LONDON // Three goals, a sense of style, another energetic and effective performance and two goals from Alexis Sanchez: this was Arsenal doing what Arsenal do.
At home, when the mood is with them, there are few better sides at dismissing the Premier League’s middle and lower ranks and the only thing that might mar the day for Arsenal fans is the thought that, despite their side doing this constantly, it will mean nothing when they travel to Manchester City next week.
In the short term, Arsenal climbed above Tottenham into fifth and, with Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil both making late substitute appearances as they continue their rehabilitation from injuries, there is the sense of an upturn at the Emirates.
But, for all the flicks and tricks, all the quality in the final third, it was hard to escape the feeling that we have seen it all before.
The fact is that, for all that Arsenal habitually struggle at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium, they have won 13 times in a row at home against these opponents, who were weirdly insipid yesterday, driven onto the back foot early on and unable ever to get off it.
Asmir Begovic had already made fine saves from Sanchez and Tomas Rosicky when Arsenal took the lead after six minutes with a goal that felt like an exercise in defying stereotypes.
Sanchez’s corner was blocked, but the ball was returned to him. He crossed again and Stoke failed to pick up Laurent Koscielny, who nodded the ball home.
For all the talk before the game of how Arsenal would handle Stoke’s prowess at setpieces, it was the 12th goal Stoke have let in this season from corners and free kicks – more than anybody else in the league – and the eighth headed goal Arsenal have scored this season, more than anybody bar West Ham.
After that, it was all about Sanchez, and his first goal was all about his speed of thought and movement.
He picked up a loose ball after Stephen N’Zonzi had half made an interception, exchanged passes with Tomas Rosicky, then darted into the box where he used two defenders as a shield before firing the ball in low at the near post.
It was a similar policy that brought the second, as Sanchez looked to clip a free-kick under a jumping wall.
As it was, he had a little good fortune, because he lifted the ball a fraction too much.
That caused a kind of deflection that took the pace off the ball and foxed Begovic, who ended up shovelling it against the post and then pawing it over the line.
The keeper ended up looking a little foolish, which was unfair as his earlier heroics were all that had kept the score down.
Th only downer for Arsenal was the dislocated shoulder sustained by Mathieu Debuchy, who collided with Marco Arnautovic and fell awkwardly, further straining already limited defensive resources ahead of next week’s game at City, which is exactly the sort of match in which the success of Arsenal’s season will be determined.
They have always been able to beat Stoke at home.
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