Arsenal continued to attack with a 3-4-2-1 formation in this match, but Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellerin switched wings for each other compared to usual. On the opposite side, the rookie from PSG - Jese Rodriguez played from the start.
In the first half, Arsenal had a superior ball and had some crosses in the opponent's half. However, they have difficulty approaching Stoke's penalty area. Their most notable opportunity came in the 27th minute. In a free kick, Chamberlain hung the ball for Ramsey to run down to finish but goalkeeper Butland promptly closed the angle, blocking.
On the side of Stoke City, fast-paced players like Jese or Diouf brought the weight to their counter-attacks. In the 21st minute, after trying to dribble, Jese passed it to Choupo-Moting but the former Schalke 04 player was too uncoordinated in his shot.
At the end of the first half, the pace of the match decreased somewhat and the opportunities created by both sides gradually decreased. Stoke and Arsenal entered the break without scoring any goals.
However, a surprise happened when the second half passed less than 2 minutes. Jese Rodriguez launched an attack from Stoke. After collaborating with Berahino, the former Real Madrid striker had a decisive shot that defeated Petr Cech. In this phase, Arsenal defenders came with less aggressive players.
After conceding the goal, Arsenal players seemed to wake up and attack more urgently. Welbeck and Ramsey continuously had chances but could not beat goalkeeper Jack Butland.
Meanwhile, Stoke's counter-attacks still caused some difficulties for the away team. After such a situation, Berahino's header in the 67th minute did not trouble Petr Cech. Arsenal put the ball into the opponent's net in the 72nd minute. However, Lacazette was offside when he finished.
Facing a deadlock, coach Wenger brought Walcott and Giroud to improve the situation. However, as well as they can deploy the ball outside Stoke's penalty area, when the ball is put inside, their finishing situations are so disappointing. Stoke's defense played with great concentration in this match.
Unable to equalize, Arsenal suffered their first loss of the season.With only 3 points after 2 matches, they temporarily dropped to 11th place in the Premier League rankings.With the same number of points, Stoke temporarily ranked 13th.
Lineup:
Stoke City (3-4-2): Butland; Zouma, Shawcross, Cameron; Diouf, Fletcher, Allen, Pieters (Marins indi 89); Shaqiri (Berahino 25), Jese Rodrigruez (Sobhi 71); Choupo-Moting.
Arsenal (3-4-2): Cech; Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac (Giroud 66); Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Xhaka (Iwobi 79), Bellerin; Ozil, Welbeck; Lacazette ( Walcott 79).
