In the 1990s, Arsenal were known as a team that would win 1-0 time after time after time, grinding out ruthless, efficient victories. Now, they're a very different animal, almost unrecognisable from the team that came before. That's not to say that they're worse - their passing style is admittedly very pleasing to the eye, but there's something very odd about the apparent decision to forsake defence and attack for beautiful midfield play, and it sometimes comes back to haunt them.
Stoke City Vs. Arsenal, Final Score: Stoke Earn 3-1 Win Over Disappointing Arsenal
So it was here against Stoke. Arsenal lost 3-1 at the Britannia to a Stoke City who didn't worry about out-muscling their opponents, simply outplaying them. The hosts hung firm in defence and hit hard when they were able, exploiting Arsenal's weakness from set pieces for their first goal, getting lucky on their second and taking advantage of more mistakes in their back to notch a third right before the end of the match. Meanwhile, Arsenal had 74% of possession, according to ESPN Soccernet, and their first shot on target didn't arrive until late in the second half. Absurd.
That’s not to take anything away from Tony Pulis’ men, who were superb. They defended better and attacked better, and didn’t bother with going after the ball when they didn’t need too, which was most of the time. A thoroughly deserved victory for the hosts, and a desperately disappointing defeat for Arsenal.
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