Stoke vs Arsenal Player Ratings

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

In an extremely even game, Arsenal had the better of the possession but were unable to make it count, as Stoke sat back and seemed intent on holding out for a draw.

The game was bereft of any clear cut chances, although Olivier Giroud had the best chance to break the deadlock, with the French striker almost catching Begovic out of his goal but his shot was just over the bar.

Here, ESPNSTAR.com takes a look at the players that took to the field at the Brittania stadium.

Arsenal

Vito Mannone - 6.5

The Italian, deputising for the injured Szczesny, was hardly troubled but his distribution was poor throughout.

Carl Jenkinson - 7

The promising defender proved a hard customer to beat and held his flank very well despite the lack of defensive support from the midfielders.

Per Mertesacker - 7

It was apparent Mertesacker was tasked to keep an eye on the gangly Crouch in this game and he managed to get the better of the former England international on several occasions.

Thomas Vermaelen - 7

The Arsenal captain was rock solid at the back for his side. He might not be the tallest player on the pitch but he still managed to win several crucial aerial challenges.

Kieran Gibbs - 7.5

Gibbs had a good game for his side, making numerous important covering tackles and providing width to the attack with his overlapping runs.

Mikel Arteta - 7

The former Everton player is no stranger to the physical side of the game and he was a strong presence in the middle for Arsenal. His passing, while simple, was very effective and he kept his side's play moving fluently.

Abou Diaby - 4

Diaby looked a little lightweight in the middle of the pitch despite his size and was outmuscled off the ball at times. He tended to hold on to the ball for longer than necessary and was guilty of slowing down the game whenever Arsenal tried to increase the tempo.

Santi Cazorla (82' Off) - 8

The Spaniard was arguably the best player for Arsenal in this game. He was once again the creative hub for his side; his passing, vision and ability to retain possession was a joy to behold. He also managed to deal with the physical nature of the game well and Stoke had a hard time trying to get the ball off him.

Gervinho (71' Off) - 5

Gervinho was extremely quiet in this game and did not contribute much in the way of the Arsenal attack. He tried to attempt several dribbles down the flank but most of these attempts ended in failure.

Lukas Podolski (71' Off)- 6.5

The German international put himself about but failed to make a telling contribution to the side. He did not shirk from the physicality of the game and his off-the-ball movement made it hard for the Stoke players to pick him up.

Olivier Giroud - 7

Giroud led the line for the Gunners and did admirably well. He won several headers up front and his link-up play was very good. He still can work on his decision making in the final third but it was promising from last season's Ligue 1 top scorer.

Subs

Theo Walcott (71' On) - 6

Walcott showed some good touches when he came on but was never really allowed to use his pace to great effect. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (71' On) - 6

The Ox was an ever eager presence in midfield for the Gunners and injected some urgency in the Arsenal game when he came on, although he did commit several silly fouls which disrupted the flow of the game.

Aaron Ramsey (82' On) - N/A

Stoke

Asmir Begovic - 6.5

Begovic was the busier of the two keepers but he did well overall to handle whatever the Arsenal forward line could throw at him.

Andy Wilkinson - 6.5

Wilkinson was guilty of losing possession too easily which on several occasions, led to Arsenal launching a counter-attack.

Ryan Shawcross - 7.5

The Stoke captain was reliable when called upon and cut out several dangerous looking crosses. His crunching tackles also made the Arsenal forwards think twice before attempting to dribble past him.

Robert Huth - 7

Huth dominated the aerial challenges but could not handle the pace of the Arsenal attacks, though his reading of the game made it such that he did not need to run much anyway.

Marc Wilson - 7

Wilson did very well to nullify the threat of Gervinho and he timed his challenges very well. He was hardly beaten in one-on-one situations but hardly provided in attack for his side.

Jermaine Pennant (66' Off) - 5.5

Pennant was virtually anonymous in the first half and was kept very quiet by Gibbs on the right.

Geoff Cameron - 6.5

Cameron was extremely tenacious in the tackle and disrupted the Arsenal attack admirably well. His understanding with Whelan in the middle of the pitch made it difficult for the likes of Cazorla and Podolski to make inroads.

Glenn Whelan (81' Off) - 6

Whelan was effective as a shield for his defence but his ball retention in the middle of the park was poor and his passing was often wayward.

Michael Kightly - 6.5

Kightly provided much needed mobility on the ground for a Stoke side which is renowned for playing the ball in the air and managed to test the Arsenal defence on several occasions with his pace.

Jonathan Walters - 6.5

Walters tried to use his pace to test the Arsenal defence and was always on the lookout for Crouch's knockdowns. He did manage to threaten on a few occasions but his final ball was often found wanting. He was also guilty of missing a glorious chance in the closing stages of the game.

Peter Crouch (79' Off) - 7

With his superior height advantage, Crouch did very well to win the headers and held the ball up admirably despite being often left alone upfront.

Subs

Cameron Jerome (66' On) - 7

Jerome looked lively when he came on and the Stoke attack looked more potent when he was on the pitch although he was not given much support upfront.

Ryan Shotton (79' On) - N/A

Wilson Palacios (81' On) - N/A