Peter Crouch very nearly spoiled the party for Arsenal in the Gunners’ visit to Stoke on Saturday.
The veteran English striker appeared to use a hand to bring the scoreline back to 2-1 in the second half – before goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud’s second of the game finished the Potters off.
Diego Crouch pulls one back for Stoke.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 13, 2017
#Stoke 1-2 #afc Crouch gets Stoke back into the game but it looks like handball. Wenger went onto the pitch to remonstrate. Players furious.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) May 13, 2017
Crouch, 36, bowed his head to try and contact the ball from Marko Arnautovic’s cross but replays did indicate it was his hand – raised in front of his face – which slotted the ball into Petr Cech’s net.
Understandably perhaps, Arsenal fans weren’t happy.
Crouch's handball is not 'controversial'. It's cheating.
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) May 13, 2017
Clear handball by Crouch. How has that goal stood. Embarrassing ref.
— The Arsenal (@DareToWenger) May 13, 2017
Soon after Crouch’s goal, however, Sanchez confidently slotted home from the edge of the Stoke penalty area.
The game eventually finished 4-1 to the away side and the three points bring the Gunners level to within just one point of fourth placed Liverpool – who travel to West Ham on Sunday. The commanding victory is another grandstand performance by the London club on an away day this season.
4 – Arsenal have scored four or more goals in five away league games in a season for the first time since 1936-37 (also five). Blitz.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 13, 2017
They said Wenger cannot beat Mourinho and win at Stoke away… took him 1 week pic.twitter.com/9jeTYPOkf4
— Arsenal FC (@FFArsenal) May 13, 2017
Despite the performance however, and with a place in the top four not yet out of reach with two games to go, Arsenal fans still made demonstrations in spite of their long term manager Arsene Wenger.
Once again banners with “Wenger Out” blazoned across them were visible in the stands and in the sky flying behind a plane at the match – something Wenger looked up to notice.
Despite a scare from Crouch’s controversial goal, the game was comfortable for Arsenal. Whether Wenger will be sitting comfortably in his position as Arsenal manager at the end of the season, remains to be seen.
