Stoke 2 Arsenal 1: Match Report & Player Ratings

At Stoke City's Britannia Stadium, Arsenal fell to their third defeat in only their 11th game of their Premiership campaign.

It doesn't bode well for the rest of the season. At this rate, Arsenal could well lose 10-12 games between now and May, giving Aston Villa a very strong chance to break into the top four at the North London club's expense.

Stoke played exactly as expected, and so did Arsenal. The Potters shrunk the pitch, because they know Arsenal play with no width. It also allowed Rory Delap to throw long balls right into the heart of the opposition's defence, practically from the halfway line.

It only took 10 minutes for the oh so predictable to happen. Delap arrows a long missile into Arsenal's penalty area, Toure completely misdjudges its flight, and Fuller heads easily past the stationary Almunia. It was the safest bet of the century, which is why I feel guilty tonight that I didn't go down the bookies and put a wad of cash down on Arsenal conceding an early goal.

As if to make amends, on 19 Almunia decided to come fists first for the next cross. He completely missed it, but Delap didn't get enough power in his header to make it 2-0.

Wenger got the line-up RIGHT. Post-match, a lot of people are saying he got it wrong, but although the players he put out on the pitch were more defensive-minded, they still had more than enough natural ability to beat Stoke.

The game was not lost because of personnel, but tactics. After 22 minutes, I again began to wonder what on earth Wenger teaches his players on the training ground other than pass and move. Arsenal had no width. Clichy would overlap left-side, Fabregas would play him in, and instead of taking it to the byline and whipping a cross in, Clichy would reverse and play the ball in-field to Adebayor who would predictably lose possession.

Arsenal were playing on a tight pitch and trying to go through the middle all the time, when they had two 6 foot 4-inch strikers on the pitch who have proved they can out-jump anyone.

On 24, Adebayor turned, and hit a miserable shot into the arms of Thomas Sorensen, Arsenal's first effort on target. On 28, Adebayor was touched in the face and turned to the referee expectantly. His expression said, help us - we can't win this without someone giving us dodgy decisions.

Fabregas had given up. His body language was awful. He doesn't look he can be bothered with this Arsenal team anymore - he wants to be in sunny Spain with Hleb, and probably will be in 9 months.

Arsenal were so low on confidence and lacking in ideas that the passing was gone and there was no movement up front. Arsenal's pass and move had disappeared. Bendtner in particular was completely stactic.

It was clear the only way Arsenal could get back into the game was in the second half, about 30 minutes later, when Stoke would become tired and Wenger could get his subs on. 

In the 2nd half, Wenger instructed his team to do what they should have been doing from kick off - Clichy, Sagna and Bendtner started running into wide positions and putting crosses into the box, and for the first time in the game, Stoke started to look stretched.

On 60, after a decent spell of Arsenal pressure, Fabregas flung in a corner and Toure came near post, slicing a shot over the bar. It was a good effort but unfortunately, the curse of Rory Delap was about to rear its ugly head again. On 66, his trademake throw was feebly cleared by the Arsenal back four, Diao's 20 yard strike requiring a good save from Almunia to tip the ball round the post.

On 72, Delap throws again, someone missed their header - I wasn't paying much attention by then. I was too busy wondering why Arsenal kept giving away needless throw-ins, which, in the hands of Delap, were almost as dangerous as penalties. Needless to say Shawcross followed in and chested the ball past Almunia to make it 2-0 Stoke.

Arsenal had already made some subs. Van Persie and Walcott on. But Van Persie didn't last much past the 72nd minute. His frustration got the better of him and he needlessly raised an arm into Sorensen, shoving him to the ground. It didn't look that bad on the replay, but it was violent behaviour so he had to go. Adebayor then injured his ankle and lay on the ground begging for mummy. Two strikers down.

On 86, Delap threw another bouncing bomb into the Arsenal rearguard. Bendtner was the first to get there. Well done Nicklas, it only took 86 minutes.

On 90, Arsenal lost another stiker when Theo Walcott's shoulder popped out having been felled from behind by Delap - expect him to be out for a couple of months.

On 93, Clichy fires in a consolation goal, the ball taking two wild deflections on route to Sorensen's net. Could Arsenal do a Tottenham? Not likely with 9 men.

Wenger, meanwhile, was chewing the ears off Pat Rice. If I was Rice I'd resign rather than spend the next 6 months getting it in the neck from a manager who should be looking in the mirror and shouting at himself.

Almunia (5)
Made one fine save from Diao, but as expected did not cope well with Stoke's agricultural tactics.
Sagna (6)
Has played better.
Toure (6)
Completely impotent at dealing with Delap's long throws. Otherwise, brought the ball out of defence well and played with his usual enthusiasm, unlike certain others.
Silvestre (5)
Was he there? Didn't see much of him. The experience he gained during his 10 years at Man Utd is not being translated to the Arsenal defence.
Clichy (5)
Barely adequate performance.
Denilson (6) STAR MAN
Played left midfield and put quite a few tackles in during the first half; probably the pick of Arsenal's midfield - but that's not saying much. It seems incredulous to suggest he, or anyone, was a "STAR MAN".
Fabregas (4)
Is his heart in Barcelona? Certainly looked like it today. His passing was shocking and he often looked completely disinterested.
Song (4)
In the end, Song was not required as a defensive midfielder, because Stoke's only threat was throwing long balls in the box. Didn't play well regardless.
Diaby (4)
Dreadful performance, but has never played well stuck out wide left. Was brought in to give the team added height, but was nowhere to be seen when defending set pieces - he didn't bother tracking his marker for 0-2.
Adebayor (5)
About as effective as he was on Wednesday, i.e. useless. Not the man you want when your back's against the wall.
Bendtner (4)
Completely ineffectual.

Substitutes

Walcott (5)
Gave Arsenal some much-required width when he came on, but once again his decision making in the final-third was poor.
Van Persie (3)
Did nothing other than get himself sent off. Thought he might get sent off at Spurs at one point as you could see he was losing his rag; got sent off today instead.
Vela (5)
Couldn't get into the game, wasn't his fault.