LONDON — When Alexis Sánchez blasted goalwards and the Stoke City defensive wall crumbled, this one-sided Arsenal victory was summed up in a heartbeat.
Sánchez watched his free-kick deflect and the goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic, fumble it into the net, off his post, to give the Chile forward his second goal of the afternoon.
It was the latest illustration of Sánchez’s ability to make the difference — he was the star turn yet again and the well of superlatives has long since run dry — but from the Stoke point of view, it showed how weak their resistance was.
They brought a physical approach to the first half, in particular, yet they were unable to stymie Arsenal, who enjoyed a measure of revenge for the 2-3 defeat that they suffered at the Britannia Stadium last month.
—Online
