And with that, I’m gone. It’s been a blast. Here’s a match report for you. Bye!
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A close-up of a slow motion replay suggests that Lacazette had half a right foot beyond the last defender before scoring his disallowed goal and thus was in fact offside. Just.
Stoke succeeded despite themselves there: for most of the game they played an unwisely high defensive line and Arsenal repeatedly chipped the ball over them and into the path of willing runners – though this only allowed Butland and Zouma to showcase their repertoire of chance-denying tackles, blocks and stops. Once Stoke themselves had scored, however, Arsenal took off a defender, brought on another striker and forced the home side back, after which they actually looked considerably more secure.
It was wildly frustrating stuff from Arsenal, and for all their dominance – 77% possession, apparently – they actually created few clear chances. Had a very marginal offside decision gone the other way and Lacazette’s apparent equaliser stood, or a much clearer first-half penalty been awarded, it might have ended very differently.
Meanwhile Jesé didn’t look fully fit, but he might be a classic Stoke signing. There were a few nice touches, a couple of impressive runs, and a very smart first-time finish. And, in the end, a very fine win.
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“Arsenal have too many technical, gifted players in the XI. They need a couple of players with steel,” says Steven Gerrard on BT Sport.
Final score: Stoke City 1-0 Arsenal
90+6 mins: Butland boots the free-kick upfield, and the referee blows his whistle!
90+5 mins: Arsenal swing the ball in; it’s headed away to Oxlade-Chamberlain. 94 minutes and 55 seconds have been played. He assesses his options and then passes to Mustafi, who is very clearly offside. And that should be that.
90+4 mins: A fine cross from Monreal finds Giroud, who does excellently to get in front of the defender but heads wide!
90+3 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain, who for my money has had a fine game, chips the ball to the back post. Giroud is waiting there and does his job, nodding it down. And nobody – nobody – is in the six-yard box to profit.
90+1 mins: Into stoppage time, of which there will be about five minutes.
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89 mins: Perhaps the recovery wasn’t so miraculous: Pieters has gone off, and Martins Indi is on.
88 mins: For 80 minutes Arsenal looked on the verge of scoring. For the last eight, though, they’ve looked clueless and desperate and, now Stoke’s defence is sitting so deep the ball can’t be chipped over them, totally devoid of ideas.
@Simon_Burnton never mind the stokers on the steps, what's Arthur Fowler doing there with his trademark flat cap on?Pauline won't be happy!
— Rory T (@RoryThorp) August 19, 2017
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87 mins: Pieters stayed down, and then required lengthy treatment, after which he appears to miraculously recover.
85 mins: It wasn’t a penalty, but it was a free-kick and probably a booking.
84 mins: Mustafi fouls Pieters on the very edge of the Arsenal penalty area. Is it a free-kick or a penalty? The crowd holds its collective breath. And then keeps holding it. And then realise the referee has waved play on, and bay in fury.
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82 mins: Despite the substitutions, Arsenal seem far from invigorated. Indeed, these have probably been Stoke’s most comfortable five minutes of the match.
81 mins: Great photograph, this – check out the Stoke fans on the steps.
78 mins: A double substitution for Arsenal. The disappointing Lacazette goes off along with Xhaka, while Walcott and Iwobi join the fray.
76 mins: Arsenal are battering on the door here, but then they have been for most of the match. Here’s that offside decision in full – not “a mile onside”, but Lacazette does look level:
Horrendous decision. Lacazette is a mile onside.
— ArsenalFanTV (@ArsenalFanTV) August 19, 2017
🔴 1-0 ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/hS3eCn7rpE
72 mins: Arsenal score – and it’s disallowed! A backheel flick from the edge of the area diverts the ball to Lacazette, who lashes in. The flag is raised, but it looked extremely close.
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71 mins: Jesé’s day is done – his lack of match fitness having become apparent, Sobhi comes on to replace him.
70 mins: It’s raining chances for Arsenal! In the latest torrent, Shawcross flies into Lacazette to deny an obvious chance, Fletcher gets in the way of an Özil shot, and the German curls another effort wide.
68 mins: Another chip into the Stoke area, and Ramsey controls this one beautifully, juggles it a bit and then shoots into a defender.
67 mins: Arsenal miss another! Giroud’s first touch is to nudge the ball into the run of Welbeck, bursting into the area, but he takes a touch too many before scuffing a shot into Butland’s face.
66 mins: Arsenal make a substitution, taking off a defender (Kolasinac) and bringing on a regular match-rescuer (Giroud).
63 mins: And again! Fletcher’s shot from range is deflected and loops to Choupo-Moting, running into the area, but his shot from an acute angle is saved by Cech. And Peter Malik proposes another Jesé-themed song. “Very nice chap, by the way, that Joshua Kadison, met him once,” he adds. Name-dropper.
62 mins: And Stoke nearly score on the break! Pieters carries the ball down the left, picks out Berahino with his cross, and the ball bounces towards the corner of goal only for Cech to divert it wide!
60 mins: And another one! Mustafi’s low pass into the area finds Ramsey, whose first-time left-foot shot goes straight at Butland.
59 mins: Chance for Arsenal! Özil play the ball into the area and Welbeck rises unmarked, but he completely misses his header and shoulders it over the bar!
58 mins: Chance for Arsenal! Diouf snoozes, Bellerin has a free run into the area and gets the ball, but Butland saves his low shot and then, at the second attempt, holds it.
57 mins: Another lovely cross to the back post from Oxlade-Chamberlain, but Butland steals this one off Welbeck’s forehead.
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55 mins: Another last-ditch sliding tackle from Zouma stops Bellerin crom crossing, at the expense of a corner. This is unaccountably played short, but worked swiftly to the other flank where Oxlade-Chamberlain plays a lovely ball to the far post, from which nothing comes.
52 mins: Diouf and Welbeck race towards a loose ball near the byline, shoulder contacts shoulder, and Diouf bounces about 20 yards to the right. Spectacularly weak defending, but he gets away with it: Welbeck passes to Bellerin, who tries yet another ball over the defence back to Welbeck, who a) can’t reach it, and b) is offside.
50 mins: “One-nil to the rugby team!” sings the home crowd.
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GOAL! Stoke 1-0 Arsenal (Jesé, 47 mins)
The home side take the lead two minutes after the break! Jesé picks up the ball on halfway, drives into the Arsenal half, passes to Berahino, who shuffles about, executes a few lollipops and slides it back to the Spaniard, who hits it across goal first-time from 12 yards, and it rolls inside the far post.
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46 mins: Stoke get the second half under way, and very quickly translate possession into an Arsenal throw-in.
The players trot back out ahead of the second half. Surely there are goals in this game, but how many, and when?
Half time: Stoke 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal are totally Arsenalling this game, playing some very nice stuff around, and indeed into, the penalty area, but without a cutting edge. Stoke are wildly inferior, but Jesé and that Shawcross chance give them reason to be optimistic anyway.
45+2 mins: Arsenal lift the ball into the penalty area yet again, and Ramsey runs goalwards while Butland runs out in a race to beat him to it. Butland wins, and what’s more the referee gives him a free kick for no apparent reason.
45+1 mins: Into stoppage time, of which there will be two minutes. It starts with Fletcher pumping a free-kick from halfway into the penalty area, but Cech comes out to punch. Soon after Fletcher floats the ball into the area from deep again, and this time Cech catches.
44 mins: Lacazette has been extremely quiet. Stoke have done a very good job on him, which will be a positive for them to cling to when they reflect on how unconvincing their defending of everything else has been.
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40 mins: Diouf robs Bellerin on the edge of the area and launches into a semi-comic, semi-awesome dribble into Arsenal’s half. Eventually he loses the ball to Monreal’s well-timed sliding tackle, stays down for no reason, and the home fans boo until Arsenal kick it out of play.
39 mins: Arsenal have had 71% of possession so far. That’s seventy-one.
37 mins: This is both a match that Arsenal are dominating with almost embarrassing ease, and one that Stoke really should be winning.
33 mins: Arsenal work the ball very well around the penalty area, Özil dances about a bit before finding Bellerin, and from 18 yards he skews his shot way wide, and also quite a bit high. Meanwhile, there’s always this:
31 mins: Great chance for Stoke! A long throw is headed clear but falls to Choupo-Moting, whose cross finds Shawcross in space, 10 yards out. He gets plenty of power on his header, but nowhere near enough accuracy!
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29 mins: Replays show that Bellerin was fouled by Diouf in the penalty area in the 20th minute. It looked so clear at the time that I assumed it was my eyes, rather than my referee, that had failed me.
28 mins: Arsenal win a free-kick 30 yards out. Oxlade-Chamberlain curls it into the box, beyond the far post and into the run of Ramsey, whose shot hits Butland in the chest. This, meanwhile, is a good call:
@Simon_Burnton Surely the canonical song about someone whose name is a bit like Jesé must be https://t.co/GFemXIzv6H
— Richard Visage (@thebrotherdoug) August 19, 2017
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25 mins: Shaqiri has gone off, and Saido Berahino has replaced him.
24 mins: It looks worryingly like Shaqiri’s day might be over – he’s on the floor, pointing at his left leg, and Mark Hughes seems to be discussing tactical rearrangements with his assistant.
21 mins: A chance on the break for Stoke! Jesé runs from halfway, benefits from a couple of handy rebounds off defenders and picks out Choupo-Moting, whose attempted finish was bizarrely casual. The ball loops into Cech’s arms. Very good work again from Jesé there, though.
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20 mins: And another chipped through-ball, this time to Bellerin, who is taken out by Diouf. The referee gives a corner.
19 mins: Save! Another chipped ball over Stoke’s defence – an issue the home team need to sort out sharpish – this one to Welbeck, whose shot when well placed is saved by Butland.
18 mins: Now Stoke attack, but when Shaqiri is picked out in the penalty area he uses his right arm to control the ball, and the referee spots it.
17 mins: Now the ball is chipped over the defence to Ramsey, who is shoulder-barged by Diouf at the vital moment and, already falling, slides a low cross straight to Butland.
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14 mins: Arsenal are repeatedly slicing and dicing the home defence now, but remain a good final ball away from a breakthrough. A few passes ping around the box and end with Bellerin bursting into it, but his low cross is to nobody in particular, and is cleared.
11 mins: Arsenal win a corner, which is headed clear, but Ramsey scoops it back in, it’s headed back across goal and Pieters gets in front of Welbeck, who was trying to turn it goalwards at the near post.
9 mins: Another Arsenal attack: Welbeck runs down the left and plays infield to Bellerin, who plays infield to Ramsey, but a defender arrives at pace to reach the ball first and clear it to safety.
8 mins: Bellerin gets into the penalty area and tries to reach the byline, but Zouma’s sliding tackle nips the ball off his toes.
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6 mins: Stoke have controlled the opening exchanges. Fletcher tries a long pass over the home defence for Choupo-Moting, but it bounces out of play.
3 mins: Good work from Jesé! Fletcher carries the ball forward and passes to the Spaniard, whose skill buys him some space in the penalty area, but Cech races off his line to get in the way of his shot!
3 mins: Stoke’s fans are noisily booing Aaron Ramsey’s every touch. Those guys really know how to bear a grudge.
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1 min: Peeeep! They’re off!
Jesé has very aggressive stubble, don’t you think? It’s very short, but very attention-grabbing, like a facial Jimmy Krankie.
The players are in the tunnel! Scratch that, they’re already leaving it!
Mark Hughes talks:
We had a difficult start to last season, the fixtures were difficult like they are this year. But we’re in good shape, I think we’ve had a decent pre-season, played OK last weekend without getting any reward. If we can build on that performance then we’ll be fine.
[On Jesé] I thought it was more important just to get him exposed to the Premier League as soon as possible. It was a good opportunity, against elite opposition. That’s what he’s used to, so I think he’ll really enjoy the game today.
[And on Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting] He’s a good player. I don’t think too many people know a great deal about him. he’s a big guy but he’s got good technical ability as well. We’re looking forward to seeing him this season and I think he’ll make a few people sit up and take notice.
“Is there any news about why Holding isn’t featuring anywhere?” wonders Charles Antaki. “He seems too nice a young man to have been taken out and shot just for his part in last week’s three-goal defensive farrago.” There is no news, and Wenger wasn’t asked, he’s just been dumped. Aaron Ramsey comes into the starting XI, along with Shkodran Mustafi.
Arsène Wenger talks to the folk at BT Sport:
Leicester was a difficult game and they’re a side that will push on again this season in the Premier League. Let’s continue to win and focus on the quality of our game.
Stoke are always dangerous. Every Premier League away game is any way difficult. We came here last year at the end of the Championship and won. At least we got that out of the way because we didn’t win here for a while.
So there’s a debut for Jesé. Here’s my favourite song about someone whose name is a bit like Jesé:
The teams are in! And these are those teams!
Stoke: Butland, Zouma, Shawcross, Cameron, Diouf, Allen, Fletcher, Pieters, Shaqiri, Jese, Choupo-Moting. Subs: Martins Indi, Johnson, Berahino, Crouch, Krkic, Sobhi, Grant.
Arsenal: Cech, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette. Subs: Mertesacker, Giroud, Ospina, Walcott, Iwobi, Coquelin, Elneny.
Referee: Andre Marriner.
📝 #SCFC Starting XI v @Arsenal: Butland; Zouma, Shawcross, Cameron; Diouf, Allen, Fletcher, Pieters; Shaqiri, Jese; Choupo-Moting. pic.twitter.com/xo6K9GVp4N
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) August 19, 2017
📋 Two changes for our first @premierleague away game of 2017/18#SCFCvAFC pic.twitter.com/cixTW8AVNd
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 19, 2017
Hello world!
Stoke’s biggest home crowd for some 29 years – “When our fans get behind the team, there’s no more intimidating place,” says Mark Hughes, hopefully – will savour the latest instalment in a series of matches that have famously featured horrible injury, less horrible but still painful injury, rancour, fury and rather mean taunting. “I don’t know why they boo me so much,” sobbed Arsène Wenger of the Stoke fans; “Stick your fingers in your ear if you don’t want to hear it,” countered Hughes.
Maybe this time will be different? Some things definitely will be: for example, this is the first time in over two decades that Arsenal have visited a Stoke team not containing the great Glenn Whelan. It’s a new dawn. Of sorts.
Now, some pre-match reading for you, in the shape of this excellent interview with Per Mertesacker. Team news imminent:
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