Arsenal won to capitalise on Chelsea’s loss earlier in the day and move within three points of the league leaders, but their celebrations were tempered by Aaron Ramsey’s serious injury, which was carried off after an incident reminiscent of Eduardo’s compound fracture at Birmingham in 2008.
Ryan Shawcross was sent off for the challenge and was sickened by what he had done. Arsenal, to their credit, recovered well enough to score twice at the death, with a penalty from Cesc Fábregas and a tap-in from Thomas Vermaelen.
It was a toss up which side came into the game with higher morale – Stoke unbeaten in 2010 or Arsenal, who had thrust themselves back into title contention with successive victories.
Tony Pulis came down on the side of boldness, recalling Abdou Faye and Andy Wilkinson in defence after suspension in the strongest available line-up. Injuries denied Arsenal important players in Andrey Arshavin, William Gallas, Robin Van Persie and Abou Diaby, creating a starting place for Sol Campbell but not for Theo Walcott, who was again on the bench, as was Eduardo, who is still short of match fitness.
One would have thought they must have practiced ways of countering Rory Delap’s threat all week, but if they had, it was to no avail. Just seven minutes had elapsed when Delap hurled the ball in from the right and Shawcross got to it ahead of Bacary Sagna, redirecting it to the far post, where Danny Pugh headed home at perfunctory range. How the home crowd loved that, taunting Arsène Wenger, who has been critical of Stoke’s methods, with choruses of: “We only score from our throw-ins.”
Pulis won’t apologise for any of that of course, nor does he need to, having devised an uncommonly effective use of limited resources. The goal gave his team a lift, and the initiative, putting Arsenal on the back foot, and the game was 25 minutes old before Fábregas produced their first strike at goal, from distance.
It met with no success, but it did spark Arsenal into action, and after 31 minutes they drew level, Nicolas Bendtner bisecting the centre-halves to get to Fábregas’s right-wing cross and score with a towering header from 10 yards. Thomas Sorensen was left with no chance, the ball beating him high to his left.
Arsenal thought they should have had a penalty four minutes into the second half when Ramsey, after receiving a short through pass from Fábregas, toppled 12 yards out under Faye’s challenge. The referee concluded, not unreasonably, that the defender had hustled for possession legitimately and that the Welshman had fallen unnecessarily.
After Stoke’s assertive start, the initiative had changed sides, with Fábregas increasingly influential, and just short of the hour mark Sorensen was happy to touch over Emmanuel Eboué’s thunderous drive from the edge of the area.
Arsenal’s economical, progressive passing was testing the stamina of their opponents who had battled for two hours in their midweek FA Cup replay defeat of Manchester City and Danny Collins was introduced from the bench on the hour.
Stoke still had their moments, notably when Almunia dropped another Exocet from Delap, and the match was boiling towards an intriguing climax when the appetite for it was dulled by Ramsey’s horrible injury. Such was its seriousness that at least two players were ill on the pitch and it was five minutes before the young midfielder could be carried off, to be replaced by Tomas Rosicky.
Inevitably the atmosphere changed – and not for the better. The Arsenal fans called the opposition “scum”, while the home crowd lionised Shawcross by chanting his name.
Stoke were consigned to their first defeat in 12 games when a handball by Pugh allowed Fábregas to score from the spot in the 90th minute and Sorensen’s failure to hold Rosicky’s shot enabled Thomas Vermaelen to make it 3-1 in added time.
Stoke.VitalFootball.co.uk’s Chris Baldwin I was too far away from the Shawcross incident to comment, but the tackle on Ramsey did not appear to be malicious from where I was. Both went in hard, however, and the result destroyed the game. We had been defending effectively and had a good chance to score at 1-1. We had an issue up front with Fuller and Sidibé, who didn’t look switched on, most likely due to their midweek exertions. Arsenal struggled with Delap’s throws; you’d think they’d have known what to anticipate. The penalty appeared to be excessive. I saw the arm raise, so I guess I can’t complain.
Player evaluations by fans Sorensen 7; Wilkinson 7, Shawcross 5, Faye 6 (Collins 60 6), Huth 7; Delap 7, Whitehead 7, Whelan 7, Pugh 7; Sidibé 6, Fuller 6 (Tuncay 80 6).
Observer reader Toby Moses I have nothing against the physical aspect of the game, but there needs to be a discussion about where to draw the line with the old ‘Arsenal don’t like it up ’em’ motto that clubs use. Go in hard and fair, but that doesn’t give them a free pass to kick us all over the place. Maybe if the refs cracked down, players like Shawcross wouldn’t think they can get away with a tackle that has jeopardised the career of a very bright British teenager. Three times in a few years does not seem like a coincidence to me. To be honest, the outcome is insignificant.
Player evaluations by fans Song 7; Eboué 7 (Walcott 75 n/a), Fábregas 8, Ramsey 8, (Rosicky 69 7), Nasri 7 (Eduardo 83 n/a), Bendtner 8
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