The Soccer Blog: Arsenal - Stoke Match Thread

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Arsenal - Stoke Match Thread

Arsenal – Stoke Match Thread - The Offside - Arsenal blog

« Arsenal – Stoke Preview | Home | Arsenal 1 Stoke 0: Gunners Rue Injuries As Squizz Heads Home Winner »Arsenal – Stoke Match ThreadBy: Sairax | February 23rd, 2011
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Lineups are in:

Arsenal: Starters: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Squillaci, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Nasri, Fabregas, Walcott, Bendtner Bench: Almunia, Eboue, Rosicky, Denilson, Chamakh, Arshavin, Gibbs

Stoke: Starters: Begovic, Wilson, Shawcross, Huth, Pugh, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Whelan, Walters, Carew Bench: Sorensen, Higginbotham, Collins, Jones, Fuller, Diao, Wilkinson

As expected, Squillaci steps in for Dave and Bendtner is in for van Persie. Big game for Bendtner to come up with the goods. He should give us a better aerial threat and presence in the box too. The rest of the team is made up of our usual starters. If we run into trouble, we have Chamakh and Arshavin to come off the bench.

The Stoke team is full of big, physical players so our players need to be ready for that. The best thing we can do is not lose our heads and concentrate on the game and ignore any attempts of Stoke players to rile us up.

Well, I have a horrible feeling in my gut about this one. I just want it done and over with and hopefully walk away with 3 points. The crowd is definitely up for it. I suspect you’ll hear a lot of boos and jeering, particularly when Shawcross touches the ball. Martin has already mentioned this, but I think it would be great if the fans acknowledged Glenn Whelan with a round of applause. Hopefully the fans will also concentrate more on lifting the team first and then showing their displeasure. I guess we’ll see. The review will be up a bit later since I’ll be watching on a tape delay.

Come on Arsenal!

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Category: Arsenal News, Premiership, Stoke City

Tags: Arsenal News, Premiership, Stoke City
Tweet « Arsenal – Stoke Preview | Home | Arsenal 1 Stoke 0: Gunners Rue Injuries As Squizz Heads Home Winner »JGShits and cocks... Wenger says Walcott is "definitely" out of the CC final. Says too early to asses Cesc. Dear lord, important win no less, but I knew we weren't getting out of it unscathed.SJGgumbyI actually didn't think Stoke was all that cynical. That challenge on Sagna was bad, but not horrendous and our players have done worse. They really just seemed to close down well and then try to get forward. Granted it was through long-ball after long-ball, but that's not negative football, just different football. Real glad we got a win out of it, tough team to break down and a lot of our creativity seemed to die when Cesc left. If he has to miss any time I hope someone can step up in his absence and provide some of his trademark penetrating balls that really make our offense click.SKwalcoot for sure out for the carling cup final. hope rvp, kos and cese rebuilt their fitness quicklybrentonYou know what looks great?

Man Utd ------ 57
Arsenal ------- 56
Man City ------ 49
Tottenham ---- 47

7 points up on Man City with 11 games left. I feel pretty good. And yah, a second-place finish will be heartbreaking, but I really don't want to finish third or fourth again.SKgood point differrence. no wonder ancelloti and mancini are giving up on the title race.lolGigi_manOOppsss did I give it away, I just read that u wanted to watch at home tonight...sorry maaaan!Gigi_manSquizz might have changed the way I look at him (for today at least).
Oh and Wojo was great, no?
Aside from that, Arsha did pretty good, Nasri wanted his wage to get higher and did a good job too. But I couldnt really enjoy, I was too nervous with just one goal.JGWhen you play against Thug.. err, I mean Stoke, scoring one goal is pretty much all you can get.Homey_MillsI know it's easy to assume Man Utd will get their 3 points this weekend. But I can also just hear what Martin would say if we were in their same position. "I'm really worried about this one. We have to fly back from the continent mid-week, then travel to a desperate team in the middle of a tight relegation battle. Plus we just used all our best players in the CL game, so nobody is really rested. Meanwhile, Wigan have had a chance to rest up and get ready."
SairaxYeah but that's Martin. Who listens to him anyway? :PAndylowe14but whatever happens against wigan they have to play chelsea at stamford bridge 3 days later so they should be more worried about being rested up for that one. then they go to anfield 5 days later.

the chelsea game is their game in hand but ultimately of their next 3 games there is potential to drop points, if we take 6 points from sunderland (home) and west brom (away) and say man u win 2 and draw 1, we're level with them. but they could easily drop more than one point in those fixtures

russianfani wouldn't give that much credit to chelsea or liver. their play has been crappy, i'm afraid they're no challenge to man u. if only man u starts losing players to injuries or something. not that i'd wish that upon any team.Gigi_manwell, I went to see the game at a TGIF...and I suffered haha, but the important thing is that we got the 3 pts!!!!!
:)))Homey_MillsI really can't remember our last 1-0 win. I hope nobody calls us boring boring Arsenal.Patoux21Deserved win against Stoke but maybe at a high cost. I can imagine Pulis at halftime screaming at his players kick some Gunners hard! Well sadly Stoke didn't come here for nothing. Stoke style of football is just awful. Long balls after long balls to tower players hoping to get a lucky loose ball. How can a team like this stay in the PL? I read that Hunt is their best scorer enough said ...JGWhat a win. Stoke being the meathooks they are, and yet we still won.
Tell you what, the Arsenal of 1-3 years ago wouldn't have won today. I hope Cesc and Theo are allright, winning the CC without Cesc wouldn't feel right..SKno walcott for CCAds Dwinning the CC without cesc wouldnt feel right but winning it for him and theo wud show how much we care abt ur captain!!!!brentonFT, Arsenal 1-0 Stoke. Fair result, I would think.SairaxOh thank god! I can breathe easy watching it now!Illinois Gooner(deep sigh of relief) Hopefully Cesc and Walcott are very minor injuries.Perry S.Excellent win against Joke City. Sad news about Theo, seen the replay a few times and it looks bad. If its a high ankle sprain, that's big trouble...crossing my fingers. Now we need a Man U loss!MarloneiousWhere are the Stoke Trolls now? Oh wait, they lost....sandra350The REAL men in this game have been Arsenal - not cowardly hooligans from Stoke.sandra350That's the second time Theo's been stretchered off against Stoke. In less than 14 months (as of May 2010), FOUR Arsenal players were stretchered off at the Britannia.SairaxAnd we still have to go to the Britannia this season :SAds Dheard cesc injury was that he felt tightness in his calf but it was just from preventing him being injuired...!!Perry S.We all can only hope.SJGgumbyPerhaps if we all "like" this comment it'll be true? that's how things work, right?sandra350PLEASE TELL ME THAT PULIS AND HIS THUGS DON'T GO OUT TO DELIBERATELY INJURE OUR PLAYERS!

Please do tell me that!JGFor all of his bad displays earlier in the season, Squillaci is having a good game today.SJGgumbyUh oh. That looked bad for Theo. Horrible non-call (though not a particularly dangerous tackle, just a bad fall/twist).Perry S.Stoke -- Do they actually know how to play football or are they wrestlers in disguise?russianfanalso jovelin throwers and stand-around-ersAds Dstoke at it again.. walcott injuired... and not even a free kick given.. the foul on carew was nothing but given a free kick...Perry S.Let me know when someone actually knows how to finish on one of Arshavin's perfect passes (which he does ALL the time)...his stats would be out of this world if someone could finish.Gigi_manYes dude! what a way to go fwd, dribble and put on an inch perfect ball!!!welshgoonercan someone tell me who the awful commentators on the adth stream are? they are shocking!!Perry S.Have to agree with you, these commentators are god awful.Patoux21Stoke putting a bit more pressure and suddenly Arsenal players can't make 2 accurate passes in a row. Come on guys can't u raise up your game and handle some pressure!JGIt's just not Theo's day today.... methinks RVP would have buried that shot.

GREAT by Arshavin to create that chance, btw.Gigi_manI saw that one and couldnt believe it, imo he thought he had it, because it was so accurate and the space to the goal was almost all free, that maybe he didnt focus wellPerry S."GREAT by Arshavin..."

Nothing new there.Illinois GoonerArsenal have completely switched off. We haven't looked dangerous since Cesc went off.sandra350And there you go, they're losing, playing absolute crap, bereft of set pieces - so out they come and start kicking and assaulting us - IT'S THE ONLY TACTIC THEY HAVE. Heaven forbid Pulis tells his players to play football.Ads Dstuds up challenge by delap and no card... clichy's tackle wasnt even that bad and he got a yellow... delaps tackle was more deserving of a card...JGWait, so Delap and Carew walk away from their late challenges scot-free, and Clichy does his job and is booked?sandra350Please tell me that Pulis and his thugs don't go out DELIBERATELY to injure our players. Please do tell me that!Ads Ddelap made a studs up challenge and pugh went in with 2 legs... nothing given...Fred Jacoblike the ref waiting until there is an injury to give a yellow, every body only doing sliding tackleHomey_MillsNice studs-up tackle by Delap just now. But of course Stoke don't play dirty.JGShawcross almost scored; had that gone in, I think the Arsenal Twitter-verse might have imploded upon itself.Perry S.Regardless of his history, who he is, we all have bias against him, etc., Shawcross is one ugly mother...Homey_Mills1-0 at the half. I feel pretty safe. What could possibly go wrong from here?Perry S.Not sure why we had Cesc playing in this match.Illinois GoonerAnother hamstring injury from cesc could really screw our season.MikeCesc...brentonFabregas injury? Shit.SJGgumbyNot good - hope this is preventive. Not very confident.brentonGoal from a header off a set piece.Homey_MillsGGOOOOOAAALLL!!! Although I couldn't see it too well, since my stream is awful. Anyone with a better suggestion?perryvsto be honest, we just scored a very stoke-like goalbrentonatdhenet (dot) tvHomey_MillsThat's what I have now, and it's no good. Maybe they have another link to choose from or something.MartinAllright, getting off here until I can get home tonight to watch it. Come on Arsenal!Henrytheo14hey martin idk if u know the website soccerbible but its pretty much a boot/player/jersey spotting website and it posts about games and articles, their looking for writerzs and i think u should hceck it ou
Dobbie36out*Fred JacobHonestly i really wish Bendtner does not score, i kinda feed up of him bumping up his mouth i hope Theo and Nasri do all the scoring todayBertrandBendtner will talk whether he scores or not.Fred Jacobor ok lolHomey_MillsHere's hoping this thread doesn't get hijacked like the last one. But I'm guessing if we win, we won't be hearing from the haters.
Also, does anyone know a good live stream?MartinNo surprises in the lineup for this one. I'm a bit nervous as well -- apparently Stoke have yet to concede more than 2 goals in a league match, so it will almost certainly be a tight one. And Arsenal have conceded a higher % of our goals from set pieces than any other team, and obviously Stoke specialize in scoring that way. Hopefully it will be a goodperformance and we'll get the result.

Come on Arsenal.Homey_MillsMartin,
Did you set an all-time offside comment record with your last post? At least the record for the Arsenal page. I'm still kinda stunned, although I wish you could block several of those people.MartinDefinitely the record for our page. My suspicion is probably not the record for all of the Offside, because Roma, Barca, Madrid, and some of the other pages regularly get 100-200 comments, so I would bet they got above that at some point.

But it was crazy. Also, hilarious that they were all linked here from a message board. Remember message boards? From 1997? Yeah, one of those. They must be proud -- I bet all they had was a CompuServe chat room up until a couple of years ago...Gigi_manMartin did you block them or they just didnt feel like coming around after we won? (or after Stoke went all wrestle mania and karate kids)Darren_VOohhh... can we do this?SairaxOoh bad stat: 11 - Stoke have scored the most goals in the last 10 mins of PL matches this season. Surge.

Good stat: 100% - Arsenal have won all four of their league games with the central defensive partnership of Djourou & Squillaci. Duo.SairaxJust got this Orbinho stat:
Arsenal have scored the most goals (10) in the opening 15 minutes of games while Stoke have scored the fewest (0). Quick start please.Mikeprescient!blog comments powered by Disqus