Premier League Week 2-Write up Stoke v Arsenal

Stoke 0-0 Arsenal
Everyone who watches the Premier League knows about the love-hate relationship between Arsene Wenger and Stoke City, it's fair to say that this match will not ease his dislike of a team that seem to have become his nemesis in recent years.

Stoke have made a habit of not losing games over the past few seasons and have an excellently drilled defense that often refuses to be breached and that's again what happened as they bent and buckled but refused to snap to relentless Arsenal pressure. In fact it was Arsenal's defense that seemed to be broken early in the game as Jonathan Walters put the ball in the Arsenal net inside the first 10 minutes before the goal was ruled out. It was as close as either team came to breaking the dead lock.

Arsenal, via Santi Cazorla and Mikael Arteta dominated the game with two Spaniards pulling all the strings in the middle though the organised Stoke back 4 managed to hold out and really limited the solid chances Arsenal had. Whilst at the other end Peter Crouch was effectively played out of the gme by Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen who seemed to show Steve Pulis' men that Arsenal had manned up this year.

For Steve Pulis this was a point well earned as his team were on the back foot for much of the game and they proved that they are defensively as sound as ever. Whilst they couldn't really get into the game going forward with only a handful of half chances they proved to be resolute and solid at the back. The Stoke fans may feel a slight aggreived not to have had a penalty in the second half but it would have been very soft to have awarded a penalty for the coming together in question and all in all they were lucky to get  apoint.

Arsene Wenger hasn't tried to hide his dislike of Stoke over the years and he will again be seething whilst feeling that his team had enough chances to bag all 3 points. He knows Stoke are physical however he'll have been pleased by the fact that his players refused to be kicked off the pitch however the wasted chances will really annoying him, especially given how much of the game they bossed. Once again Santi Cazorla looked exceptional and controlled the game for the second match running however it was Mikael Arteta who perhaps deserved all the plaudits as he was the one who was fidning Cazorla in space.

Notes-
Arsenal have been involved in both of the 0-0's so far
Stoke failed to get a single corner whilst Arsenal had double figures.