Arsenal had to deal with an unexpectedly determined and aggressive adversary at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke came down hard on the Gunners who looked a bit lost at times especially when it came to the attacking part of the team.

Giroud was the most fouled out of Wenger’s players, having to push through despite some pretty hard unpenalised attacks by Charlie Adam and some of his teammates. According to the Daily Mail the match could have easily ended in a draw if not for the referee’s strange decision making pattern.

Even though the game ended without any red cards, the FA is considering analyzing Charlie Adam’s behavior. Stoke’s player should have been eliminated after intentionally stomping on Girou’d leg. The 28 year old Scottish international could have avoided further contact with the Frenchman after Arsenal’s striker fell to the ground. What is even more bizarre is the fact that Adam acted like nothing happened after clearly stepping on the already fouled Gunner.

Intent will be hard to prove despite several clear images being caught by the cameras while the incident went down. Wenger pointed out though that Adam would have moved a different way if one of his teammates would have been on the ground. It is all up to the FA committee now to decide whether Adam will be banned for the next couple of matches or not.