WHAT HAPPENED
After beating Burnley and Swansea City in our opening two games of the Premier League Cup group stages, we had to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw with Stoke City at Meadow Park on Saturday afternoon.
Mehmet Ali made 10 changes from the side that beat Monaco 2-1 in the Premier League International Cup, with Zach Awe the only starter to play in our midweek win.
We started on the front foot and were inches away from taking the lead early on, but George Lewis placed his effort just wide of the post after a threaded-through ball from Ethan Nwaneri.
We were causing all sorts of problems for the visitors and had another good opportunity to take the lead, but nobody could connect with Bradley Ibrahim’s teasing cross.
Shortly after, the pressure finally paid off when captivating footwork from Kido Taylor-Hart in the centre of midfield ended in a perfectly weighted pass for Joel Ideho, who was brought down with the goal at his mercy.
Khayon Edwards stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to give us a deserved lead and score his third goal of the season.
Despite our dominance, Stoke equalised against the run of play just after the half-hour mark when Nwaneri’s loose pass was intercepted and Emre Tezgel fired in past James Hillson to bring the away side level.
The game became stretched in the second half with Hillson forced into a number of good saves to keep the scores level.
Our best chance of the second half came when Taylor-Hart’s low cross almost deflected in off a Stoke player for an own goal.
The game ended level and also on a sour note for us, as Edwards was stretchered off with an injury in the final moments.
WHAT WAS SAID
After the match, Ali cited our effort and application in the first half as the traits that impressed him the most.
"I was proud with the boys in the first half, we moved the ball well, created chances and the young team that we had out really embraced the challenge against a tough Stoke City team.”
Taylor-Hart, who was instrumental in winning our first-half penalty, was also impressed with the fast start we made to the match.
“I think we started off the game well, it took us a bit of time to get going but once we did, we were causing them a lot of problems.”
WHAT IT MEANS
We remain top of Group G in the Premier League Cup on seven points after three games played.
WHAT'S NEXT
We face Stevenage in the Papa John’s Trophy second round on Tuesday, November 22.
Kick-off at Broadhall Way is at 7pm (UK time).
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal: Hillson, Robinson (Walters, 62) Kacurri, Awe (Monlouis, 62), Lewis-Skelly, Ibrahim, Taylor-Hart, Nwaneri, Lewis (Bandeira, 62), Ideho, Edwards (Vigar, 89)
Substitutes not used: Rojas
Stoke City: Simkin, Reddin, Adebambo, Roney, Baker, McCarron, Malone, Kershaw, Sparrow, Lowe, Tezgel
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