The Soccer Blog: Arsenal 1 Stoke 0: Gunners Rue Injuries As Squizz Heads Home Winner

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Arsenal 1 Stoke 0: Gunners Rue Injuries As Squizz Heads Home Winner

By: Sairax | February 23rd, 2011
Tweet

SOCCER-ENGLAND

I think we were all a bit nervous and on edge heading into this game. Ramsey’s injury is still fresh in everyone’s mind and it would be the first time we faced Stoke and Ryan Shawcross since that day at the Britannia last year. Luckily we came through it in the end and got the win, but we got a couple of injury scares too. Theo will be out for the cup final this weekend and Cesc is still in doubt so the victory today was not without sacrifice. Still, it could have been a real banana peel in our season, but we kept strong and saw it through.

The first half was a bit dull on the whole. The Gunners started off brightly enough at the opening whistle. Within a minute of play, Cesc threaded a beautiful ball in behind Stoke’s defense. Theo was at the receiving end and shot across the keeper only to have it smack off the inside of the post. We didn’t have to wait too long before we found the net. Arsenal won a corner and Wilshere flicked it on to Bendtner who managed to lift the ball into the box for Squizz to head it home in the 8th minute. It would be our 11th goal scored in the first 15 minutes of a match; more than any other team in the league. Not too soon after, our collective hearts stopped beating when Cesc pulled up and started feeling the back of his thigh. He seemed to have aggravated his hamstring. It’s been bothering him all season. He went off in the 14th minute looking pretty pissed off and frustrated. We don’t know how long he will be out for at the moment, but it is likely he will not feature this weekend. We will keep you updated with any injury news as always.

63644917

63646175

Arshavin came on to replace Cesc, but all of the life seemed to be drained from the match as soon as Cesc went off. Stoke didn’t make it easy either. They clogged up the space between the lines and disrupted our passing game just enough to keep us at an arm’s length from their goal. You could tell they were being careful in their tackles as well. Of course, they would have the Rambo injury in their minds too. If they forgot, our fans were right there to remind them. Every time Shawcross touched the ball he was booed and it was clearly throwing him off. Pretty tame overall from Stoke, particularly going forward where they barely got into our half of the pitch. Szczesny barely had anything to do. He could’ve watched Entourage on his iPad back there we had so much possession.

Szczesny watching Entourage on his iPad

He did have to put down his iPad for a minute when Carew connected brilliantly on a volley and forced Szczesny into making a terrific save. That would be Stoke’s best chance in the first half. We didn’t fare much better. Arshavin managed a shot and Nasri took a free kick that he got over the wall, but was way wide of the target. Ho-hum, whistle blows, 1-0 to the Arsenal at the half.

Halftime Stats (via Orbinho):
Arsenal v Stoke: Shots 6-3; On target 3-1; Fouls 3-2; Duels Won 47%-53%; Passing accuracy 88%-69%; Possession 74%-26%

The second half started with Stoke coming out much more assertive than in the first. They were nipping at our heels with a clumsy tackle here and a mistimed challenge there. They were stepping up their game and we had to be alert. Sagna got caught by Long Throw Specialist Rory Delap who went in on him studs showing, which didn’t merit a red card, though Clichy’s bad challenge a few minutes later did. It was good to see that these little things didn’t get to the players and they kept their heads together. Stoke were working their way back into the game, earning set pieces, but mostly throw ins, which is basically a set piece for them because of Delap’s throws. On the whole we dealt with them well with Djourou heading out of the box and Szczesny firmly punching away the ball a couple of times. Stoke’s best chance was when Huth, one of Stoke’s top scorers this season, got his head to a ball, but it went over the net. Shawcross also had a good chance with a header, but Djourou was there to get his head to it and knock it out of play. It looked like set pieces and crosses into our penalty area would yet again be our undoing, but our defense held strong and we didn’t panic when we were clearing our lines.

Par6089510

Another thing to mention is how well we held our line, yet again. Even though Djourou’s regular partner, Kos, wasn’t on the pitch, Squizz filled in for him well and our backline kept it very tight at the back. We caught Stoke offside numerous times as we have been doing to our opposition with great effect in recent games. This was a cornerstone in the George Graham Arsenal side and today our backline has employed again it very well. Tony Adams would be proud (incidentally, I think I saw Keown in the stands too).

Our chances weren’t much better than we had in the first half. Jack went on one of his marauding runs forward and let one rip from outside the area, but Begovic had it well covered. Then came the deja vu moment when we all held our breaths as we saw another player go down injured. This time it was Theo. Whitehead had caught the back of his legs just outside of the Stoke penalty area. His ankle sort of twisted as he fell and he looked like he was in quite a bit of pain (though no foul was called). He tried to get up and walk, but to no avail. He had to be stretchered off. Another casualty before a run of huge games we have coming up. Denilson was called on in the 71st minute for Theo who looked upset at picking up another injury. Hopefully it is just a sprain, but he could be out for a couple of weeks.

The last 10 minutes of the game were crucial. Bendtner had just headed a ball wide of net and Stoke were keen on getting that last minute equalizer that they have managed to grab in games lately. Chamakh came on to replace Bendtner for the final 10 and Arsenal played it smart, just keeping possession and seeing out the game. In the end we held out for a deserved, if a bit dull and scrappy, 3 points.

Fulltime Stats (via Orbinho):
Arsenal v Stoke: Shots 10-8; On target 4-1; Fouls 7-9; Duels Won 56%-44%; Passing accuracy 86%-72%; Possession 71%-29%

Par6089511

Player Ratings:

Szczesny 7.5 Had one big save to make in the first half and came up big in the dying minutes at the end of the match. Dealt with set pieces well using his strong hands. You just feel safe and confident with him behind our defense, which is the best compliment I can give him.

Sagna 7 Did well today. Nothing spectacular, just good ol’ Bac.

SOCCER-ENGLAND

Djourou 7.5 Another solid game at the back. He must be one of the best central defenders in the league. I think we gooners know it. It’s time the rest started to catch on.

Squillaci 7.5 These days I’m on edge when I see his name on the teamsheet. It seems the magic of Djourou next to him allows him to perform at his best and I think he did a good job today. The goal he got was so crucial and a cherry on top of his performance. Nice to see for a player who hasn’t had the best of times on the pitch lately.

Clichy 6.5 Good game, handled his flank well.

Wilshere 8 MOTM He seemed to be everywhere today. Making runs into the final third, getting back to defend, taking corners. I’m really running out of words for young Jack and have probably already gone over the top with my praise of him, so I’ll just say he was Man of the Match and leave it there.

Song 7 His physical presence is always helpful in a game like this. He’s Songinho, what else can I say?

Par6089428

Walcott 6.5 It didn’t really click for him today. He had that shot off the bar early and scuffed quite a few shots later in the game, including when Arshavin made his way into the box and cut back a great ball for Theo only for him to horribly miss. He’s always willing to have a run at the opposition’s defense, but he just wasn’t getting the better of his man on this occasion. He’ll miss out on the Carling Cup final this weekend with the injury he picked up in the second half.

Fabregas N/A Was on the pitch for a quarter of an hour but as soon as he went off it was like all of the energy was sucked out of the team. I think that tells us how much he adds to our midfield. Hopefully he’ll be back fit soon (particularly for the game at the Camp Nou).

Nasri 6.5 Pretty quiet game from him tonight. Moved central into the “Fabregas” role when Arshavin came on. He doesn’t play that position quite the same and tends to try less of those eye-of-the-needle through balls that Cesc provides, but rather distributes out to the wings more often.

63644923

Bendtner 7 Filled in pretty well in RvP’s usual position. Had good movement and was switching positions with the rest of our attackers. His height is a good tool to have inside the box and he uses it well. Would have liked to see him get a few more shots off towards goal, but some of that had to do with the service he was getting. Notched an assist on Squizz’s goal.

Subs:

Arshavin 7.5 Looks a bit livlier, a bit sharper, and a bit more confident. I’m really, really against booing your own player, especially in your own stadium, but since that happened (and his demotion to the bench) he really seems to have picked up his game. I think it’s also a testament to our squad that we were able to put him on the bench and have a replacement that would give him a run for his money. That’s what it’s all about, right? Competition for places. It’s helped improve his game, in my opinion, and other players have benefitted as well now that our squad is finally not permanently crocked. I hope Arshavin can keep up his form because I think he could be even more useful than Theo against Barca when he’s fully firing.

Denilson 6 Didn’t really have a lot of time on the pitch. Helped to keep possession and saw the game out well. Honestly, I don’t think I paid that much attention to him when he came on so I can’t really remember anything he did.

Chamakh N/A Was only on for 10 minutes, so there wasn’t much time to do anything significant. By that time we were concentrating on seeing the game out. He needs a goal soon though. Any goal.

63645729

We are now 1 point behind Manchester United and breathing down their neck. We have scored the same number of goals and conceded only 2 more, though they have played one game less than us. We have Sunderland (H), West Brom (A), and Blackburn (H) as our next 3 games whilst they have Wigan, Chelsea, and Liverpool all away from home. This could be an extremely important time in the season so we must remain focused and wait for ManUtd to slip up. In the meantime, we’ll take home the three points from today and our 10th clean sheet of the season and rest up for our cup final on the weekend. Not too shabby.

63646114

Some Related Stories:Arsenal – Stoke PreviewArsenal – Stoke PostponedArsenal – Stoke PreviewAston Villa 2 – Arsenal 4: Four-Star Gunners Go Temporarily TopBlackburn 1 – Arsenal 2: Gutsy Gunners Get 3 Points (Updated with Player Ratings)

Category: Fixtures, Match Review, Premiership, Stoke City

Tags: Fixtures, Match Review, Premiership, Stoke City
Tweet « Arsenal – Stoke Match Thread | Home | Andylowe14cesc isnt definitely out for sunday yet is he? It may just be a few days, only a slight muscle problem... worst case scenario he plays at wembly and reinjures it and cant play at barcaMartinYeah, no official word yet. But given his history of hamstring issues, and how it looked to be pretty definite in terms of how quickly he stopped running and motioning to the sideline, I'd be pretty stunned if he was able to play 4 days later. More likely it's a 2-3 week deal, as it usually seems to be.

And while I usually try not to feel too sorry for professional athletes, given that they get paid a ton of money to play the game they loved, and I have to pull an all-nighter at work tonight to finish up a brief that has to be filed tomorrow, I do feel sorry for Cesc if that's the case. If he has to miss the club's first cup final in 4 years -- a cup final he captained the team to and has been waiting on for years; AND has to miss the trip to Camp Nou yet again, which obviously is an important match for him for personal reasons; well, you have to imagine how upset he'd be about that.Homey_MillsI kinda like the peacefulness in here now. When the commenters on the Arsenal blog are, you know, Arsenal fans.Gigi_manthis was supposed to be a reply to Homey...is Disqus a Stoke fan? :PGigi_manhey i felt the same as minutes ran by, I swaer, didnt realize until now that you said it, but it was definitely like that!

I also noted an ESPN note when Clichy was booked, it said two yellows equal red, wonder why because he played and was not sent offGigi_manwow...mixed feelings.
I will keep the 3 points but man, Theo and Cesc today...man. I hope they took Cesc out fr precaution, but Theo looks out really for a couple, he semed so sad...broke my heart.
Hopefully RvP and Kos are also precautions? although I was impressed by the composure of the defence today, like you say, not really our strong thing these last seasons, let alone in games like this at 1-0.
I saw Cesc tweets and he believes, well, I hope that its true what they say: the mind can command the body.
I missed the 1st half and was really nervous on the second, so I ll take for granted the ratings (and cause I like u very much), The team fought really well on not letting them steal the ball, something thats hasnt been our skill either.
Any way, like I said, I take the 3 pts and move on. Focus on the next and pray for our injured and/ or their replacements to be fit and make us proud.
I for one felt proud at the end of the game todayHomey_MillsA couple of quick things...
First, Martin, you have a tiny little error in the report. It's when talking about the Delap and Clichy challenges. You said one didn't draw a red card, but the other one did. I think you were meaning a yellow, because of course Clichy got a yellow.
Second, I've noticed something weird when we have a one-goal lead. You'd think I'd get more comfortable as it gets closer to the end, since there's less time for the other team to score. But I actually feel as long as it stays a one-goal lead, the chances become greater of a last-minute goal by the other team. Just too many memories of games like the one at Sunderland.
And finally, I wouldn't have gone as far to say that Stoke generally played fair. There were 3 bad challenges in my view, but only one drew a yellow. Carew and Wilson also came in way late to just body check people, without the ball anywhere near. Wilson got a card, while Carew didn't. Add those to the Delap "tackle," and I think it wasn't such a clean game overall. At least better than the last game against Stoke though.MartinNot my byline this time, actually. The prodigal daughter returns.Homey_MillsOops. Mud on my face. I had it in my mind that you were gonna write the report tonight, so I never even looked. Sorry.MartinHuzzah for Sairax being back.

Man, that was a tense game. When we gave away that stupid free kick at midfield right at the death, all I could think about was the AZ Alkmaar (away) group stage last season, where we were much the better team the whole match, but only led 1-0, gave away a stupid free kick like that on the last play of the match (I think it was Denilson), and then they just sent a long ball into the box and headed it in for a 1-1 draw.

I was encouraged by how composed we looked at the end though -- Stoke really started to press and look dangerous from the 80th minute on, but eventually we really dug in and kept the ball well as a team, and they just couldn't even sniff the ball the last 7-8 minutes of the match. It was impressive, and something this team hasn't always shown.

And fair play to Stoke. I thought they played hard, but fair -- I thought the Theo thing was more clumsy than anything else. I think anyone who's played sports remembers when things happen really fast and a bunch of guys come together and there are bodies everywhere. It sucks, but it's just one of those things.

I don't know anything (obviously), but I'd be pretty surprised if we saw either one of them before the Barca return leg at the earliest. Those are both big blows for us. I suspect Arshavin and Bendtner come into the starting lineup until those guys return, and that's assuming that van Persie is going to be back for Sunday, which isn't always a safe assumption.

Most important thing is 3 points. 1 point behind United, who have a tough run of fixtures coming up. It's all about keeping the pressure on them until April 30, when we will beat them at Emirates and be in a position to win our first league title in 7 years.SairaxMan, I thought we got rid of you trolls! Shoo!Darren_VYea, I really didn't think Walcott was that injured until he stood up, and promptly sat down again. That was the type of tackle that happens all the time.

Unlucky Theo.Zidane's headbuttYes, but what do you think of Cesc's tweets?

:PMartinTweets are great, and I'm glad that he's excited about the cup final. I feel the same way.

But I'm more worried about the team we are going to have on the pitch, to be honest. Birmingham have rested players and this is obviously the biggest match they've had in years, and they are treating it as such. I think too many Arsenal fans are talking as if this match is going to be a coronation instead of a cup final (certainly not accusing you of saying that, but it seems to be the general sentiment amongst some). And with Cesc and Theo almost definitely out, and possibly missing van Persie and Koscielny, too, it's going to be a tough, tough match.Zidane's headbuttWas just teasing ya there. TBH, I completely agree with you. The final is going to be a really difficult one. Brum are NOT going to roll over and die for us, and they will use Stoke-eque rugby tactics to 'intimidate' us. Wenger knows that and I'm sure the boys know that as well. I'm more worried about Brum than Barca. Atleast with Barca, you know the boys wont be scythed down.SairaxI get the feeling that RvP and Dave were rested and we'll see them on the weekend. This is just me completely speculating thoughZidane's headbuttSame here. Although with RvP you never know. He seems to pick up injuries even when he sleeps.MartinI feel the same way, actually, Wenger didn't seem too worried about them at all. That would give us a front trio of Arshavin - Nasri - Bendtner - van Persie, I expect, which wouldn't be too bad. Still think Birmingham's going to really give us a game.SairaxOh absolutely. It's a cup final, they want it as much as we do so we gotta play our bestMartinYeah. Also . . . we have a cup final. On Sunday. I was just talking with MLSF about weekend plans, and was unable to say "Well, Carling Cup final on Sunday" without breaking into a big ol' grin. It's a mixture of nervousness and excitement, but damn, honestly, it's been 4 years and I'd almost forgot what it felt like. Can. Not. Wait.SairaxCup Final wooooo!! *jumps up and down* :DRaiden1979Hope Fabergasshole misses the game and then fucks off to BarcelonaGigi_man3 pointsJGHave fun in your mid-table mediocrity.Lana W. Dawood"Cesc Fabregas :I don't know if ill make sunday or no, but all i know is that from this moment to sunday 16'30 i wont sleep if its necessary. Ive waited too long to captain a final for arsenal and i wont give up till the last second. "

tears were running down my face as I read this. Dear God please let him make it on Sunday! He deserve this! :/
Zidane's headbuttI'm still wobbly from Cesc's tweets :'(blog comments powered by Disqus