Arsenal vs. Stoke City: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud scored the goals as Arsenal defeated Stoke City 2-0 on Saturday in a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium in London.
The host Gunners dominated from the start but needed until the 31st minute to open the scoring, through Walcott. Giroud, who replaced Walcott in the second half, doubled Arsenal's lead five minutes from time.
Speaking to PremierLeague.com, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said:
"We had to wait to make sure of our victory but I thought our performance was convincing. In the first half our movement was outstanding and we created a lot.
In the second half our pace dropped maybe a little bit in our passing but we continuously created chances and overall it was a strong performance. My only regret is that there is too big a difference between the number of chances we made and the number of goals we scored but that will come.
"
It was the first home victory of the season for Arsenal, who had failed to score in two previous league matches at the Emirates. Up next, the Gunners will travel to Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday before playing at Premier League champions Chelsea next Saturday.
Stoke will host Leicester City next Saturday in the Premier League.
Here, B/R selects winners and losers from Saturday's game.
Winner and Loser: Theo Walcott
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Theo Walcott scored the opening goal, which also turned out to be the winner. In the 31st minute, Walcott used his searing speed to run behind Marc Muniesa and latch onto a brilliant Mesut Ozil pass. He then finished expertly, slotting past Jack Butland, who was in good form on the day.
Nothing was wrong with Walcott's goal, so it might seem odd to attach both the "winner" and "loser" label to him. But although he scored, the England international also missed multiple chances and really should have finished with at least one more goal.
In the opening moments, with Arsenal running rampant as they tried to put Stoke away, Walcott fired wide from close range on a rebound. Moments later he headed over the bar from a Hector Bellerin cross. Two more good chances followed in the second half, but on both occasions, Walcott was unable to beat Butland.
At ESPN FC, Andrew Mangan noted: "(Walcott) scored a fine goal, and it was the most difficult of all the chances he had in the game. There were at least three others he should have buried, though. His finishing lacks conviction and might have proved costly."
The wastefulness didn't hurt Arsenal on this day, but against a better opponent, it might have led to points dropped.
Winner and Loser: Olivier Giroud
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Olivier Giroud entered the match as a 75th-minute substitute for Theo Walcott, and like Walcott, he scored a goal. However, he also missed a sitter moments after coming on.
In the 76th minute, the ball bounced fortuitously to the Frenchman, who found himself free in the box, eight yards from goal. Giroud turned and fired wide of the far post.
In that situation, Giroud simply had to hit the target. Though Jack Butland was playing well, it was imperative for the Arsenal man to at least test the opposing goalkeeper.
Giroud made amends for the miss with a free header in the 85th minute, but his miss could have been damaging. Arsenal led just 1-0 at the time, and Stoke were beginning to show faint signs of danger.
It didn't matter in the end, of course, and Giroud will be happy to have scored. But he'll also know he could have had another goal, which would have boosted his confidence even more.
Winner: Francis Coquelin
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Arsenal's opening goal was a beautiful example of direct, efficient football. Theo Walcott (deservedly) will receive credit for a fine finish, and Mesut Ozil will be happy to record yet another assist. But the sequence started with Francis Coquelin, who was superb for the Gunners all day.
In a typical example of how he can be a bully in the midfield, Coquelin won possession with a tough tackle that started Arsenal's quick counter. The play will have brought a smile to the faces of Arsenal fans, who have known for years that their side needed a stout physical presence in midfield.
Coquelin has consistently brought just that ever since returning to the club last winter from a loan spell with Charlton. His contribution on Saturday was integral, and he'll remain a critical member of Arsenal's squad moving forward.
Loser: Stoke City
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After finishing ninth in the Premier League last season, Stoke and manager Mark Hughes had high hopes for 2014-15. And after spending heavily in the transfer market over the summer, the Potters started the current campaign with five Champions League winners in Xherdan Shaqiri, Marko Arnautovic, Bojan Krkic, Ibrahim Afellay and Marc Muniesa.
But through five matches, Stoke sit at the bottom of the table with zero wins and just two points. That's nowhere near good enough, and Hughes will have to turn results around quickly to relieve the pressure that is already mounting.
"The sharpness I was looking for in our play wasn't there, and you need that when you come here," Hughes said, per PremierLeague.com. "But we will get better; we are a good team and we have got some good individuals and good talent, so we will be fine."
Winner: Jack Butland
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Arsenal were guilty of poor finishing at times, but Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland also deserves credit for a sparkling display.
The 22-year-old was unbeatable against Norwich City before the international breaking, and he earned an England call-up for the Three Lions' recent qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland.
Against Arsenal, Butland showed some of the form that has put him squarely in England manager Roy Hodgson's plans. His 10 saves included several outstanding stops, notably pushing an Alexis Sanchez header onto the post in the third minute. Late in the match, he sprawled to tip a Laurent Koscielny header out for a corner.
"Jack Butland has shown what an outstanding young keeper he is," manager Mark Hughes said, per Sky Sports. "As the season progresses we fully expect he won't have as many opportunities to be man of the match. That's our aim. At the moment he's having too much to do."
Fortunately for Stoke, Butland was his side's man of the match against Arsenal. Without him, the Potters surely would have lost by more than two goals.
Winner: Santi Cazorla
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With Per Mertesacker unavailable and Mikel Arteta starting on the bench, Santi Cazorla served as captain for Arsenal on Saturday. The 30-year-old Spaniard rewarded his manager with a performance worthy of the armband.
Running the show from central midfield, Cazorla created six scoring chances (per Squawka) and came close to netting a goal of his own. His excellent set-piece delivery in the 85th minute presented Olivier Giroud with a golden chance, which the Frenchman converted.
Follow @MiguelCominguez
