Delap’s throw arrowed towards Toure with Fuller lurking behind him, Fuller and Toure had been tussling for the ball, Toure jumped to head the ball, he missed his header but Ricardo Fuller managed to get a touch on it

Match Review – Stoke City 2 Arsenal 1 – Premier League

As I write this on Saturday night I sit here trying to understand my thoughts and feelings about this crazy team we support. Is it too early to rule out challenging for the league? How much is our manager to blame for this? Will a few purchases in January get us back on track?

I suppose if finding these answers were this easy then we would be sitting pretty top of the league today and not being beaten by Stoke City.

I expected some rotation before the line up was announced and I am still wondering why Arsene has gone all Rafa Benitez on us.

Last season we started very well and built up momentum and partnerships developed, this time round partnerships are being broken up and the team is suffering.

Arsenal were hoping to bounce back yet again after an horrendous last 10 minutes against Tottenham on Wednesday. Kolo Toure came in for William Gallas who suffered an injury on Wednesday night.

We started the game at quite a good tempo, passed the ball quickly without really penetrating the Stoke back four. Cesc Fabregas had a snap shot dragged wide in the first few minutes of the game, Emmanuel Adebayor had a blocked shot but apart from that, there really wasn’t much else.

Rory Delap’s long throw have become a trademark for Stoke City this season, I remember when Stoke played Liverpool early on this season at Anfield and Delaps throws were causing the Liverpool side all sorts of problems, every Arsenal fan who watched the highlights on Match of the day must have feared for the worse. Especially when every goal we conceded back then was from a set piece.

Hopefully we’ll sort out that problem by the time we meet Stoke. On 13 minutes Delap had his first opportunity to test out his missile and Toure and Silvestre had their first chance to show that they could handle it. As if!

Delap’s throw arrowed towards Toure with Fuller lurking behind him, Fuller and Toure had been tussling for the ball, Toure jumped to head the ball, he missed his header but Ricardo Fuller managed to get a touch on it and it flew past Almunia who could have come off his line to help his colleague out.

1-0 down to yet another ball not dealt with in the air.

One of the big problems for me was the fact that the players who came in did not look sharp at all. Alex Song, Abou Diaby and Bendtner continued to give the ball away. Bendtner less so than the other two but he had his fair share of missed placed passes. It takes players a few games to become match sharp and get used to knowing where a teammate is on the pitch. It can be ok to have one player who is rotated because you can probably hide that with the rest of the players looking match sharp. The fact is 4 players were in the side who have not had a run of games and Denilson and Diaby are two central midfielders playing out wide, it is hardly a template for fluid attacking football.

On 20 minutes Adebayor was wrongfully in my eyes penalised for handball, but to be honest I have not seen it properly. The freekick was hit long into the Arsenal penalty area, the Gunners defence once again found it difficult to defend a simple ball and the ball ended up being headed by Rory Delap over Almunia who was all over the place but once again Gael Clichy standing on the goal line did enough to head it to safety.

Cesc Fabregas is clearly off the pace right now. He was fantastic in the European championships and we all expected him to return to Arsenal in that same form. He has been playing in 1st and 2nd gear so far this season and has not influenced games the way he has done in the past. It is hard to tell if it is form, tiredness or a result of coming into training late. Whatever the reason is, it has to be corrected and quickly.

Cesc did however play a fantastic long pass in the 35th minute to Bendtner who needed to get control of the ball which would have sent him clear on goal but his chest control was too heavy and ran through to the keeper.

A few long range shots from Denilson, Diaby and Toure either flew miles high and wide or ended up comfortably in the keepers arms.

Just before half time Adebayor had a great chance to bend the ball around the keeper into the corner of the net which was open, but he curled his effort high and almost in the middle of the goal. To Gooners nowadays that does not even seem like a chance anymore. You do not expect Adebayor to score that type of goal, you expect Adebayor to score tap ins, or from set pieces. That is where Adebayor has made a name for himself. A few years ago we had a sulky Frenchman leading the line, we all got used to his fantastic goals and unbelievable technique.

Thierry Henry could have bent that into the top corner with his eyes closed.

So half time, 1-0 down. Would Arsene make any changes to a side who were not creating, who looked out of sorts?

No changes at half time, still playing with Abou Diaby on the left and Denilson on the right. It was left to an out of sorts Cesc Fabregas to create chances and pull the strings. Arsenal started with a little more purpose, a higher tempo but with Nasri and Van Persie sitting on the bench we lacked a bit of craft, a bit of invention. I also felt that Bendtner and Adebayor were not playing close enough to link up.

Adebayor received a strong tackle on his ankle just after the break and looked to be in some pain. The big Togo International has done very well to avoid many injuries so far in his Arsenal career and would do very well to stay on the pitch this time round.

Bacary Sagna who was also victim of a tough tackle was replaced by Walcott in the 57th minute.

Arsenal had their best effort on goal in the 61st minute which said it all. Cesc Fabregas swung in a near post corner which for once found its target, Kolo Toure made a near post run and volleyed it over the bar from close range.

On 65, Van Persie finally managed to get on the pitch for Denilson who was out of sorts and out of position in right midfield.

A few minutes later another long throw caused the Arsenal defence all sorts of problems again, eventually the ball fell to Salif Diao on the edge of the area but his shot was weak and was scrambling towards the corner of the net, Manuel Almunia palmed it around the post.

Emmanuel Adebayor eventually succumb to injury with assistance from the physio team limped off the pitch. Carlos Vela replaced him in the 71st minute.

Two minutes later Stoke were awarded yet another throw almost level with the penalty area and Delap delivered. His throw was glanced on by one of their players and reached Seyi Olofinjana at the back post who chested it onto himself and into the net. Game set and match. Two throws, two goals.

Have you ever seen a team defend so badly? We have conceded 6 goals in two games against Tottenham and Stoke City which is absurd for a side that is attempting mount a serious title challenge.

On 75 minutes Arsenal’s afternoon went from bad to worse. Stoke City goalkeeper Sorensen was hovering over the ball waiting for Van Persie to approach him before he picked up the ball and the Dutchman didn’t take too kindly it and just simply clattered into him. It was a frustrated challenge but a challenge that deserved punishment, you cannot go around doing that because you are losing the match.

That will rule Van Persie out for 3 games and one of those games are against Manchester United. Adebayor will be out of action for a few weeks also so it could be a chance for Bendtner and Vela to finally form a partnership in the first team, a partnership that many Gooners have wanted to see for a while now.

In the last minute Theo Walcott was tripped which seemed to aggravate the shoulder injury he suffered a couple of seasons ago which rules him out for a number of weeks.

The squad is down to its limit again just as it seemed that we were getting all our players back to full fitness. It is times like this that you realise how important Tomas Rosicky is to our squad, but it almost seems like he is not an Arsenal player anymore. Its been that long.

In injury time Gael Clichy grabbed a goal back, his first for the club. His long range shot took two deflections and ended up in the net, it was not the way he wanted to grab his first but nevertheless he is off the mark.

Arsenal could not create anymore chances and the final whistle blew. I hold up the white flag and surrender the title even though there is plenty of football to be played but the mental attitude of this team is just not right. You cannot tell me that losing Hleb and Flamini has turned us from a team in an inch to winning the title to a side losing to Hull City, Fulham and Stoke with many games to play.

Something is clearly wrong and we are going to have to see some of that mental strength that Wenger talks about for us to get out of this mess.