Petr Cech content with Stoke City point

The away side probed forward in order to break the deadlock and nearly immediately after the restart they agonisingly came close to doing so from a corner-kick.

The Chilean global has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since November and the return of the ex-Barcelona star and Ozil will only improve Arsenal’s squad for Chelsea fixture.

Arsenal needed Cech again in the 66th minute as he turned a shot from Joselu around the post.

His deft flick teed up Ibrahim Afellay, whose long-range effort flew a yard wide of the target. Aiming to give the visitors the opener Giroud raced into the oppositions box and tried to curl his attempt on goal past Jack Butland which in the end proved futile.

As the Gunners slowly started to get a foothold in the encounter, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s shot on the half-hour mark was tipped over the bar by Butland before the same player’s goal-bound effort deflected off team-mate Laurent Koscielny.

Ramsey whipped in a brilliant corner from the right which found Giroud eight yards from goal.

“When you have the likes of Petr Cech coming in, he just enhances that”.

Stoke rallied in the closing stages and Aaron Ramsey cleared off the line from Jonathan Walters. The team that puts a consistent run together will move away from the rest of the pack, but I don’t think that necessarily means it will be Arsenal or Manchester City.

Hughes was furious when he overheard Wenger brand Stoke’s approach as “very physical” and “very direct”.

Cech saves from Joselu.

Arsene Wenger saluted Arsenal for emerging from another Britannia Stadium battle with a point that lifted them back to the Barclays Premier League summit.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes will be delighted to have seen his men once again cause problems for high-profile opponents. Surely it’s about time the Stoke fans in question had a word with themselves?

The Gunners failed to set alight their title credentials at a perishing Britannia Stadium as tougher tests awaits Arsene Wenger’s men.

Leicester v STOKE, Premier League, Saturday January 23.

“In the second half we had some opportunities but he made some incredible saves”. I think he has given us that confidence at the back. “We did well in the first half and had a chance to go 1-0 up but Jack made a good save. The second half was a battle and we played in the battle”. “We wanted to win but looking at our history here it is a positive result”. I thought I could impact his decision and thankfully I got a block on it.