrated the drive he brings to the attack. Bellerin understandably was puffing a bit towards the end of the game and Coquelin also suffered a little from the sheer amount of energy he put in. The Frenchman for my money was the standout player amongst a number of very good performances.
So job done, and things are looking good form-wise. Arsenal need to take four points from the next two away trips to keep things bubbling, but both Everton and Manchester City will be desperate to win after their recent respective slumps. These are difficult games, but the Gunners need to survive them to ensure they go into Christmas with their momentum intact.
To finish, a bit of public information. We received this email from Russell T. James who requested we publicise it. He writes: Not sure if you would share this as a public service... but I was at the Bournemouth game and the concession stands were having some problems with the credit card terminals - I tried to pay Contactless, and was told the payment hadn't gone through, so paid, again, and again..... Upshot is that I got charged 5 times for 2 transactions - fortunately, I am diligent at checking my credit card statements and spotted it - club are being absolutely fine about processing refunds, but people who were there should check statements and make sure they are not out of pocket - if they are, write an email to [email protected], explaining what happened.
So if you used contactless to pay for anything at the Bournemouth game, worth checking your statement.
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