Arsenal 2-0 Stoke – 05/12/09 – (Premier League) 7 December, 2009

I said in my preview that there was a real need to get back on track with three points on Saturday. And with a win at Ashburton Grove secured before Chelsea losing later in day to Man City we are well and truly back on track – Not back in it just yet, but certainly back on the right course.

We’re now 8 points off the top, six points off United and a game in hand over them both. After an awful November we need to turn it around and re-find that early-season form this month. It’s not going to be easy though, Wenger has declared it our worst season ever for injuries with currently 12 players receiving treatment! Eboue, Traore, Gallas and Rosicky are the latest to add to the list, all picking up knocks at the weekend. Rosicky could be out for up to three weeks but hopefully the former three are all good for Sunday’s Anfield clash.

Wenger is hinting that we will buy a striker in January but says its hard to find a high quality player that’s not cup-tied in Europe. Arsene says he hopes Father Christmas will help him find the right man for Arsenal…

Anyway, onto the weekend’s match. Before the game Eduardo was declared unfit which meant Arshavin was drafted into centre forward. A lot of Gooners have been looking forward to seeing the Russian in this role and I think it suits him. For the first 20 minutes or so I was getting a bit frustrated with him, he was getting a lot of the ball, getting in great positions but he lacked the end product and extra bit of quality we saw last season. He soon found his feet though and put us ahead in 26th minute with a great finish.

Just before that we had an even better chance to take the lead when Andrei won us a penalty. Cesc stood up to take it but it was well saved to Sorensen’s left. We didn’t let it get us down though and soon after Fabregas thread Arshavin through on the left hand side of the area. He took a touch and got a shot away across goal sneaking just inside the post. It was the sort of finishing I knew he was capable of… not the spooned effort almost going out for a throw-in a few minutes before in the same position!

So 1-0 to the Arsenal and we could really give it a go now. It really shouldn’t have taken 26 minutes to get the lead but we got there in the end. We so nearly made it two soon after, the ball was lose in the area and fell to Fabregas with an open goal but Eboue got in the way of the shot on the line. Incredibly unlucky. Eboue knew what he’d done and looked a bit upset about it, he spent the rest of the game working his socks off to make up for it and had a couple chances of his own. Eboue’s hard work might’ve been what ultimately lead to his injury early into the second half, but he did look good up until that point.

Rosicky was replaced by Vela at the break, there didn’t look like there was a problem with him in the first half so I thought at the time the change was just precautionary but as I said it turns out he’s out for a few weeks.

We struggled to get that second goal even though we were well on top. At 1-0 this Arsenal is never safe and Stoke reminded of that with a couple of counter attacks. Just after the hour Arshavin had a shot deflected onto the bar and it just didn’t seem like it was going to come.

It did eventually with ten minutes to go on the break from some Stoke pressure. We broke quickly and some good work between Ramsey and Arshavin saw the Welshman through on goal. A good finish made it 2-0 and it was all over.

Shortly afterwards it was nearly three. Arshavin got through but a last-second sliding block meant my 16-1 shot on Arshavin scoring first and Arsenal winning 2-0 came in! I just wish I put more than a quid on it now…

So 2-0 it did finish then, but there was just time for another couple of injuries right at the end. Traore needed treatment up the other end of the pitch and was replaced in the 88th minute, also Gallas was hobbling around in extra time but with all our subs already made he had to hang on until the end. No word on them both yet but we’ll find out soon; I’m praying they both make it though otherwise we’ll be going to Anfield with a back four of Sagna, Vermaelen, Senderos and Silvestre.

Ok that’s it for today. Speak to you possibly tomorrow if not Wednesday. Until then.