Why Arsenal's Draw with Stoke Is a Point Gained in Premier League Title Fight

In a tightly fought title race, every point dropped is problematic. This week, Arsenal twice drew matches that they could potentially have won, taking just two points from a potential six. However, the 0-0 draw with Stoke is no real cause for concern—the Gunners showed a resilience that should be a genuine cause for optimism. 

Traditionally, Arsenal do not fare well at Stoke. Prior to this most recent encounter, they had not won on any of their previous five visits to the Britannia. Last season, it was the site of the low point of Arsenal’s campaign—the Gunners succumbed to a 3-2 defeat that led to them being barracked by angry fans at the Stoke train station.

There were no such enraged scenes this time around. Arsenal fans might wish Olivier Giroud had converted the one obvious chance to give them the goal needed to win the game, but the result has not prompted any great outpouring of rage. 

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In his post-match press conference, Arsene Wenger was keen to make clear that the outcome was predominantly “positive." He told Arsenal.com:

"

We did well to battle. They made the game physical, they were up for it, the players were up for it and they were up for a direct game. We had to have a physical response and show solidarity, fighting spirit and togetherness. We lacked a bit of creativity to force a way through and on top of that we missed good chances. They were fighting from the first to the last minute. We wanted to win the game but looking at our history here it is a positive result. Looking at the results of the other teams that played at the top, it is a positive result.

"

Wenger is right. Stoke have already beaten both Manchester clubs and Chelsea at the Britannia this season. Arsenal might have been another victim of the Premier League’s giant-slayers, were it not a performance of gigantic proportions from Petr Cech. The veteran goalkeeper made a number of crucial saves to help Arsenal to an important clean sheet. Having shipped seven goals in their previous two away games, it was reassuring to see them regain some measure of stability at the back.

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This was a tough game in difficult conditions. Stoke largely reverted to the more physical approach they used under Tony Pulis, but Arsenal were strong enough to survive. Aaron Ramsey typified the Gunners’ mental fortitude—he was the victim of cruel and tasteless chants throughout the game, but he never let his head go down. 

It’s a curious thing, but had Arsenal won at Anfield, then lost at Stoke, they might have gained one more point this week, but they could still have done more significant damage to their title bid. A defeat would have seen old questions about Arsenal’s frailty resurface and damaged the confidence and morale of all associated with the club. A draw allows their positive momentum to continue. 

A draw at Stoke is always a pretty good result in isolation. In this instance, it’s a good result in context too. Three of Arsenal’s next four league games are at home. This point can be a platform from which the Gunners kick on and really begin to turn the screw on their title rivals.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.