Memories of last seasons capitulation were all too fresh in my mind before this game, coupled with the fact Arsenal would be going all out for a win, so all in all I was probably not too disheartened by the final score.

Pulis did the unthinkable and actually started Tuncay (though most likely down to wanting Ric available for the more winnable Wigan game) who played alongside the much maligned Sidibe. Having seen how Arsenal crumbled under the powerful and physical play of Chelsea and to a lesser extent Sunderland and Man City, I was happy with the team put out, and like all Stokies, was eager to see what the man Tunny could do.

Stoke indeed rode their luck and on another day could have lost by 4 or 5 but the team selection as well as intended approach to the game (actually attempting to retain the ball) have to be applauded, at the end of the day, it’s not all about Stoke, we came up against a very talented and determined Top 4 side and to be in it still so late on before Ramsey’s decider was good to see – that’s not to say I don’t have opinions on certain things though ;)

Player Ratings

Sorensen – 9 (Man of the Match) - An excellent game from the City Stopper, saved yet another Penalty (that’s now 4 out of 5!) following Delap’s clumsy challenge (that's now 2 in 2!). Perhaps he might also be feeling a bit of pressure with the news that Stoke are looking at understudies who may well be able to challenge better than the current incumbent Simonsen. Man of the Match performance Tommy, keep it up.

Wilkinson – 7.5 – Wilko had a steady enough game, positionally away from home he often gets caught ball watching and not having Shawcross next to him he was again guilty of not stepping up with the defence on more than one occasion, but a typical gutsy performance including some nice crunching tackles thrown in. Has made the Right Back spot his own.

Faye – 6.5 – Who are you and what have you done with the real Faye? Another poor performance from our Captain Fantastic (circa.2008/2009) His form is becoming a real concern now and in my eyes should have stopped Arshavin for the first goal, yes the dinky Russian slipped Huth (again) but Faye had the opportunity to run across thim but instead jogged slowly towards the goal watching Wilko trying to win the ball from the wrong side…disappointing.

Huth – 6 – Very poor game from the ‘Berlin Wall’. Arshavin had a field day and Huth’s penchant for nipping in front of the attacker to get the ball was his downfall on a number of occasions and had Tommy not been on such good form he would have been scrutinised even further - was to blame for the second goal in my humble opinion with another such attempt..

Collins – 7.5 – A good game for Danny who seems to be getting better and better with each passing game, always composed and starting to take up some better defensive positions as well as being nicely vocal with his defensive colleagues – keep it up!

Lawrence – 6.5 – After a great performance against Blackburn, Lawrence had a harder game this week, most likely to do with having to help Wilko stifle the attacking impetus down the left from Traore. We know Liam isn’t quick and the lack of forward momentum meant the move often broke down when the ball actually arrived at his feet

Delap – 6 – I was happy when I saw Delap’s name back in the middle and whilst he worked hard, I think he is just starting to lose his focus and is getting sloppy, another horrendous penalty given away and another one spared further blushes by Tommy. Time for Whelan?

Diao – 8 – A good day for Diao, he either has games like this or stinkers and this was fortunately one of his better games. Again broke the play up well and had the better of Fabregas in a couple of toe to toe exchanges, a fully fit and consistent Diao is priceless in our system – can he stay fit for the rest of the season though?

Etherington – 7.5 – A hard game for Matty to get into, came up against a very good player in Sagna and without the support of the midfield and Fuller seemed to struggle. I have no doubt he will be back to his excellent self in time for the Wigan game. Special mention has to go to a most brilliant run, when faced with no support taking on 3 Arsenal players and nutmegging one in the process.

Sidibe – 6.5 – Not big Mama’s best game, I can see why he was picked but he didn’t really rough up the opposition and found himself competing for balls with Tuncay who kept dropping deep, leaving him with little in front of him. I think TP knows he can trust Mama, but also that he wants a replacement who can bring to the table what Mama does with the added bonus of a few goals.

Tuncay – 7.5 – What can I say, with so much expected of the little Turk you could see he was so desperate to impress. He seemed to chase down many lost causes and showed glimpses of brilliance in his touches but wasn’t really showing the discipline to the shape given the role he was asked to perform. As mentioned above he found himself wandering deep to get the ball and even jumped for the same balls as Mama more than once!! My main crtiticism of him though was his offside count, I understand he makes very clever runs and so it is a possibility he will get flagged but he seemed to get a flag every 7 or 8 mins or so, half of which just seemed to be because he wasn’t sharp enough to see what was going on around him. To be fair though, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he would fare better with 3 or 4 more games under his belt – the question is, will he get them? Unlikely to retain his place given Fuller is ready to come back in, but a useful 90 mins under his belt and news of Beattie’s falling out with the Manager will only push him closer to the first XI, will Pulis perform a U Turn and actually give Tuncay and Fuller a start together? One other positive was that he looked more comfortable when he moved out to the right of midfield and linked up well with those inside him with some nice looking give and go’s, though whether he remains a better long term prospect for that position over Liam remains to be seen.

Substitutes

Beattie – 6 – Just hasn’t looked at the races and was surprised to see him come on given he is supposed to be resting up due to his various injuries. Still offering very little up front and has very poor mobility, should rumours of his spat with the Manager prove to be truthful then I can’t say I would be too concerned at seeing him leave in the January Transfer Window. He did brilliantly for us last season but at his age, on his wages a move onwards would perhaps be the best move for the club at this point.

Fuller - 7.5 - We missed Fuller and it's clear that he is the key to our system, when he doesn't play we really struggle to put together consistent and meaningful attacks. Showed how much we missed him in his 15 minute cameo here as we tried to get back into the game, the ball sticking to his feet and giving the midfield (including Tunny) time to get up to join him. Expect to see him back nice and fresh in the starting line up on Saturday.

Whelan – 7 – Looked useful for the short time he was on and used the ball well, I would like to see Whelan alongside a fit Diao in the middle given Rory’s poor form of late, I’m just not sure Pulis has the same faith in him, especially with Whitehead coming back into contention who seems to be a true Pulis favourite.

Manager Rating – 8.5 – Made the right decisions with his team selection, persisted in keeping Tuncay on the pitch, instead taking off Mama for Beattie, which to me shows a willingness to experiment, something most would expect him not to do. Made the right decisions at the right time, it will be interesting to see what team lines up against Wigan though. I expect him to bring back Whitehead alongside Diao and start Fuller back up top with Sidibe – though I just have a sneaky, sneaky suspicion Pulis might surprise us all and start Tunny alongside Ric though the thought is so fanciful I'm loathed to even suggest it…

...it would be nice though