Absolute cracker of a game with both result and performance from Arsenal keeping our chances of a top four finish well and truly alive.
Because of the history between Arsenal and Stoke, despite the fact the Potters have little to play for, I was not alone in thinking that this may be the toughest of the three remaining Premier League games for the Gunners this season, so the lads needed to be on the ball and they were right from the start.
In an almost completely dominant first half Arsenal looked like getting the job done nice and early but with a Monreal header crashing off the post being the closest of a fair few chances, the momentum seemed to have ebbed away, but just as Stoke seemed to be on the up and enjoying some rare possession we struck.
It was a great move finished by a tap in from Giroud with Bellerin getting the assist after a burst down the right and ball across the 6yd line. Great credit should go to Coquelin as well for his slide rule ball to set the Spaniard on his way.
Arsenal needed that goal after the way we had played and while it was well deserved it was met with as much relief as joy. Now could we push on and get the win? I have to damit that I was worried for the first five minbutes after the break. Our intensity had dropped while Stoke’s was up.
Arsenal responded though, and Ozil doubled the lead with a real gem, a one-two with Alexis Sanchez which was a joy to watch and maybe should have killed the game. Stoke do not like us though and they rallied well after Crouch and Bertahino came on and when the lanky robot pulled one back it was all in the balance, with the usual rough tackles and elbows flying..
It was a handball and would have been hugely controversial but the Gunners made sure we had no complaint by going on to score another two, through Giroud and Alexis, in a very imprerssive show of fight and desire which really keeps the hopes of another top four finish alive.
Over to you Liverpool, no pressure. COYG.
Why can’t we play like this all season? Even Coq played well today.
Hope Alexis’s injury isn’t a bad one. What a player.
West ham need to do us a huge favour tomorrow otherwise this is all in vain.
WHERE THE HELL HAS THIS ARSENAL BEEN!!
Beyond frustrating.
Echoed sentiments
If Liverpool win tommorow it’s all pointless
Come on you irons!!!
Exactly… We play like till February and then in the month of February and March fell apart severally…. We pick up our pace again in the month of April and May tp fight Top 4 instead of Championship..
We alway have this script to play out.
Do we usually have our mind set for top four? It shouldn’t be the case.
Recommendation – Wenger take a leave if you don’t want to be out.
If you are an Arsenal fan then I’m a chinaman.
Admin why do you let this troll stay on an Arsenal site?
Cos he’s fed up with wenger
He’s an arsenal fan just tired of the current management
Focus your ire elsewhere mate
Of course you are in your bedroom. It’s well past your bedtime
Soopa Aeon you Kenyan or nigerian?
Coquelin was immense.
I’m surprised with the person above me, “even Coq played well today”. In case you don’t know how many games has Le Coq played badly? May be two or three games. I always know that he’s a powerful midfielder. Just because he played badly when Chelsea beat us a lot of you here are slating him. The only player to be questioned is Xhaka, he’s not in the game today. Free Cog alone.
Haha do you even watch matches? It is the Ramsey-Xhaka partnership which has helped this formation.
Coq had been on the worst run and he still hasn’t justified himself to wear an Arsenal shirt. He just played today to give ramsey some rest. And please dont even think about comparing coq with Xhaka. They are in different leagues altogether. Xhaka can pull off a long ranger anywhere anytime.
Coq has been the worst in Arsenal shirt. You don’t even know football. Which midfielder worked harder than him last season. Ramsey has been poor many times but you never call him the worse. Tell me how many games Coq was at fault this season. May be two or three. What about Ramsey, how many games has he played badly????? The only thing that’s helping Arsenal is this new formation simple.
Xhaka was the one who picked Coquelin in the pocket for 1st goal…. Xhaka was good with his passing…
Everyone played well 🙂
Glad Ozil and Giroud scored
Alexis is on 21 PL GOALS and i think 26 total Arsenal goals
Nobody injured or sent off
Excellent win 🙂
Coquelin played very well but i think we still need a better player in that position. Eleny is not the answer and Coquelin had a lot of poor performances this season.
1-4
One of the best wins this season
Keep it up
Wow. Arsenal’s players were so pumped up to win the game. Especially Sanchez. After a series of lackluster performances, Sanchez was very energetic today. And it was good to see Ozil scored again.
This experimental 3-4-2-1 system has made Arsenal’s defense and midfield areas really solid. We only lost against Tottenham, the title contender. We beat two top Premiere League teams and is still winning afterwards. Imagine if Arsenal was brave to change the 4-2-3-1 to this system in the middle of the competition. We would have been in a better position.
Regarding the Stoke City’s players, Shawcross is still a dirty player and Arnautovic is a talented forward in a wrong team. Too bad we didn’t get Arnautovic before Stoke got him.
Can we sell Wenger and keep Sanchez? Just suggesting. Why are our players always putting up a good shift at the end every season? Are we always after top 4? This was a very good game.
Shawcross is a dirty cheating ****
But he has no reason to be, as he has skill but play for Stoke then be like Stoke.
Another 3 crucial points wish we were playing like this from the start of the season, oh well the fight continues up arsenal coyg!
Well, we were playing BETTER than this at the start of the season mate.
Great result. HOWEVER why is it always the same?
Only the threat of a top four for the paymasters gives this team any incentive..
This win was immense indeed vital 3 points, come on “hammers ” do us a favor stop the “pool ” as you did the “spuds”!
Xhaka is enjoying this new formation. Happy for him.
Well-done boys. Good win!
He still needs to be more careful with his passing though….his position is so critical and loosing the ball either via wrong passing or being dispocessed looks so bad. Not every time his teammates will save him like what happened in the second half today. He also needs to keep his head and not to get sent off.
Good game. Ramsey should remain as a sub, so should Walcott. Wish we were keeping the race for the title alive, not top 4. Sanchez should stay
Brilliant game. Brilliant result. Come on you Irons!
Credit to Wenger for the team selection today – a lot of people moaning before the match.
Good to see Sanchez smiling for a change after coming off – I still think his behaviour has been poor this season.
Mike Dean – WTF?!
You are a child. Go back to bed and leave the discussion to the adults
*Arsene digs out lasagne recipe”
Arsenal should milk as much money as they can from selling Ozil,Ramsey and Welbeck… Then bid big for Lukaku and a goal scoring no.10 (I’d say Dele Alli/De Bruyne but we would never get them)…
An additional left footed centre back and a left wing back will also be needed.
Then of course a new manager…Simeone would bring out the beast in Coquelin
holding should have been sent off for that tackle.
We got away with one there
I don’t get why several are saying this (including that commentator) ! In my opinion it was a proffissional tackle…..Athletico Madrid do this kind of tackling all the time and they don’t even get booked.
We will finish 4th and Wenger will sign 2 year contract. You heard it first here.
I don’t think finishing 4th or not will affect Wenger signing a contract or not.
If that’s the case, then why hasn’t he announced it?
Wenger Out Allegri In
Sell Ospina, Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesaker, Gabriel, Gibbs, Wilshere, Ramsey, Theo, Giroud, Welbeck
Buy GK, LB, CB, 2 WB, CF, CAM.
GK Szczesny or other top GK
LB Kolasanic or Mendy
CB Van Dijk or other top CB
CM Top quality 2 needed
Top midfield scorer
Top Striker
We are wasting our money on injury prone and average players. Our wage bill is higher than
Chelsea, Bayern and Athletico Madrid because we overpay for flops.
Yeah, that’s good business. Buying a player that’s already yours! Wojciech Szczęsny Is on loan, genius.
Lol and now the doubters & non-believers are getting excited about the Wenger trophy ?? it’s in the bag… Like it always is!
If the Premier league title was worth more money than what it is now then we’ll be winning that too, year in year out ?
It’s done and dusted according to this German tweet, that’s been translated for convenience.
The departure of @seadk6 is fixed. Sead #Kolasinac has signed a 5-year contract with @Arsenal. #S04 #Schalke
I know how Arsenal can win both the domestic league and Champion’s League next season!
We do-away with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the Premiership. Teams can finish from 4th to 24th, so then 4th place wins the league…
…and we rename the Champion’s League to ‘The Wenger Trophy’.
TBH I am a wenger out, however if he finishes top 4 and wins the cup I cannot see him going and prob deserves another crack. Anything less and he should bow out gracefully. Today only highlighted the fact that the players are not playing for him anymore. I just wish we worked this hard every game, this is the first time in years we have stoke it back
There has obviously been a lot of internal rifts, but I wonder if this push has to do with the fact that the team now has a confirmed target, win every game, rather than ‘ fourth or above’ is ok. If you don’t have the mentality to win every game, and think 4th is acceptable, then it’s going to have some effect. Conte mentioned this (although not Arsenal related) in his post match interview, as to how important it was to emphasise the mentality that every game needed to be won.
Would love to see AS7 as captain, obviously not the traditional Wenger captain, but I have seen him show more and more leadership on the pitch, and I think it would be something that could sway him.
Tot are celebrating their ass off that they r loosing games comfertably!!! St. Totteringhams day is off!… I think the pools might win today!