Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Walcott
Subs: Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell, Giroud.
—
Arsenal missed a host of chances but emerged 2-0 winners over Stoke, taking their first three points at the Emirates this afternoon.
After the Interlull, Arsene Wenger began with Theo Walcott up front, meaning Olivier Giroud stared a second successive game on the bench. Gabriel remained in the team with Per Mertesacker still absent, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s in and out season continued as he missed out having started at Newcastle.
After missing some good chances at St James Park, Walcott needed to show his stuff today, but in the 4th minute he missed another sitter. A Cazorla cross saw Alexis head against the post, the ball rebounded the England international inside the 6-yard box, but somehow he shanked his shot wide.
A minute later an Alexis free kick, on target, was pushed away by Jack Butland, before the Chilean saw a shot crack back off the post after he fizzed one in from just outside the box. Arsenal were putting Stoke under huge pressure, and when Hector Bellerin’s cross from the right found Walcott just yards out, there was disbelief when the number 14 headed over the bar – it was easier to score.
After such an intense opening the game settled down a bit, Petr Cech showing his experience to punch away well from a Stoke free kick, before Laurent Koscielny was next to test the Stoke keeper with a cracking shot from 30 yards which was touched out for a corner. Santi Cazorla then saw a left footed effort saved by Butland from the resulting set-piece.
With the Gunners on top and dominating the game, when the deadlock was broken it came from Arsenal robbing Stoke in their own half. Coquelin won the ball with a great tackle, Ozil played a delicious ball over the top, Walcott took a nice touch, took it on and rolled it home to score the first home goal of the season and make it 1-0.
Cech made a decent stop from Joselu as the visitors looked to respond, while at the other end there was promise, but no end product, from Arsene Wenger’s men. The Gunners took the one goal lead into the break.
There were no changes from either manager as the second period began, but it followed a similar pattern to the first with lots of Arsenal possession and pressure. Ozil created a good chance for Ramsey to shoot or provide inside the box, but he fell backwards when taking a shot and blasted it into the crowd.
At the other end Cech saved from Shaqiri before typical pressure from Alexis almost fashioned a chance for Walcott. The introduction of Stephen Ireland seemed to spark some life into Stoke, with Bellerin twice having to block from Shaqiri, and the game began to get a bit tense.
Walcott again missed a good chance, his effort from a Bellerin cross was tame and straight at the keeper, before Butland made yet another good save, denying Ozil at his near post after the German had been set up by Cazorla.
Despite being Arsenal’s goalscorer, Walcott continued to be wasteful, fluffing a great chance to double the lead when he was put through one on one, but again there was no conviction in his finish and the Stoke keeper saved easily.
An off the ball incident involving Gabriel and Arnautovic had the Stoke players fuming, but they’d do well to remember their man was the coward who injured Debuchy with a sly off the ball push last season.
Arsene Wenger made his first change in the 75th minute taking off Walcott and replacing him with Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman’s first involvement saw the ball break to him in the box with just the keeper to beat, but he dragged his shot wide – following up on his midweek misses for France.
That was followed up by a great run from Cazorla, but the Spaniard’s fizzing shot went just wide of the post. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta came on to replace Alexis and Ozil in the 84th minute, and 60 seconds later the Gunners were two goals up.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was fouled out wide, Cazorla clipped the free kick into the box, and Giroud attacked it at the near post to nod home for his second of the campaign, and to make it 2-0 to the Gunners. It was almost three shortly afterwards when Butland saved brilliantly from a Koscielny header, before Giroud was denied a penalty when his shirt was obviously being tugged trying to get on the end of a Bellerin cross.
In the end a good performance brought about three points. We were wasteful, and should have scored more, but it’s just what we needed before midweek European action.
Arsenal’s win is paramount and I’m glad we have 3 points. But Can we all Just spare a moment to laugh at chelsea 🙂
positive stuff:
– Coq and Alexis on form as always
– Walcott broke his duck
– hopefully that goal restore Giroud confidence
– Gabriel the orc slayer!
negative stuff:
– Walcott wasted at least another 3 chances for an easy goal
– Giroud a chance as well
– how many times Ramsey got dispossessed today?
Gabriel the orc slayer indeed! Glad to see someone giving back as good as they get. The orc Arnautovic wasn’t too pleased, was he? I’d love to see a smash and grab at Stoke later this season. And a few crunching tackles to boot
Unreal that Arnautovic can throw an elbow and then point at Gabriel later as if he’d done nothing. If you throw an elbow, be man enough to expect one in return and not complain about it.
From what I could tell, he told Gabriel that he would do things to his mother…
Why the thumbs down? You can clearly see Arnautovic pointing to Gabriel as he was getting taken off after treatment and saying “jebacu ti mamu” which from Serbian to English directly translates to “I’ll f*ck your mother”… However you can interpret it as ” I’ll f*ck you up”
Mate we’re talking Orcs here. Self conscience and any amount of decency is not what you’d expect from them. How’s the weather up in Austin btw?
Beautiful, actually. We had 25-30 degrees and sun this weekend. Can’t beat that!
Coq man of match for me. Just on way home from game and still scratching me head what wenger sees in Ramsey out wide. The ox must be stewing.
Ramsey cut in so many times and was out left for a bit too. He is so much better defensively than Ox and, actually, his all round game is better and he’s really consistent. I thought he had another really good game today. Ox will get his chance as the season progresses and the inevitable injuries pile up.
You must have been watching a different game from me. At least we have now scored in two of last seven home games but let’s keep putting a good not great central mid on the wing. It’s clearly working in the yes of some. God help us.
Funny thing is he was the to instigate it. Then when it came to the real thing he went down like a baby.
Gabriel, tough as nails!
I want Gabriel to start against Chelsea so he can do the same thing to that grumpy old Costa
Sets up well for next week really. Having said that our form isn’t really anything to shout about, and Mourinho is in a bad need of a win. Mourinho’s a fucking cunt though so I hope we take our previous win against him one level better and do it at that shithole.
“I don’t blame the players, I don’t blame myself, I just don’t accept the results “- mourinho
The guy needs some medical help asap.
Yeah he sure does… Just a shame he fired Eva, she’d have sorted him out!
…with a massive strap-on
Can we all spare a moment to really focus in on how atrocious Arsenals finishing was. It was criminal. Our conversion rate is the 2nd lowest in the league. Theo is not a striker, can we please just stop with that nonsense. Though I’ll probably get slated on here for not focusing on the bright side of life.
On the positive side, Iwe’re making shed loads of opportunities and I can’t see our finishing remaining that bad all season.
Wengers comments on Walcott being a prolific striker, delusions of grandeur. If he felt this way why has he taken so long to consistently play him through the middle? He’s just forcing it through for his own vanity.
Yes, it must purely be for vanity. Im quite sure there could be no other reason under the sun.
By the way, did anyone notice we had a really pacy guy up front that kept getting behind their lines, stretching play, into dangerously good scoring opportunities, and pulling defenders around to make space for others?
Can we all also spare a moment to really focus in on how amazing Arsenal chance creation was. It was insane.
Fully concur. This is why Wenger persists with Cazorla in the deep lying playmaker role, on his bad days (very few should I add) sure it’s frustrating, but on days like this it’s just superb to watch. Left foot, right foot, long, short, quick feet out of tight situations and starting the counter. He just creates something out of nothing. Couple that with Ozil’s probing, Ramsey’s runs, Bellerin’s overlap, we have an amazing variety to our attacks. Let’s hope we keep this up and also that our strikers start finishing chances again. Keep this up till January and let’s hope… Read more »
I love arseblog. But I kept wondering why he is number 1 hater of king Walcott! His work rate is not mentioned today and his touches were not counted. Did Walcott rent your girlfriend? The runs and positioning of Walcott will make ozil to be great again! Since f.a cup final, why have we been winning our game with Walcott as starte? Is it not winning we all crave for our beloved arsenal? If Walcott snatched your girlfriend, please come for mine. I will not beef you. I will not collect bride price either. Hurry!
Wow. Just bloody wow….
I think I love this comment
Blogs, I hope you’re keeping a codex of these!
A good result in the end but some of the finishing was so, so bad today. Fair play to Jack Butland who was outstanding though.
That first goal was all Coquelin, Ozil and Walcott doing what they do best, brilliant tackle by Coq and what a ball by Ozil. Three well-deserved points.
Job well done, any other day it could’ve been 4,5 or 6
A 2-0 win yet I’m still sitting here feeling frustrated. Wtf?
Have a beer man.
I have and am no longer frustrated. Perspective comes with drinking beer. I like beer.
The only frustrating thing for me today, is the fact that City scored late on to win their game. Arsenal done what was needed. We have to be happy, and look forward, now were sitting in second place, and after the start we have had, i am very happy to be sitting second. A lot of games coming up now in quick succession, just the tight time to be finding a bit of form. Alexis will start finding the net soon too. Hopefully now in the CL and against Chelski.
I’ve been watching every Arsenal game for years as I lived in Ireland, but I very recently moved country and so with the time difference I haven’t been able to keep up our games. KO was at 7AM here, so I only caught the last 20 minutes. How did we play? Can’t complain with a 2-0 at all.
we were solid at back, excellent creatively but so wasteful with our chances
Thanks. Kinda like every 2-0 Arsenal win then.
Mediocre finishing but very good at everything else.
Jeez, to much to get up a 7 a.m. to watch The Arsenal? I am up at 4 a.m. for the noon kickoffs.
Oh 7 am kick off, I get it now…
We are building up for giving a good thrashing to someone. I just hope its Chelsea.
Excellent concise synopsis. Me too.
should have been 4-0 with all those chances
Walcott is not a striker and he will never be
He hasnt played much there, give it a couple more starts at CF and he should improve. At least he makes runs for through balls which I dont see Giroud capable of doing. Maybe even put Alexis in the middle?
They makes fantastic runs in behind but sometimes he goes a fraction too early. That will come. There are times that the passer has to take a half second to lose the marker, then pass but theo has already gone and that’s why it can look like he isn’t involved all that much.
If he can learn to hold that fraction of a second, when the pass comes, no one will catch him
I think to get the best out of both giroud and Theo, they need to play up there together(probably detrimental to the rest of our game tho).
11 goals in his last 11 PL starts.
Its the Theo paradox, no matter how crap he looks, he always scores
who needs a striker
We do. Clearly
Regardless of this, you can’t argue that Wenger has put so much pressure on our strikers, by not signing anyone at all. The last thing you want on your strikers is pressure.
Why has this comment gotten so many dislikes. He was absolutely spot on. Deluded fans.
if anything, wenger has shown confidence in them.
Saying “showing confidence in your existing strikers” is one way of spinning it. If he had got a new striker in this window, does that mean showing no/less confidence in your strikers ?
Why yes, it does mean showing less confidence I your strikers.
Guessing you’ve never played the sport. Having a player ‘replace’ you does more damage to you than the manager saying, “Yeah, i trust that you will score the goals for me. I believe you can do it.” I think the constant “we need a good striker.” “OG IS SHIT!!!” would hurt the player more than anything else 🙂 Just my thoughts on it
Some amazing chances in this game! But delighted for Olivier and to get a clean sheet and all that. Some really impressive play all round. Arnautovic…. what a prick
Well done boys. Theo & HFB both scoring, what will the haters say now? Both should have had hat tricks probably….
You just gave them haters ammo…
They will parade around the internet that a WC strikers should hattrick in that game.
Glad we pick the 3 points especially the goal scorers…..
Am I the only one who notice that since Gabriel came into the team, we are yet to concede
If HFB & Theo are having a poor start to the season, what’s Costa having?
Sorry, that should have been adding to JAL comment……oops
The guy is playing for chelshit so ne one can criticize him
Yes Gabby has been real solid! Fast and strong and more than decent in the air.
I think we’ll have a revolving 3 CBs this season, depending upon the opposition.
Gabriel looks like a psycho killer. Attackers too scared to go near him? Good!
I hope he kicks John Terry Is A Cunt in his head next week
Psycho Killer..Qu’est-ce que c’est?..
Okay. I’ll see myself out now.
Terry will be dropped next week
On his fucking head, I hope.
Great performance from everyone today,lucky not to score 5 or 6 but butland was world class today,also great to see cuntski having a meltdown
All is well that end well. Am just glad we have all 3 points. Am having a laff at chelski what a day! COYG
Would love to see an attack of Ox-Alexis-Theo with Alexis in the middle, he has a good leap to him and can head a ball.
Great game, uncountable chances, could have been 7 really. Should kick on from here. Like we are going to be the team to challenge City.
I’m glad we are creating so many chances but can someone please take this chances. Walcott was poor despite scoring, he is not a striker.
I think Koscienly’s passing is sometimes overlooked. I don’t think there is another CB in the league that can dribble and pass like he does. Class act.
John stones performance against Chelsea today was pretty fuckin close to our Boss in terms of dominance, guile and playing style but I agree with you, we have one of the best CBs in the league. And Gabriel is looking like another cut from the same cloth, very impressive
Haha, i was actually going to mention Stones! I can see why Arsene had an ‘enquiry’ about him a couple of seasons ago.
Only Terry and Kompany have been as good as Kos for the last 3 seasons.
I actually thought his passing was off….tends to almost always over-hit them. His only weakness for me, along with needlessly rash challenges in the past
Honestly… When the fuck are we going to come up against a goal keeper who ISNT having the game of his life?!?
We are so easy on the eye at times, for all the frustration of our inactivity in the market, we really ought to just sit back and enjoy this football because we have been playing some quality stuff. If or when we catch fire, we can burn anybody. COYG!
Despite all the missed chances, Theo scored on a through ball and Giroud scored a header – exactly what we want them to do. A very solid win and the game was never in doubt.
Wasn’t walcotts goal a better version of suarez one vs Newcastle because he is not a cunt and plays for us?
Kos and Gabriel : 10/10
agreed! and lets also give some praise for bellerin. this kid is amazing.
The scary thing is how great Bellerin is for his level of experience and age. He’s still basically played one season of top tier football, yet he’s looking like he’s a strong contender to make team of the season. In 2-3 years he could be one of if not the best RB in the world if he keeps progressing.
And he’s got a real cross in him. Not a ‘hit it and hope’. The one that Walcott wasted was Laser guided into exactly the right place.
Gabriel has impressed whenever he has played. Loved ozils pass today. Everyone played their part. Although we could’ve won 5-0
Is mertesacker still sick or injured or left out?
Must credit the stoke goalkeeper today though
If he’d been left out of the starting lineup, he’d have been a substitute. Would Wenger have had no substitute CB on the bench if he’d had a choice?
Funny how this report and a lot of armchair pundits will focus on missed chances rather than the goal Theo scored that secured our win.
Looking forward to seeing all the haters choke on their bile when he scores 25 goals this season.
It’s so frustrating watching this team at times!
We could have easily won that game 6-0 with the chances we had. If we’d have been better at our finishing you could quite easily have been gushing over that display, but with the way it went, it was a relief just to win!
Early ball for theo scores. Cross for giroud scores. Happy days. Bring on the chavs hahahaha NOW!!!
Very good performance overall…Solid defensively, thought the Coq was immense and i continue to be impressed with Monreal..
Extremely wasteful up top…Especially Walcott but his movement and touch was much improved today..2nd in the league and we have been less than impressive so far.
Good performance from the lads. Excellent 3 points. No complaints. Our finishing will improve as we build momentum.
The Coq superb.Ramsey can’t understand why he gets a start or even more why he never gets taken off.
Always gets in everybodys way and gives us no width.
Confertable win. Welcome back Arsenal. Missed you these past few games.
Weird that Theo and Giroud both scored But we’re still not happy 🙂 .
I thought Ramsey from the right worked very well today – the control of midfield we had is shown by the number of chances we created, and between him and Bellerin Shaquiri didn’t have a sniff all game. I’m not trying to say he was our best player (Oezil for me) but was important nonetheless.
I disagree, but that’s not to say that Ramsey played badly – on the contrary, I thought he was quite good up until about the last 25 minutes where I didn’t see him – I just don’t think he works well in that position. Most of the play went down the left, and when it went down the right he couldn’t use the space out wide because of his lack of pace (again, I’m not criticising him, I just think he’s not suited to the role). With all that said and done, we created so many chances today, we could’ve… Read more »
Okay, I’m I the only one thinking Gabriel should keep his place in the starting 11 regardless of BFG’s availablility?
No.100% he should start with kos. He can run AND jump.
Amidst all the talk of our strikers not taking chances, it has gone unnoticed that our defence is looking rock solid. Don’t remember Stoke fashioning one good chance.
2nd, not too bad especially with Shitty’s new injuries.
COYG!!!
3 points against the Orcs always enjoyable. Briefly forgetting our mid week game. The feeling will be awesome if we stuff that lot next week.
Didn’t watch the game because of work. But we win. Yay. Congrats boys. ?
Diego costa in defense is better than diego costa in offense…real test is next week…lose to chelsea…and it’s all over for everyone in the premier league…
good game for us and bad one for chelsea
I see Arseblog’s prejudice against Theo is still showing! Give the guy a break — he’s still growing into the central strker role, he got into position for more chances than anyone else, Butland made a couple of really good saves to deny him, and he scored when he should have done, on the break. Most of the time he was playing against a massed defence. And I’m sure he knows he can do even better than this, we know he can be a clinical finisher. In Arsenal’s last 10 games, the top scorers have been Walcott (5), Giroud (3),… Read more »
Oh come on, he missed 3 absolute sitters other than the goal he scored! I don’t believe he did anything particularly special to get into those positions either, so it’s not like you could say Giroud would’ve never been in the positions to miss them.
I think he’s a better finisher than he’s showing (he’s not just “not a natural goalscorer”) but he has been really poor in front of goal in the two games he’s started so far.
I beg to differ. They weren’t sitters, they were very good chances a top striker on form would most likely have converted. The open goal Giroud missed, _that_ was a sitter. First, Theo missed a header. Well, it wasn’t long ago he scored his very first headed goal. He’s never been exactly the world’s most prolific scorer with his head, and I thought it was a fair attempt. Probably Olivier would have scored that one. They both have their strengths. Second, Theo was a couple of times a little slow to react in sharp positions, giving Butland time to block… Read more »
Don’t get the part where I said I knew better – you’ll have to point it out to me. Perhaps you missed the part where I said that I think Theo is a better finisher than he’s showing.
What I was arguing was that Blogs was justified in criticising Theo’s performance seeing as how he missed (and I’m not changing the terminology) FOUR very presentable chances and that it wasn’t just because of his bias towards Theo.
AW might rarely be wrong, but that doesn’t mean he’s ALWAYS right either.
No point of playing Walcott in home games where every team’s gonna sit back
3 points would like to speak to you.
Our finishing can only improve. It certainly can’t get any worse. Coq MOTM for me. Our striker options scored that can only help their confidence, there really has been a lot of negativity against them.
Good game, Gabriel and kos partnership looking good. Per calm passing still useful though.
Good to see Giroud and Theo score. However we’re still lacking that killer instinct in front of goal and that could cost us in big games. We need to be alot more clinical in front of goal.
any news on own goal? is he injured? didn’t see him even on the bench today!
Hahaha
Comment:An Özil pass to Theo and the finish..was a typical Fagrigas and Henry esque..I really love it..may it continue like that..while John Terry to continue being a CUNT!
Walcott will put those chances away once he sees cheski,you know they are his wife!
So,don’t worry,be happy!
As I said, goals will come. both strikers on the scoresheet. We have been creating pots of chances and taking plenty of shots. Its a percentage game. Granted we have got to improve our efficiency in front of goal but aside from City, we are in and around everyone goalscoring-wise. Neither “world Class” Costa or Falcao have guaranteed Chelsea goals. Costa is one goal in 7 matches! Benteke? Firminno? You’re having a laugh. Only in the minds of Liverpool fans (and pundits) do they believe they have a quality team considering lavish sums of money paid out over two seasons.… Read more »
I mean we could have had at least 4 since Alexis hit the wood work and had one palmed onto it. Yes we could have been more clinical but with a bit of luck it would have better reflected our dominance. Dunno what the media is smoking. Keep harping on about Stoke who have not beaten us at home since 1981! The mythical Arsenal get bullied by Stoke who never come out of their half. Or Newcastle’s one time come back to draw (not win) at 4-4 with our main Cback out and Diaby sent off (Unfairly by that cunt… Read more »
So as goals target go. 1 down, 19 more to go for Walcott. 18 more to go for Giroud.
20 more for Alexis.
I am glad we got in our obligatory “ref ignores most blatant penalty in the world because he’s too fat to be in the right place” out of the way without it actually costing us anything.