LONDON: Both Stoke City and Arsenal remained in search of their first Premier League win of the season after a goalless draw at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday.
A share of the spoils left Stoke 11th and Arsenal 12th in the table, after they had each played two league games.
The Gunners had the best of the chances but, in the absence of star striker Robin van Persie – sold to Manchester United – they failed to find the back of the net in a second successive goalless draw.
“It is not good enough,” Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta told a TV channel.
“We had some really good chances but at the moment we are not taking them. The same thing happened last week.”
But whereas Stoke have sometimes bullied Arsenal at the Britannia, the Gunners stood up to the hosts’ physical threat on Sunday.
“You know if you concede fouls and throw-ins, they can put you in trouble because they get the ball in the box and are really organised at set pieces,” Arteta added.
“We didn’t concede many chances and were well organised.”
Meanwhile, Arteta said it was just a matter of time before new Arsenal signings Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski became fully integrated into the Londoners’ set-up.
“We need three, four, five games together… They have the quality.”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was pleased by his side’s defensive performance but said he was looking to bring in more players before Friday’s transfer deadline.
“Our back four did well, our goalkeeper did well,” he said. “They (Stoke) are a handful for anyone that comes here.
“I’m pleased with what I have, but yes, I anticipate that we will do something still. We are still in the market. Defensive midfielder, it depends on the quality of the players available.”
The Frenchman’s Stoke counterpart, Tony Pulis, said: “It was a good result, (but) there are things we are not happy with and can do better. (AFP)
