Arsenal vs. Stoke City: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Arsenal are top of the Premier League after beating Stoke City 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, despite falling behind to a Charlie Adam penalty in the first half. Goals from Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi secured an important three points for the north London side. 

The Gunners are level on points and share the same goal difference with Chelsea, but the north Londoners are top by virtue of goals scored.

Winning by two goals looked a forlorn hope after Adam had given Stoke the lead just shy of the half-hour mark. The Gunners also lost centre-back Shkodran Mustafi to apparent injury during trying early exchanges.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger kept faith with the in-form Alexis Sanchez up front, but returning right-back Hector Bellerin only made the bench.

Arsenal's official Twitter account carried the full starting XI:

As for the Potters, manager Mark Hughes fielded a strong side featuring quality attackers Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri, per the club:

Arnautovic was in the lineup because of an injury to Jonathan Walters, according to the Sentinel's Pete Smith:

There was no place for centre-back Ryan Shawcross. The player infamous among Arsenal supporters for his collision with Aaron Ramsey in 2010, which left the Welsh midfielder with a broken leg, missed out due to an ongoing calf problem, per Metro's George Bellshaw.

Surprisingly, it was the visitors who created the best opportunities early on. Defender Marc Muniesa had the most notable chance when he forced Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech into a fine save after lashing a long-range volley toward goal.

The Potters were passing the ball with confidence and style, and they soon carved through the Gunners again. This time it was Shaqiri who should have taken the shot on, but he hesitated after Arnautovic's smart pass.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Arsenal were sluggish but turned to the pace of Walcott to liven things up. Mustafi put the England winger through cleverly, but Lee Grant saved the subsequent shot well.

Things soon unravelled for the Gunners, though, and in a matter of minutes. First, Mustafi was withdrawn with what looked like a possible hamstring problem to be replaced by Bellerin, per Metro's Max Miller. 

Then midfielder Granit Xhaka inexplicably elbowed City playmaker Joe Allen in the box to give Stoke a penalty. Skipper Adam tucked the ball in from the spot.

The goal marked another low point for Cech when he's faced penalties, according to Squawka:

Clearly rattled by both falling behind and the injury to Mustafi, the Gunners struggled to establish their own rhythm on the ball. Their distribution became slow, aimless and predictable, with few passes threaded between the lines.

Arsenal needed to up the pace of their game, and pace is something Bellerin never lacks. The full-back swiftly galloped past his marker on the flank and whipped a near-post cross that Walcott met brilliantly on the volley.

That deft finish gave Walcott a landmark goal:

He also set a mark the Emirates Stadium faithful were sure to appreciate:

Bellerin set up the goal, once more demonstrating his intelligence in the final third. He's now developed a niche as a provider, particularly for a defender, per OptaJoe:

Buoyed by the equaliser, the Gunners turned up the pressure. Sanchez went close when he shot on the turn, before another expert Bellerin cross created a chance that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spurned, leaving things level at the break.

Arsenal's pace and delivery from wide areas had undone Stoke before the break, and the same combination worked wonders again early in the second half. This time it was Oxlade-Chamberlain who teased in a cross, one met by Ozil's gently placed header.

Squawka showed how prolific a more direct Ozil has become this season:

The Gunners were deservedly in front, but Wenger could hardly relax on a day that just felt like it had a few more disturbing turns in store. A third goal was needed to settle the nerves, as well as to claim top spot.

Wenger would likely have been annoyed to see it was Stoke who pressed for an equaliser instead. Substitutes Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch both went close, with the latter forcing Cech into a splendid save.

Something needed to change, so Wenger opted to withdraw Oxlade-Chamberlain for Iwobi. The former was clearly perturbed by the decision, but Wenger was vindicated when Iwobi collected a Sanchez pass and fired home the third.

Goals in England's top flight have been a rarity for Iwobi, despite his penchant to shoot, per WhoScored.com:

Sanchez created the chance, something the Chilean is becoming increasingly fond of doing:

Wenger's men have become masters at both this season and closed out the game with minimal fuss to claim their reward and fire a warning to Chelsea and the rest of this season's title contenders.

Post-Match Reaction

Wenger applauded his team's discipline after experiencing such an early setback:

The manager also talked up the strength in depth of his squad after seeing Iwobi make a difference off the bench:

Arsenal are showing more resolve this season after again battling back from a goal down. Part of the resilience comes from having genuine match-winners in reserve.

Goals shouldn't be in short supply this season, no matter what combination of players Wenger picks up front. The Gunners just have to show they're strong enough at the back to consistently win the tough games as the title race progresses.