Arsenal returned to 5th in the table with a comfortable 3 -0 win against Stoke City. This game was much different from Stoke away just a month ago. Alexis was the star of the show again with two goals and an assist which also saw David Ospina make his league debut.
Arsenal started well and got in front early which was the quickest they have scored this season. From a corner Koscielny played it back out to Sanchez before running back into the middle to finish off the Sanchez cross. Sanchez then made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute with a bit of neat play between an excellent Rosicky and the star Sanchez. Sanchez then drove at the Stoke defence from the pass before whipping it in to the near post. Sanchez showed pace, skill and bravery and continues to impress.
Arsenal then made it 3 -0 after the break with Sanchez scoring from a free kick. The free kick was on the edge of the box where Sanchez hit it low which squirmed through the wall and Begovic before it found its way into the goal although some may argue it was a Begovic own goal however, I believe Sanchez will be awarded it.
Walcott had a good chance to make it 4 in the final ten after a good pass from Sanchez but shot wide. The match also saw Ӧzil return to action in the final 20 minutes and showed glimpses of his quality but by this point Arsenal were seeing the match out. Coquelin was also excellent again and showed his importance with a few good tackles, it is clear to see with that type of player it helps the like of Cazorla and Rosicky to express themselves.
The only negative is that Debuchy dislocated his shoulder early on after a needless shove which means he will miss more football this season. Bellerin replaced him and played well showing a vast improvement from Stoke away and is really coming on now.
Wenger seemed pleased with the performance and had the following to say to Match of the Day;
"Collectively, you're happy when you score a few goals. We had a strong start and we knew that was vital today.”
It was also clear to see that Wenger knew the importance of players returning but didn’t know how long Debuchy would be out for.
"Hopefully now a few players are back from injury, we can keep our run going. We had players in contention to start today, but we lost another defender [Debuchy] and I'm not sure for how long.”
Wenger also heaped praise on the outstanding Alexis at full time;
"Alexis Sanchez is one of the best players. He's a fighter with a combination of talent and fighting spirit which is very difficult to find. He plays with passion and you want people to enjoy what they're doing on the pitch and show it as well."
Overall it was a good win but there are bigger challenges ahead. Ospina didn’t have much to do but dealt with everything that came his way. It was also nice to see Arsenal’s bench gaining strength with the notable returns of Ramsey and Ӧzil. However, Arsenal need to find some consistency now and there is no better way than doing that then at Manchester City next week.
