Delap sets up Stoke

Stoke’s commitment, work-rate and ability to play to their strengths cannot be disputed and the win against Arsenal was certainly a merited one, writes Stuart Barnes.

Arsenal’s week went from bad to worse. Arsene Wenger fumed on the touchline as Rory Delap set up a notable victory for revitalised Stoke with massive throw-ins that delivered goals for Ricardo Fuller and Seyi Olofinjana.

Wenger saw Bacary Sagna limp off, Emmanuel Adebayor hobble off and Theo Walcott carried off, before Robin van Persie was sent off for a moment of madness.

Stoke’s commitment, work-rate and ability to play to their strengths cannot be disputed and this win was certainly a merited one. Following the examples of Hull and West Brom, Tony Pulis’s side are putting together a productive run that suggests they too may be coming to terms with the demands of the Premier League.

Three wins out of four have taken them right away from immediate trouble and Arsenal will not be the last side to be punished at a stadium which, with the help of passionate supporters, is proving an intimidating place.

Wenger might have been expected to question the outcome. Instead, the Arsenal manager admitted: “Stoke deserved it. They fought for every ball, were well organised and were able to wait for the set pieces. It’s not our greatest strength to deal with that.

“People who love traditional English games will have loved it. Stoke were very sharp physically, whereas we looked jaded in that area. We had a lot of possession, but did not create enough chances.”

Wenger’s only public grouse was the red card for Van Persie’s assault on goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and what he regarded as a let-off for a tackle by Stoke captain Andy Griffin. “He shouldn’t have done it, but a red card was harsh. If Van Persie gets one and Griffin does not, then I shall have to review my rule book.”

Pulis said: “It was a fantastic result for the team, the club and the city. The effort, commitment and togetherness were superb. We set our stall out to be strong in midfield and the players were brilliant. The task now is to keep believing. Rory’s throws are so difficult to defend against. They come in so flat that it’s hard to pick up the flight of the ball.”

Wenger rang the changes after conceding two late goals and a point to Tottenham recently. Out from the starting line-up went Walcott, Van Persie and Samir Nasri, replaced by Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner and Abou Diaby.

Arsenal were also without William Gallas (hamstring), so Kolo Toure returned to the centre of the defence to partner Mikael Silvestre. Ten minutes in, Toure was probably wishing he was somewhere else, as Fuller outmuscled him to glance in a header after Delap’s throw towards the far post.

The visitors were shaken to the core and, when Manuel Almunia failed to get any distance with a punched clearance, they almost conceded another. It went only as far as Delap, whose header was cleared from near the line by Gael Clichy.

Arsenal created little until Toure met a Cesc Fabregas corner at the near post to turn the ball just over. They sank deeper into trouble when Delap’s corner was flicked on by Ryan Shawcross for Olofinjana to bundle the ball in as he stumbled goalwards.

The frustration was too much for Van Persie, who charged in after Sorensen fielded the ball, raising a foot and barging him to the ground. Referee Rob Styles had little option but to produce the red card. Clichy’s stoppage-time shot, which took a double deflection, was too little, too late for his team.

Pulis was eager to share the praise around his hardworking side. “It was a fantastic result for this football team, for the squad and the city,” he said. “The togetherness we showed, working so hard off the ball, was first-class.

“Arsenal are a good team. Actually, good team? They are a great team with a great manager. The midfield four blocked things up for them, the two up front worked so hard and Mama (Sidibe) was so important. We knew we couldn’t get outnumbered in midfield and he’s worked so hard, been so unselfish. It’s not just him, though, they’ve all had a go.”

THE RESULTS

November 2: Bolton 2 (Gardner 77, Dunne o.g. 88) bt Manchester City 0. Half-time: 0-0.

November 1: Chelsea 5 (Alex 27, Anelka 30, 45+1 & 53, Lampard 51) bt Sunderland 0. Half-time: 3-0; Everton 1 (Saha 87) bt Fulham 0. Half-time: 0-0; Manchester United 4 (Ronaldo 3 & 44, Carrick 29, Vidic 57) bt Hull 3 (Cousin 23, Mendy 69, Geovanni pen-82). Half-time: 3-1; Middlesbrough 1 (Mido 83) drew with West Ham 1 (Mullins 21). Half-time: 0-1; Portsmouth 1 (Kranjcar 82) lost to Wigan 2 (Zaki pen-45+1, Heskey 90+2). Half-time: 0-1; Stoke 2 (Fuller 11, Olofinjana 73) bt Arsenal 1 (Clichy 90+4). Half-time: 1-0; Tottenham 2 (Carragher o.g. 70, Pavlyuchenko 90+1) bt Liverpool 1 (Kuyt 3). Half-time: 0-1; West Brom 2 (Bednar 55, Miller 62) drew with Blackburn 2 (McCarthy pen-13, Andrews 89). Half-time: 0-1.

October 29: Arsenal 4 (Silvestre 37, Gallas 46, Adebayor 64, Van Persie 68) drew with Tottenham 4 (Bentley 13, Bent 67, Jenas 89, Lennon 90+4). Half-time: 1-1; Aston Villa 3 (Young 45+1, Barry 65, Agbonlahor 87) bt Blackburn 2 (Warnock 30, Emerton 90+4). Half-time: 1-1; Bolton 0 lost to Everton 1 (Fellaini 90). Half-time: 0-0; Fulham 2 (Johnson 11 & 60) bt Wigan 0. Half-time: 1-0; Hull 0 lost to Chelsea 3 (Lampard 3, Anelka 50, Malouda 75). Half-time: 0-1; Liverpool 1 (Gerrard pen-76) bt Portsmouth 0. Half-time: 0-0; Manchester United 2 (Ronaldo 14 & 30) bt West Ham 0. Half-time: 2-0; Middlesbrough 2 (Alves pen-53, O’Neil 90+4) bt Manchester City 0. Half-time: 0-0; Stoke 1 (Fuller 73) bt Sunderland 0. Half-time: 0-0.

October 28: Newcastle 2 (Barton pen-10, Martins 42) bt West Brom 1 (Miller 65). Half-time: 2-0.

October 26: Chelsea 0 lost to Liverpool 1 (Alonso 10). Half-time: 0-1; Manchester City 3 (Robinho 14, 47 & 72) bt Stoke 0. Half-time: 1-0; Portsmouth 1 (Crouch 61) drew with Fulham 1 (Dempsey 87). Half-time: 0-0; Tottenham 2 (Pavlyuchenko 17, Bent pen-76) bt Bolton 0. Half-time: 1-0; West Ham 0 lost to Arsenal 2 (Faubert o.g. 75, Adebayor 90+1). Half-time: 0-0; Wigan 0 lost to Aston Villa 4 (Barry pen-22, Agbonlahor 57, Carew 62, Sidwell 90). Half-time: 0-1.