EPL Review : Stoke shock Arsenal as it almost ends the Gunners’ title hopes

A Jonathan Walters penalty ensured a shock 1-0 win over Arsenal at the vociferous Brittania stadium as the result meant it was curtains for Arsenal’s title aspirations. With Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Fulham, Arsene Wenger’s men are now four points adrift of the Blues in the table and the loss sees their title hopes blow up in ashes. As a result of the win, the Potters climbed to 12^th in the table as Mark Hughes’ first season in charge of the Braittania outfit is proving fruitful.

As Daily Mail points out: Stoke were certainly good value for their victory, only their second in 11 Premier League fixtures, as they claimed another notable scalp for the season – following on from home triumphs against Chelsea and Manchester United – and once again proved to be Arsenal’s bogey side.

Since Stoke were promoted to the top-flight in 2008, they have hosted Arsenal seven times and lost only once. As the encounter started it was a cagey affair from the beginning. Arsenal were hardly able to put a foothold on the clash as Stoke had chances of their own. Peter Crouch missed tow great opportunities for the home side but it heart in the mouth stuff for the Gunners who hardly got an opening right.

At the end, Arsene Wenger claimed Stoke were lucky to have been awarded the penalty after what looked like the right decision following Koscielny’s handball. Mark Hughes was quick to reinstate the fact.

I just saw it as the ball bouncing around there, then it bounces up – it was awkward obviously for Koscielny, but it’s clearly hit his hand. I’m surprised that Arsenal think it isn’t (a penalty).. then again, maybe I’m not.

We seem to be making a habit of it,” he added. “We’ve had some great results and good performances, and today was another one. I thought we were excellent from start to finish. We restricted Arsenal to very few opportunities. We had really good chances ourselves as well, apart from what was obviously a clear-cut penalty – I think there’s no doubt about that. We’re delighted. It’s difficult when you go up against a team like Arsenal – they will try and probe and create, but I thought we coped fairly well with them. I thought we had more intensity and drive in our play than they did, and as a consequence we were able to nullify them quite easily.”

Match Stats:

Stoke City (4-5-1): Begovic 6.5; Cameron 7, Shawcross 8, Wilson 7, Pieters 6.5; Walters 7, Nzonzi 6.5, Whelan 7, Adam 7 (Ireland 73, 6), Arnautovic 6.5 (Etherington 88); Crouch 6.

Subs: Sorensen, Muniesa, Palacios, Guidetti, Wilkinson.

Scorer: Walters pen 76

Booked: Pieters, Wilson

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 6; Sagna 5.5, Mertesacker 6.5, Koscielny 5, Gibbs 6; Arteta 5.5, Wilshere 5 (Sanogo 81 5); Rosicky 6 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 74, 6), Cazorla 6, Podolski 5.5 (Ozil 66, 6); Giroud 6.