Arsenal Vs Stoke City: Highlights and analysis – Loosey goosey

Arsenal hosted Stoke City on Sunday afternoon as the Premier League returned. Here is the full recap, all the highlights and analysis of the 3-0 win.

Arsenal did not deserve the victory against Stoke City on Sunday afternoon. In fairness, Stoke didn’t deserve anything either, but that does not excuse the tardiness and lethargy of the display from Arsene Wenger’s team. The match was summed up well by the atmosphere in the stadium. Empty seats. Disinterested fans. Nervous noise. Disgruntled moans. The result didn’t matter, but the performance very much looked like it didn’t, which is somewhat concerning.

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The first half was littered with errors, especially in possession. The intensity of the game was extremely lacking, the atmosphere in the Emirates was anxious and unnerved, and the Gunners’ play mirrored the tense feeling around the ground. What was particularly noticeable about the home side’s lacklustre display was the looseness of their passing.

As of half-time, only three players had a pass success rate of 90% or more — Hector Bellerin, Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The latter of that trio only attempted 12 passes all half. It would have been disappointing if he had completed any fewer. Both Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers, who I actually believe were Arsenal’s best players in the first 45 minutes, were guilty of gifting Stoke possession on numerous occasions with simple misplaced passes into the midfield areas, and the fluidity and rhythm of Arsenal’s possessional play was desperately absent.

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The best chance of the game, or at least the closest either side came to the breakthrough goal, fell to Aaron Ramsey’s, whose clever flicked effort after the ball bounded free in the penalty area clipped off the top of the crossbar. Xherdan Shaqiri had bent his shot inches past David Ospina’s far post in the opening few minutes to provide the only other moment of threatening goalmouth action prior to Ramsey’s effort.

And as the sides trudged down the tunnel to close what was a truly insignificant and uneventful first half, the not-so-many fans in the Emirates headed for their pie wishing for at least a spark of something.

The second half started in a better fashion. While the quality in the final third was still lacking, with the precise inches of many of the passes missing, oftentimes stalling counter-attacking opportunities as players have to slow, turn and then collect the ball before they then re-initiate the attacking move.

Aaron Ramsey nearly tricked his way to the by-line, almost squeezing the ball back to Danny Welbeck after a surging break. The Welshman then teed up Welbeck with a lovely cushioned touch, only for the shot to be dragged wide of the mark. Mohamed Elneny then had placed shot well blocked after some neat work from Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil released Hector Bellerin to cut back a low, accurate cross. That was the best move of the game for Arsenal, not that that was an especially high bar to reach.

It took until after the hour-mark for the game to at least show some signs of vivacity. Xherdan Shaqiri hit the post from a wickedly inswinging corner, before Mesut Ozil released Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a lovely slicing through-pass, only for Jack Butland to stand up big and strong, denying him with a blocked arm, and Calum Chambers could only bundle the ball into the lap of Butland from the resultant corner.

The goal that everyone was desperately waiting for did eventually come. Arsenal, predictably, needed a little help from referee Craig Pawson. As Mesut Ozil stepped across Bruno Martins-Indi, the back of his legs were scraped by the battling Stoke midfielder, causing him to fall. Pawson pointed to the spot. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stepped up. Jack Butland dived the wrong way. Arsenal went one goal to the good.

The goal gave Arsenal confidence. Their passing immediately improved, played at a far greater tempo and accuracy, and they were able to move Stoke’s defence out of their formerly regimented and disciplined positions. Henrikh Mkhitaryan forced a couple of saves from Jack Butland, as did Mesut Ozil from distance, before Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette put the icing on a somewhat undeserved cake.

Aubameyang added the second with a slicing finish that angled past Butland and into the bottom corner of the goal, drifting to the far post from a corner that was neatly flicked on by Nacho Monreal at the near post, before Lacazette scored on his return, also from the penalty spot, after he was foolishly bundled over by Badou Ndiaye in the area late on. It was perhaps a surprise to not see Aubameyang complete his hat-trick, but goals bring confidence, and that is precisely what Lacazette requires.

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The second half was much better from Arsenal, especially as the match progressed. But the loose play for much of the game should not be overlooked. Play like that against CSKA Moscow, and the Europa League might not be so enjoyable.

Highlights