Match ends, Arsenal 3, Stoke City 0.
Arsenal 3-0 Stoke City
- From the section Premier League
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late double set Arsenal on course for victory over relegation-threatened Stoke at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were booed off at half-time by another sparse and subdued home crowd after seeing Aaron Ramsey clip the crossbar with their only clear chance of the first 45 minutes.
Arsenal showed greater urgency after the break, although Stoke struck the woodwork through a Xherdan Shaqiri corner before the hosts were awarded a disputed penalty for a foul by Bruno Martins Indi on Mesut Ozil.
Aubameyang converted the spot-kick before firing home from an Ozil corner. And the Gabon striker passed up the chance to claim a hat-trick when Arsenal were awarded another penalty late on.
Badou Ndiaye pushed Alexandre Lacazette in the box and the Arsenal substitute converted to round off a scoreline which flattered the Gunners.
Despite having 17 days between matches - a result of the international break and being out of the FA Cup - Arsenal looked laboured in possession and had only just got into the ascendancy when the first penalty was awarded.
Replays showed that Arsene Wenger's men were perhaps fortunate as Martins Indi appeared to get his left foot to the ball before catching Ozil from behind.
Ndiaye then fired narrowly wide for Stoke before Arsenal clinched a fourth straight victory with the two late goals.
They remain sixth in the Premier League table, five points adrift of Chelsea, in fifth, and 10 behind fourth-placed Tottenham before the London rivals faced each other (16:00 BST).
Despite starting on the front foot, Stoke stay second from bottom, three points from safety, after their eighth game without a win.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Arsenal
- 13Ospina
- 24Bellerín
- 20Mustafi
- 21Chambers
- 18Monreal
- 35El NenyBooked at 37minsSubstituted forXhakaat 76'minutes
- 8Ramsey
- 11Özil
- 10WilshereSubstituted forMkhitaryanat 76'minutes
- 23WelbeckSubstituted forLacazetteat 61'minutes
- 14Aubameyang
Substitutes
- 6Koscielny
- 7Mkhitaryan
- 9Lacazette
- 17Iwobi
- 29Xhaka
- 31Kolasinac
- 54Macey
Stoke
- 1Butland
- 8JohnsonBooked at 66mins
- 17Shawcross
- 15Martins Indi
- 3Pieters
- 2Bauer
- 4AllenBooked at 90mins
- 27Ndiaye
- 32SobhiSubstituted forCrouchat 80'minutes
- 18DioufSubstituted forBerahinoat 61'minutes
- 22Shaqiri
Substitutes
- 7Ireland
- 9Berahino
- 20Cameron
- 25Crouch
- 29Haugaard
- 40Campbell
- 55Sorenson
- Referee:
- Craig Pawson
- Attendance:
- 59,371
Match Stats
Home TeamArsenalAway TeamStoke
- Possession
- Home70%
- Away30%
- Shots
- Home24
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home11
- Away2
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away13
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal 3, Stoke City 0.
David Ospina (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Peter Crouch (Stoke City).
Attempt missed. Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan following a corner.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Ryan Shawcross.
Booking
Joe Allen (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Bruno Martins Indi (Stoke City).
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 3, Stoke City 0. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Badou Ndiaye (Stoke City) after a foul in the penalty area.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 2, Stoke City 0. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner following a corner.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Jack Butland.
Attempt saved. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Alexandre Lacazette with a headed pass.
Attempt saved. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal.
Offside, Arsenal. Héctor Bellerín tries a through ball, but Mesut Özil is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Badou Ndiaye (Stoke City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Peter Crouch with a headed pass following a fast break.
Attempt saved. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Granit Xhaka.
Offside, Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey tries a through ball, but Mesut Özil is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Peter Crouch replaces Ramadan Sobhi.
Attempt missed. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Granit Xhaka replaces Mohamed Elneny.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Jack Wilshere.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 1, Stoke City 0. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty Arsenal. Mesut Özil draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Bruno Martins Indi (Stoke City) after a foul in the penalty area.
Attempt saved. Calum Chambers (Arsenal) left footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nacho Monreal.
Attempt missed. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Erik Pieters.
Attempt saved. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a through ball.
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Erik Pieters (Stoke City).
Attempt saved. Saido Berahino (Stoke City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ramadan Sobhi.
Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Nacho Monreal.
Attempt saved. Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Badou Ndiaye.
Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Mohamed Elneny.
Booking
Glen Johnson (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
