Andrey Arshavin takes central role to return Arsenal
to winning ways
Andrew Longmore at Emirates stadium
Andrey Arshavin, left, watches as his shot
gives Arsenal the lead against Stoke City (EPA/FELIPE
TRUEBA)
THE post-match handshake was pretty perfunctory, but then
it merely mirrored the match, a comfortable victory for Arsenal that ended
their manager's little wobble. There could be no excuse for any pouts
from Arsene Wenger this time; Stoke barely laid a finger on the home team
and referee Mark Clattenberg did not have to produce one yellow card for
either side, as Stoke, in their attempt to resemble a proper mid-table
team, turned all meek and mild.
Arsenal could even afford to miss a penalty, before goals by Andrey Arshavin
and Aaron Ramsey completed a neat circle for Wenger, who won his first
Premier League match against Blackburn by the same scoreline as yesterday's
500th.
"The victory was much needed," admitted the Arsenal manager.
"We should have been two or three up by half-time but the recent
defeats began to play on our mind in the second half. I was pleased we
didn't give away anything."
Wenger was still refusing to back down on the issue of the non-handshake
with Mark Hughes in midweek. "I'm no angel," he said. "The
ceremonial [of shaking hands with the opposing manager] is important but
the courtesy is more important than the ceremonial." Alan Pardew,
Jose Mourinho and now Hughes have clearly infringed the Frenchman's sense
of chivalry, but Wenger has been simmering since Robin van Persie was
injured on friendly international duty last month.
As Stoke's manager, Tony Pulis, had joined the chorus of disapproval during
the week, rekindling some of the ill temper that followed Arsenal's defeat
by Stoke a year ago, there was potential for further sparks yesterday.
Happily, all was calm. Wenger, hands behind his back, patrolled his technical
area like a bobby on the beat; the Pulis double-teapot amply expressed
his growing disquiet. The Stoke manager was thankful to leave north London
with a mere defeat. "We were murdered here last year and we rode
our luck today," he said.
In one sense, Arsenal were lucky too, a late injury to Eduardo forcing
Arshavin into an accustomed role as the lone striker. The Russian turned
the move into a masterstroke. For periods, certainly in the first half,
Arshavin was untouchable, his movement and swiftness of thought tormenting
the Stoke defence, his strength and alertness allowing Cesc Fabregas and
Sami Nasri to burst forward from the five-man midfield.
But for Thomas Sorensen's heroics and Arsenal's fondness for embellishment,
the match would have been all over by half-time. The Stoke goalkeeper
made point-blank saves from Nasri and Arshavin in the first 10 minutes
and, when Arshavin, inevitably, was brought down by Rory Delap, the Dane
dived to his left to turn away Fabregas' well-struck penalty.
Just as the frustration began to mount, though, Arshavin took matters
into his own hands, clipping a neat shot past Sorensen to give Arsenal
a deserved half-time lead. Typical Arsenal, spurn the easy chances, take
the difficult ones. Only outrageous good fortune kept Stoke afloat thereafter,
Emmanuel Eboue deflecting a shot by Fabregas wide in the first half, and
Arshavin's shot ricocheting off Abdoulaye Faye's prone body on to the
crossbar in the second.
Stoke offered little in return; long throws by Delap, a novelty last season,
seemed a bit passe yesterday. But just as Stoke's fans began to sense
an injustice, Ramsey drove home Arsenal's second to restore a tenuous
entente cordiale to the touchline.
Arsenal 2 Stoke 0
Star man: Andrey Arsharvin (Arsenal)
Referee: M Clattenberg Attendance: 60,048
ARSENAL: Almunia 5, Sagna 6, Gallas 6, Vermaelen 6, Traore 6 (Silvestre
87min), Nasri 6, Denilson 5, Fabregas 7, Eboue 6 (Ramsey 54min, 7), Rosicky
6 (Vela h-t, 5), Arshavin 9.
STOKE CITY: Sorensen 8, Wilkinson 4, Huth 6, Abdoulaye Faye 6, Collins
6, Lawrence 5 (Fuller 75min), Diao 5, Delap 5 (Whelan 81min), Etherington
6, Sidibe 5 (Beattie 62min), Tuncay 6
World Cup watch
France: Gallas (Arsenal): untroubled; Sagna (Arsenal): workmanlike but
effective; Nasri (Arsenal) starting to show his best form again. Ivory
Coast: Eboue (Arsenal) restored to favour. Spain: Fabregas (Arsenal) heartbeat
for club - can he be Spain's?
