This was one of those occasions when the final scoreline didn’t reflect the football match.
For 75 minutes Arsenal were abject. Fifteen minutes later, they were somehow celebrating a 3-0 victory.
Referee Craig Pawson’s decision to award Arsene Wenger’s side a dubious penalty turned this match on its head
Stoke defender Bruno Martins Indi was adamant he touched the ball as Mesut Ozil crashed to deck. He was right.
How Stoke boss Paul Lambert wished Pawson knew what Martins Indi did as his side’s survival hopes suffered another crushing blow.
That’s not to say Stoke deserved anything more than they got. They were just as ordinary as Arsenal.
In fairness to the Gunners, they have bigger fish to fry. Thursday’s clash against CSKA Moscow in the Europa League was the clear priority for Wenger going into the clash against the Potters as he chose to rest a number of his stars.
But the growing discord between fans and the club was accentuated once again with yet another home game played amid a backdrop of empty seats.
Officially there were 59,371 in attendance. In reality that number was closer to 40,000 as disgruntled supporters continued to stay away.
When Wenger’s future is discussed in the summer; the apparent boycott could yet prove the determining factor in whether the Frenchman is afforded the opportunity of seeing out the final year of his contract.
If they were watching on television, those that stayed away would have been glad they did after the first half.
What an atrocious 45 minutes of football. No wonder boos rang round the stadium as Pawson blew the half-time whistle.
The jeers would have been louder if thousands of fans had not already left their seats to seek solace in a half-time pint.
Of course, those connected with Stoke would have been satisfied as they sought to give their survival hopes an unlikely boost.
Lambert’s side hung in there; had Ramadan Sobhi showed a little more composure in the final third then Stoke could easily have taken an early lead.
But the Arsenal fans who could be bothered to attend would have been asking themselves: how has it come this?
Many of those will muster a similar answer, pointing the finger firmly at Wenger.
They’d be right, of course. The buck always stops with the manager.
But even with the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny rested for Thursday’s vital visit of CSKA Moscow, the team selected by Wenger was more than capable of breezing past relegation-threatened Stoke.
Instead they toiled; appearing void of any invention. This isn’t the Arsenal Football Club we’re accustomed to. Sloppy in possession. Pedestrian in transition. Almost lifeless.
That’s why fans are choosing to stay at home.
The only two opportunities of note during the dire opening period fell to Xherdan Shaqiri and Aaron Ramsey.
But even those were half-chances at best; Shaqiri’s rasping a shot flying well wide of David Ospina’s far post before Ramsey looped an awkward effort on the top of the crossbar.
The frustration eventually seeped into the players; Jack Wilshere – who captained the team – and Danny Welbeck at odds following a moment of miscommunication from the England pair.
At least Arsenal offered some improvement in the second half; but even that was minimal.
Welbeck fired wide in a good position before Mohamed Elneny saw his goalbound effort from Hector Bellerin’s cross blocked by Bruno Martins Indi.
But Stoke came mightily close to taking a shock lead when Shaqiri struck Ospina’s far past direct from a corner.
Slowly, though, Arsenal put their foot down. Jack Butland denied Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the club-record signing was sent clear through by Mesut Ozil in the 71st minute.
And four minutes later, the Gunners were ahead Aubameyang stroking home a penalty after Ozil was adjudged to have been fouled by Martins Indi.
The Dutchman pleaded his innocence to Pawson. In fairness, he had a point – despite coming through the back of Ozil, the Stoke defender appeared to touch the ball.
It was desperately unlucky for Stoke. They didn’t deserve that. Similarly, Arsenal hardly deserved their huge slice of fortune.
Aubameyang notched his second of the afternoon four minutes from time, thumping home as Stoke failed to deal with Ozil’s corner before Alexandre Lacazette completed the scoring on his return from injury with another penalty after Badou Ndiaye foolishly careered into the France striker in the final minute.
