Stoke City - Arsenal 2:1

After their midweek nightmare against Spurs, Arsenal knew it was imperative to beat Stoke today at the Britannia Stadium - but they also knew the muscular and direct Potters would give them a thoroughly uncomfortable afternoon with their renowned aerial assaults.

And so it proved, the Gunners being unhinged by Rory Delap's long throws and the panic they spread through the Londoners' defence. Delap provided the thrown assists for both Stoke's goals before frustrated Arsenal had Robin van Persie dismissed for a brainless challenge on Thomas Sorensen. Then their most effective player - substitute Theo Walcott - was stretchered off in obvious pain after beating Delap and being brought down with a possibly dislocated shoulder. Arsenal scored from the free-kick but it was scant consolation on an awful afternoon for the Gunners.

The result leaves Arsenal's title challenge in tatters - they have now lost as many matches (three) by the start of November as they lost in the whole of last season.

Arsene Wenger had attempted to counter Stoke's tactics by bringing in some taller players - Alex Song, Abou Diaby and Nicklas Bendtner replaced Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie, though the fact that the three players rested were Arsenal's best performers against Spurs struck an odd note. Meanwhile captain William Gallas was out with a hamstring strain so Kolo Toure came back, and was also given the armband.

For Stoke, there was just one change from the side that beat Sunderland 1-0 in midweek, Amdy Faye replacing Tom Soares.

Anticipating an aerial bombardment is one thing; dealing with it effectively is something else entirely. And Arsenal's worst fears were realised on 11 minutes when Delap launched another prodigious missile from the touchline, Toure failed utterly to deal with it and Ricardo Fuller headed home at the far post - an opening goal that had 'inevitable' written all over it.

Arsenal had enjoyed some decent possession initially, but once Stoke scored they looked distinctly rattled, with Stoke compressing the midfield, the Gunners suddenly tentative and nervous, wanting too many touches on the ball, failing to exploit the space on the flanks without Walcott and Nasri, and struggling for any sort of rhythm to get their normal passing game flowing again.

Too many Arsenal players were looking like they wished they were somewhere else, and they nearly fell two behind on 22 minutes when Manuel Almunia flapped alarmingly at another high ball into the area and Gael Clichy was forced to clear Delap's headed effort off the line.

Stoke, excellent value for their lead, were firmly in their comfort zone for the first 45 minutes, forcing the Gunners to resort to shooting from distance. Diaby fired well wide from 35 yards, Denilson's 25-yard effort was easily fielded by goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, then Arsenal broke down the left and Adebayor shot from just inside the area, sending it over the bar.

The first-half ended with Stoke winning another throw on the left, Delap hurling it in and Clichy heading it out before Faye fired in a long-range shot wide of the post.

As the players trooped off at half-time, with Chelsea and Manchester United both well ahead in their respective games, Wenger knew he faced a huge test of his managerial ability to change the pattern of the game and get his players moving with greater fluency and self-belief.

The Frenchman looked furious as he came out for the second-half, but surprisingly he had not made any substitutions. Yet his team started with more purpose, pressing Stoke back in their own half and winning an early corner which Sorensen punched out. Then Bendtner crossed from the left and Faye had to head clear.

Ten minutes after the break, Shawcross caught Adebayor with a challenge and although the Togo striker was quickly back on his feet, he was soon limping. But the first change saw Wenger send Walcott on for Bacary Sagna.

And with Arsenal looking more like their normal selves, Walcott soon made his presence felt, finding Fabregas who shot wide from 35 yards, then crossing from the right to win a corner off Danny Higginbotham. Toure glanced the Spaniard's flag kick just over. Higginbotham was then booked for fouling Walcott, and Fabregas sent the resultant free-kick dangerously into the box where the excellent Shawcross headed clear.

Walcott again got in behind Higginbotham before Van Persie came on for Denilson, but the vulnerability of Arsenal's position was underlined when Delap flung in another long throw which found its way back out to Salif Diao on the edge of the box. His low shot was goal-bound until Almunia pulled off a superb save at the expense of a corner.

After another challenge from Shawcross, Adebayor had to be replaced by Carlos Vela, but almost immediately, Stoke wrapped up the points when Delap took another throw which Shawcross helped on its way to Seyi Olofinjana at the far post to chest it over the line.

Three minutes after his team conceded the second goal, and only 10 minutes after coming off the bench, Van Persie elbowed Sorensen over and was deservedly sent off for his stupidity.

A Walcott cross from the right into the area was met by a Fabregas header that was comfortably gathered by Sorensen.

And four minutes from time Delap took another throw from the left which Bendtner managed to head clear.

Delap was then beaten by Walcott's pace and was booked for bringing the England player down, but Walcott needed a stretcher as it looked as if his shoulder had popped out. With the Gunners having used all three substitutes, they finished with just nine men - but from the delayed free-kick the ball fell to Clichy outside the box and his shot took two deflections - the last one off Higginbotham - before finding the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Alas for the gutted Gunners, it was too little, too late.

Stoke: Sorensen, Griffin, Abdoulaye Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Amdy Faye, Olofinjana, Diao, Delap, Fuller, Sidibe.
Subs: Simonsen, Whelan, Soares, Cresswell, Kitson, Wilkinson, Sonko.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Clichy, Denilson, Fabregas, Song Billong, Diaby, Adebayor, Bendtner.
Subs: Fabianski, Nasri, Van Persie, Vela, Walcott, Ramsey, Djourou.