Premier League: Stoke City 1 Arsenal 1

28 April 2012 18:33

Arsenal missed the chance to pull away in third place as they had to rely on Robin van Persie to earn them a point at Stoke.

The home side took the lead early in the game as Peter Crouch headed home a Matthew Etherington cross, but five minutes later van Persie equalised with a simple tap-in following a perfect Tomas Rosicky cross.

The visitors created two good opportunities in the opening eight minutes for Yossi Benayoun and van Persie. The Israeli was released by the Dutchman in the sixth minute but his low shot from inside the penalty area lacked power and Asmir Begovic was able to save with an outstretched left hand.

Two minutes later van Persie had his first sight of goal but he too was denied by Begovic.

Rosicky crossed to the unmarked striker at the back post but the Bosnian keeper made an excellent reaction save.

The Gunners were made to rue those misses in the 10th minute as the home side took the lead with their first attempt on goal.

Etherington delivered right onto the head of Crouch who made no mistake, jumping above his marker and heading into the bottom corner.

However Stoke's lead lasted just five minutes as Arsenal equalised through van Persie.

Rosicky found more space on the left wing and delivered a lovely cross behind the Stoke defence and the Dutchman had the simple task of tapping it into the net.

After such a bright start to the game the rest of the opening period was fairly uneventful.

Gervinho found himself in some good situations but his final touch let him down, while the Arsenal defence coped well with the dangerous balls put into their penalty area by Jermaine Pennant.

The second half began in lively fashion and five minutes in Arsenal had a great chance to go ahead through can Persie.

A typically neat and flowing move from the Gunners ended up with Bacary Sagna being released down the right wing, his low cross was perfect for the Dutch striker to fire a diving header towards goal but Begovic saved well down to his right.

The home side were struggling to create any chances as the Arsenal defence remained resolute, and despite plenty of effort and desire the clinical final touch eluded them.

Tony Pulis' decision to introduce Cameron Jerome late in the game for Pennant was met with a few boos from the home crowd but it was nearly a master stroke.

The striker found himself with a clear shot at goal, his effort was on target but Szczesny saved well and Arsenal were able to clear.

The Gunners pushed for a late winner, and even threw Marouane Chamakh up front to support van Persie but Stoke held on for a well-deserved point.

Premier League preview: Arsenal v Stoke

27 April 2012 23:28

Arsenal's bid to secure an automatic Champions League place continues with a clash against Stoke City on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger's men have won just two of their last five English Premier League matches, giving the in-form Newcastle United some hope of finishing third.

Injuries have affected Arsenal in recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott ruled out for the rest of the season.

Spaniard Arteta has been a big loss in midfield, while the form of prolific goalscorer Robin van Persie is also worrying.

Van Persie, who still tops the Premier League scoring charts with 27 goals, has netted just once in his last seven outings.

Arsenal's reliance on the Dutchman was always set to hurt them at some point this campaign, with their recent struggles coinciding with van Persie's poor form.

Joining the likes of Arteta and Walcott on the sidelines are Francis Coquelin, Per Mertesacker, Emmanuel Frimpong and Jack Wilshere.

But the visitors should still have enough quality to secure all three points against mid-table Stoke at Britannia Stadium.

Tony Pulis' men cannot be relegated and are unable to book a European berth for next season.

Normally reliable in defence, Stoke have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight games, including in the 3-0 loss to Newcastle last time out.

With just one win in their last eight league outings, Stoke have slipped to 14th on the table with little to play for in their remaining matches.

The likes of Salif Diao and Mamady Sidibe are sidelined.

Pulis is likely to persist with striker Jonathan Walters, who missed several chances in the loss to Newcastle.

"Jon could have had a hat-trick – and not a very difficult hat-trick. I'm not picking on him because he's done fantastic for us and kept going," he said.

"The best thing about him is that he will never stop getting into positions. His attitude and strength of character is fantastic and that's why we pick him every week."

Premier League preview: Arsenal v Stoke

21 October 2011 20:56

Arsenal entertain Stoke at the Emirates in the English Premier League on Sunday in a rivalry that has developed for all the wrong reasons.

The sides' styles have varied considerably in the past, with Arsenal's free-flowing attacking play contrasting to that of Stoke, who Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger once branded a 'rugby team' .

Both he and Stoke manager Tony Pulis have exchanged verbal barbs in the past, most notably in the wake of Aaron Ramsey's horrific broken leg after a mistimed Ryan Shawcross tackle when the sides met in 2010.

The Gunners have failed to develop any sort of coherency since the departure of captain Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri but have managed to deliver on the European stage.

After their 1-0 win away in Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday - thanks, incidentally, to Ramsey's stoppage-time goal - Arsenal now sit top of Group F with seven points from their three games.

And Ramsey believes the Gunners are starting to build some momentum, with new signings Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and Gervinho all finding their feet at the club.

"We haven't had the greatest of starts to the season, but hopefully now we've turned a bit of a corner. We're getting a few wins on the bounce and hopefully we can just keep that going," Ramsey said.

And the young star insisted he did not fear facing Stoke.

"I've played against them since and I'm fine," he said.

"It's just another game for me. What happened before is in the past now, and I'm just looking forward to getting back out there and playing another game for Arsenal."

Last year's FA Cup runners-up Stoke have had the task of juggling Europa League with domestic football and have acquitted themselves well.

They consolidated their spot on top Group E in the Europa League on seven points following their 3-0 win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday.

They are also seventh in the Premier League and face a Carling Cup match with Liverpool on October 27.

Striker Peter Crouch, who was rested for Maccabi's visit, has scored just once since joining the Potters, but he along with the rest of the squad will have to be utilised if they are to be competitive this season.

Premier League preview: Arsenal v Stoke

22 February 2011 10:26

Arsenal have little time to get over their shock 1-1 FA Cup draw with Leyton Orient on Sunday, with a Premier League tussle with Stoke on Wednesday.

Originally scheduled for December 18 at the Emirates, persistent snow saw the match postponed.

With a replay against Orient in the offing, the club will contest the Carling Cup final on February 27 and are still involved in the Champions League, meaning Arsene Wenger's side will be busy in coming weeks.

Arsenal are second in the league, just four points behind leaders Manchester United, and will be desperate for three points to bridge the gap and keep the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

There is no love lost between Wenger and Stoke boss Tony Pulis, with the Frenchman a critic of what he described as Stoke's 'rugby' tactics against goalkeepers.

Wenger's comments strained relations already frosty following last season's challenge by Ryan Shawcross on Aaron Ramsey that left the midfielder with a broken leg.

Stoke are in 10th place, after being in contention for a European place earlier in the season, but with just eight points separating them from bottom-placed Wolves - and with three losses from their past four games - Premier League survival could soon become a pressing issue for Pulis' side.

The signing of striker John Carew on loan from Aston Villa has given the squad a new dimension, while the only concern Pulis has from the treatment room is a hamstring injury to winger Matthew Etherington.

Wenger has more pressing injury concerns ahead of the fixture, with Thomas Vermaelen, Lukasz Fabianski and Emmanuel Frimpong all unavailable, but with 10 first-team players rested for the Orient game, the Gunners should be fit and firing for Wednesday night's match.