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Talking points from Arsenal's crucial Premier League win at Stoke

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - MAY 13: during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Arsenal at Bet365 Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Stoke
Image: Arsenal's top-four hopes are still alive after their rare win at Stoke

Arsenal pulled off an impressive and important 4-1 win at Stoke on Saturday.

An Olivier Giroud double and goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez secured a rare win against the Potters and boosted the north Londoners hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

From 'special' Sanchez to 'clever' Peter Crouch, we round up the talking points from Arsenal's victory...

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Gunners stay in top-four race

Could Arsenal pull off another great escape and salvage a top-four spot? They certainly have the form, going into the final week of the season, having won their last three games, including this resounding 4-1 win at Stoke.

The result, following Manchester City's nervy 2-1 win over Leicester earlier on Saturday, shifted the pressure on to Liverpool, who responded with a win at West Ham on Super Sunday.

Regardless of the outcome at the London Stadium, Arsenal need to deliver points again in their midweek home match against relegated Sunderland before their season finale against Everton, which is also at the Emirates Stadium.

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City will be confident of sealing their Champions League qualifying spot, with West Brom and Watford on their fixture list, while Liverpool's final match will be against another side already confirmed to be playing in the Championship next year, Middlesbrough.

The race for the top four is going to be tight and it's going to go down to the wire. But Arsenal are still in contention. "Let's do the job and see after what happens," said boss Arsene Wenger. "We have 69 points, let's go to 72 on Tuesday."

Determined Sanchez stars again

A top-four finish and an FA Cup win later this month - despite all the frustrations of the season - would, ultimately, be a successful campaign for Arsene Wenger's side. If they can pull off that double then Sanchez will be remembered as the prime driving force behind the achievement.

Sanchez's goal involvements

Alexis Sanchez has more goal involvements this season (21 goals and 10 assists) than any other Premier League player

The Chile international, the north Londoners' top scorer this season with 21 goals, collected another man-of-the-match award at Stoke after producing a superb pass to tee up Mesut Ozil and scoring a goal which summed up his single-minded determination to drag this Arsenal team towards success.

Alexis is special, not only because of his special talent but he finds always the resources. He's a fighter and he showed that today.
Arsene Wenger on Alexis Sanchez

In his typically theatrical way, Sanchez made clear he had a thigh problem after a clash with Bruno Martins Indi but, with Wenger set to substitute his talisman, the 28-year-old made one last effort, drove towards Stoke's goal and fired in the visitors' third - his 50th Premier League goal for the club.

"What an amazing player," said Sky Sports co-commenter Alan Smith. "He's a freak of nature this boy. You just didn't think he had it in him. The desire week-in, week-out; every single match he's up for the fight."

Hand of Crouch

Peter Crouch has now scored nine times against Arsenal, the most he's netted against any Premier League team, but the Stoke striker used a helping hand for his strike on Saturday. "It was a very dodgy goal," said Wenger afterwards.

The 6ft 7in former England international has scored more headers (49) than any other Premier League player and his introduction on the hour mark saw Stoke shift their approach to an aerial bombardment of the Arsenal penalty box.

Peter Crouch uses his arm to score against Arsenal
Image: Peter Crouch used his arm to score against Arsenal

The visiting defence were rattled by the tactics shift, with Nacho Monreal doing well to fend off one well-placed cross before Martins Indi drew a smart save from Petr Cech. But Arsenal could only keep Stoke at bay for so long and Crouch was the man to make the breakthrough.

On first glance, Crouch looked to have headed in Marko Arnautovic's pacey cross. That's the view the officials took - although on closer inspection, the substitute had actually used his hand to divert the ball in.

"When it's slowed down, it's an obvious handball," said Sky Sports pundit Alan Pardew, who reckoned Crouch's reaction to the goal convinced the officials to allow it. "He's clever Crouchey, he shows no guilt when he runs away and that's just experience!"

Arsenal buck trend at Stoke

Regardless of Crouch's method, with Stoke back in the game at 2-1, Arsenal's resolve was put to the test. They passed the examination and finished with a flourish to secure a rare win at this stadium.

Olivier Giroud celebrates with Nacho Monreal after scoring the opening goal
Image: Olivier Giroud celebrates with Nacho Monreal after scoring the opening goal

Stoke had only lost one of their eight home Premier League games against Arsenal before Saturday but there was no sign in the first half of the physical, aerial assaults which so often undo Arsenal in the Potteries. Indeed, it wasn't until Crouch's introduction that Stoke troubled their visitors at all.

At the other end, Arsenal had failed to score in three of their last four Premier League visits to Stoke, but cut through their hosts impressively, with the link up play between Sanchez and Ozil and then Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud for the second and fourth goals proving far too slick for the Stoke defence.

Out means out

Despite Arsenal's end of season surge to try to salvage a top-four spot, the Wenger Out camp made their presence felt at the bet365 Stadium, flying a banner over the ground midway through the first half.

Wenger out banner flown over Stoke
Image: There was a 'Wenger out' banner flown over Stoke's stadium on Saturday

The banner read 'Wenger - out means out' but the Frenchman took the applause from Arsenal's travelling support at the end of the game and the focus of the manager and the team clearly remains on the task in hand. Wenger still has an opportunity to deliver success this season.

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