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  • Fuller (11), Olofinjana (73)
  • Clichy (90)
  • Date:2008-11-01
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Britannia Stadium
  • Attendance:26704
  • Referee:Styles, R

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: STOKE CITY 2-1 ARSENAL. Stoke hold on to a deserved win despite Clichy's late goal. Arsenal simply weren't at the races today and Stoke can take a lot from their performance.

90mins

Dave Kitson comes on for Sidibe as Pulis looks to run down the clock.

90mins

STOKE CITY 2-1 ARSENAL. Stoke have a free-kick to defend now while Walcott has been stretchered off with a shoulder problem. Fabregas shoots from the free-kick and it takes a deflection off CLICHY and bounds past Sorensen to bring Arsenal within one!

90mins

There will be four minutes of stoppage time - Walcott is fouled by Delap and Arsenal have a free-kick but surely anything now will just be a consolation. Walcott looks in pain as he fell awkwardly.

89mins

The atmosphere at the Brittania is electric as the home fans anticipate the celebrations that will surely follow the final whistle!

86mins

Ricardo Fuller is replaced by Richard Cresswell as Pulis looks for more fresh legs up-front to force the ten men of Arsenal back.

86mins

Arsenal lack ideas, a passage of passing leads to Song trying a difficult long ball and simply sending it into touch for Stoke to re-take possession.

82mins

Theo Walcott is in space on the right hand side and whips a ball in towards the head of Fabregas but the Spaniard can't direct the header towards goal and the danger passes for Stoke.

79mins

Salif Diao comes off and Glenn Wheelan comes on to provide some fresh legs as Arsenal will press to get back in it.

76mins

Robin Van Persie is dismissed after throwing an arm into Sorensen who has the ball in his hands. A moment of utter stupidity from the Dutchman and Rob Styles had no choice.

75mins

Fuller running in behind Song but can't pick out Sidibe and Arsenal look to break through Walcott but Arsenal can only force a throw-in.

73mins

STOKE CITY 2-0 ARSENAL. Another Delap long-throw isn't cleared and Shawcross flicks the ball on and OLOFINJANA is there to turn the ball into the net and double the Stoke lead.

73mins

Adebayor seems to have suffered an injury to his ankle and is withdrawn, replaced by Carlos Vela. A straight swap upfront.

70mins

Arsenal are laying seige to the Stoke goal in the last few minutes but the final ball just isn't good enough typified as Walcott lifts the ball almost aimlessly into the hands of Sorensen.

68mins

Mamady Sidibe is cautioned for a cynical foul on Toure as the defender looked to run the ball out of the back.

67mins

Delap delivers the corner onto the head of Sidibe but the striker gets underneath it and sends it well over the top of the bar.

66mins

Stoke have an opportunity to launch a long throw-in into the box - Delap launches it in and it falls for Diao on the edge of the box who scuffs his shot towards the corner but Almunia saves and Stoke have a corner.

65mins

Denilson is replaced by the more forward thinking Van Persie who will most likely play on the left hand side for Arsenal.

65mins

Fabregas picking the ball up just outside the box and clipping it towards Walcott at the back post but Shawcross was alert to the danger and headed clear.

64mins

Higginbotham goes into the book after being completely done for pace by Walcott and committing the foul.

63mins

An Arsenal free-kick is headed clear by Shawcross to Diao but he gifts possession back to Arsenal - Walcott scampers round the back of the Stoke back line but the ball bobbles as he tries to cross and the ball goes for a goal-kick.

60mins

Walcott gets on the ball on the right hand side for his first touch and he takes a run at Delap and tries to cross but it is deflected for a corner - Fabregas delivers to the front post where Toure shoots but it flies just over the crossbar.

58mins

Fabregas thrashes a shot from way out but he miscues and sends it high and wide to a rapture of jeers from the home fans.

57mins

Theo Walcott will come on to inject some pace into the Arsenal attack - Sagna will be sacrificed as Wenger makes a very attacking move.

56mins

Sorry for the lack of update, Arsenal had Adebayor and Sagna both down receiving treatment for injuries but both appear fine now.

52mins

Fuller nearly in behind after a well threaded ball from Olofinjana but the flag was raised as Fuller was just ahead of the play. The forward just needed to time his run a little better there.

51mins

Diaby picks out Clichy on the left flank who crosses to the chest of Fabregas but his shot is blocked. Hesitant defending there from Stoke offering Arsenal too much time on the ball in the final third.

48mins

Arsenal having all the play now as Bendtner almost picks out Adebayor with a chipped ball towards the penalty spot but Faye was able to clear with his head.

47mins

The start of the half sees Arsenal earn a corner after Clichy's cross is headed behind by Olofinjana - Sorensen punches the cross away and Griffin completes the clearance.

46mins

The second half is underway with both sides unchanged from the opening period.

45mins

Half-Time: STOKE 1-0 ARSENAL. The first half comes to a close and Stoke are ahead and worthy of their lead. Arsenal have lacked invention in the final third and trail to Ricardo Fuller's header.

44mins

Adebayor cutting inside from the left edge of the box, beating Griffin but driving the shot over the top of Sorsensen's goal. A good chance by Adebayor's standards but it goes begging.

44mins

A well worked free-kick from Arsenal, shifting the ball to be struck from long range but the Stoke wall read the danger and fly out to close the angle and the shot goes well wide.

43mins

Stoke have a corner after Griffin's cross is deflected behind - Delap to swing it in but Diaby is up to clear with his head.

41mins

Adebayor is the first player to be cautioned after he left his foot in on Olofinjana who was clearing the ball. Rob Styles in quickly to produce the card.

38mins

Denilson links up with Fabregas and fires a shot, low towards the corner but Sorensen does well to save as the ball skipped off the slick surface.

37mins

Delap takes the corner, swinging in, Adebayor clears to Sidibe who drives towards goal but it is charged down quickly and Arsenal look to break.

36mins

The noise level lifts instantly as Toure is forced to concede a throw-in that Delap will launch into the box - Shawcross can't keep it in play but the referee gives a corner.

34mins

Fabregas picking the ball up in the Stoke half and clevery lifting the ball towards Bendtner who had beaten the offside trap very well but Sorensen was out quickly to smother the ball before Bendtner could pull the trigger.

32mins

Arsenal struggling to move the ball around quickly here as Stoke keep up the pressure in the midfield and the visitors look more than out of sorts here. Perhaps their draw with Spurs in midweek has rocked their confidence.

28mins

A rather cynical foul from Diaby as he hauled Griffin to ground as he looked to get a cross in gives Stoke a free-kick on the right, Delap delivers deep but it goes over the head of everyone for a goal-kick.

26mins

Adebayor shoots from the edge of the box after a weak clearance but the striker doesn't get hold of it properly and Sorensen is down to save comfortably.

24mins

Typically patient passing inside the Stoke half from the Arsenal with Fabregas pulling the strings - Arsenal are able to force a corner - Fabregas high ball to the back post is cleared away and Stoke clear their lines.

20mins

Stoke have a free-kick just inside the half way line after Adebayor handled - After the ball in the loose ball was picked up by Higginbotham, Shawcross headed back across goal but Delap couldn't get enough purchase on a header towards an uguarded net

16mins

Olofinjana racing down the right hand side, outpacing Silvestre and cutting inside and trying to lift the ball into Delap but the ball is a touch overhit and Delap cannot reach it. Good play from Olofinjana there.

15mins

Arsenal trying to force their way back into the game quickly and Fabregas plays a long raking pass over the Stoke back line aimed at the run of Adebayor in behind but it doesn't quite connect and the ball runs through to Sorensen.

12mins

STOKE CITY 1-0 ARSENAL. A long throw in from Rory Delap launched across the box and FULLER out jumps Toure at the back post to head the ball past Almunia to give Stoke the lead.

10mins

Patient build up from Arsenal with Adebayor pulling wide onto the left hand flank and switching the play, as Clichy picks the ball up on the left he aims for Bendtner in the middle but can only pick out Shawcross who heads clear.

8mins

Arsenal have the first corner of the match after some clever passing around the edge of the box - Fabregas will deliver but he lifts it into the arms of Sorensen who claims it comfortably - Disappointing delivery.

6mins

Fabregas picking the ball up midway inside the Stoke half, he looks up and tries his luck from range but fires the shot wide of Sorensen's post.

3mins

Stoke City almost having the first effort at goal as a long ball from Griffin was nodded down by Sidibe to Delap who tried to force a shot through the crowd from range but it was blocked among the bodies.

1mins

Today's man in charge is Rob Styles and a blast on his whistle gets this match underway.

0mins

Arsene Wenger is without skipper William Gallas but the experienced Toure will fill the gap in the centre of defense. Adebayor and Bendtner both start up front so Van Persie is dropped to the bench, as are Walcott and Nasri.

0mins

After their midweek triumph, Pulis names an unchanged Stoke side today with Fuller and Sidibe heading up the Potters' attack with the ever present threat of the Delap long throw available also.

0mins

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Clichy, Denilson, Fabregas, Song Billong, Diaby, Adebayor, Bendtner

0mins

Stoke: Sorensen, Griffin, Abdoulaye Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Amdy Faye, Olofinjana, Diao, Delap, Fuller, Sidibe

0mins

Hello and welcome to the Britannia Stadium where Stoke City face the Arsenal today. Stoke claimed a vital three points over Sunderland in midweek so confidence is high for Tony Pulis' side and they will be up for the challenge facing them today.

Match Preview

Stoke City aim to make it a north London double at the Britannia Stadium when Arsenal make the trip to the Potteries this weekend.

Two weeks ago Tottenham stumbled to a 2-1 defeat against Tony Pulis' side in what proved to be Juande Ramos' last Premier League match in charge of the club.

Danny Higginbotham and Rory Delap were on target on that day in an incident-packed match that also saw Ricardo Fuller miss a penalty and hit a stoppage-time shot against the crossbar while Spurs had two men sent off.

The Potters go into the game in good heart after a 1-0 midweek win at home to Sunderland, which lifted them out of the relegation places.

Pulis said after that win: "I think that is probably the best we have played this season for 90 minutes.

"We have had good spells, but I don't think we have played as consistently through a game and I felt we really deserved to win.

"I thought the lads kept going and the tempo throughout was very good."

This game will be Arsenal's first visit to Stoke for a top-flight league game since March 1985 when the Gunners crashed to a 2-0 defeat at the Victoria Ground.

That win was Stoke's last victory in the top tier of English football until they beat Aston Villa at the Britannia Stadium earlier this season.

Pulis has to decide whether to start with club record signing Dave Kitson or Fuller in attack alongside Mamady Sidibe while Ibrahima Sonko is an injury doubt.

Andrew Davies (knee) and Liam Lawrence (sprained ankle) once again look set to miss out.

Arsene Wenger may be tempted to make changes after seeing his side throw away 3-1 and 4-2 leads in the north London derby at home to Spurs, with the game eventually ending 4-4.

The Frenchman fumed after the game: "I am angry. We have to look at ourselves and improve.

"The players are very down. We were two levels above Tottenham and they were there for the taking. It was damaging.

"We were too cautious rather than scoring number five or six. The right pass would have seen us score.

"The maturity problem will improve with intelligence. They will learn from their mistakes."


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Match Report

Rory Delap's almost legendary long throws led to both of Stoke City's goals as Tony Pulis' men gained a memorable victory against mighty Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger's side never got to grips with the aerial power of their hosts and, despite bags of possession, they hardly tested home goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Arsenal bossed the early stages, but that meant nothing when fine play between Mamady Sidibe and Ricardo Fuller led to Delap's first long throw of the match in the 11th minute.

Delap's wind-assisted delivery was huge and it only required the slightest of touches from the head of Fuller before the ball flashed inside Manuel Almunia's right-hand post.

The goal gave Stoke huge belief and Arsenal appeared shell-shocked as the underdogs pressed hard for a second.

Stoke almost got it in the 20th minute when Delap looped a header over the stranded Almunia and Gael Clichy had to clear the ball off the line.

Arsenal finally landed a blow of note five minutes later when Emmanuel Adabeyor's 20-yard shot was held low down to his left by Sorensen.

And a magnificent pass from Cesc Fabregas deserved better than a poor chest control by Nicklas Bendtner, which allowed Sorensen to claim the loose ball.

But Stoke, well organised and biting into their challenges, were largely untroubled and continued to give their illustrious visitors problems at the other end of the field.

The Arsenal defence was struggling to deal with Sidibe, in particular, with City making the most of their height and weight advantage.

Arsenal, no doubt given a stern half-time talking-to by Wenger, upped the ante after the interval with Fabregas pulling most of the strings.

But Stoke remained a tough nut to crack and Wenger made his first change in the 58th minute with Theo Walcott brought on in place of Bacary Sagna.

The young England star won a corner from his first touch and Kolo Toure almost levelled when he volleyed Fabregas' delivery a foot too high.

Robin Van Persie soon followed Walcott into the attack, with Denilson making way, as Wenger went for broke.

But Arsenal were left with a mountain to climb in the 73rd minute when another Delap throw was flicked on by Ryan Shawcross and Seyi Olofinjana bundled in the loose ball.

And it was as good as over three minutes later when Van Persie was sent shown a straight red card for a ridiculous kick and barge on Sorensen.

But there was a sad ending to the game when a poor challenge by Delap resulted in Walcott being stretchered from the field with a leg injury in stoppage time.

Clichy scored with long range shot which took two deflections from Fabregas' short free-kick, but it proved only a consolation as Stoke ran down the clock against nine men.

Stoke City

Arsenal

Corners

35

Fouls

117

Goal attempts

713

Shots off target

27

Offsides

30

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