Arsenal got themselves back to winning ways at Ashburton Grove yesterday. Goals from Andrey Arshavin and Aaron Ramsey were enough to see off Stoke City and restore some of the Gunners' battered pride after a bruising seven days.

The victory was more workmanlike than it was brilliant. Stoke looked the livelier team in the early exchanges but gradually Arsenal imposed themselves on the match. In the 21st minute Cesc Fabregas missed a penalty and supporters began to wonder if it was going to be another one of those days. Five minutes later though, Andrey Arshavin freed himself from the attentions of the Stoke defence, fended off a challenge and hit a slide-rule shot into the far corner to give the Gunners the lead.

With no Eduardo yesterday, Arshavin was played as a lone striker. The diminutive Russian might not look the most obvious man to play such a role but what he lacks in height more than makes up for in movement and intelligent running. Often dropping into the hole and constantly making himself available, he gave the midfield every opportunity to find him and then was either able to turn himself or bring others into the attack. He was involved in everything and most of Arsenal’s best attacking play revolved around him. He took his goal very well indeed and was unfortunate not to have added to it.

Arshavin may not be the long-term solution as "the man up top" in the absence of Robin Van Persie but it was gratifying to see him finally turn in a display that was commensurate with his lofty reputation. Too many times this season he has flitted in and out of matches; only occasionally producing the sort of magic that fans hoped to be seeing on a weekly basis. All players go through periods where they are out of form or off colour but hopefully yesterday was a turning point for the Russian because there is no doubt that he is one of the players who needs to be regularly delivering big performances if Arsenal are to make anything of themselves this season.

Though Stoke didn’t manage to mount a sustained period of pressure in the second half to truly worry the home support, there was always the feeling that a second goal was required to kill the game off. After a couple of near misses and the crossbar being rattled by a deflected Arshavin shot, a purposeful run by substitute Aaron Ramsey in the 80th minute was finished off with a neat strike from the outside of the Welshman’s boot that saw the ball flash past Sorensen into the net and secured the victory for the home team.

It was a great relief to have bagged all three points and Chelsea losing a couple of hours later made it a pretty satisfying day all round. Arsenal still did not look anything like title contenders and, overall, the match was a pretty average spectacle but it was vital that they got themselves a win after the reverses against Sunderland and Chelsea in order to revive the spirits of both the players and the supporters.

On Wednesday, the team travels to Greece to face Olympiacos in the final match of the league phase of the Champions League. With qualification already secure, it seems likely that Wenger will field his Carling Cup team rather than risk injury to any of his more likely first picks. It has to be said that the Gunners' injury list is looking alarmingly long at the moment. With Eduardo not making the starting line-up yesterday and Eboue, Traore and Rosicky all taking knocks, the treatment room at London Colney could well resemble a scene out of MASH tomorrow morning.

Still, Wenger has been giving experience to his second string players in the Carling Cup for just this eventuality. So in the next few weeks, players like Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Carlos Vela could finally see some big opportunities come their way - and it is up to them to take them.

After the trip to Greece, two away games in the North West follow in quick succession as the team travels to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday and then on Wednesday they head to Turf Moor for a clash with Burnley. The Gunners have lost three times away from home already this season and need to show a lot more resilience on the road. With a lengthy injury list and the defeat by Chelsea still smarting, these two games will be stern examinations of the squad’s resources and character but they are tests that need to be passed.