- Controversial PK converted by Aubameyang
- Gabonese striker completes brace, 86'
- Lacazette scores second Gunners PK
- Stoke remains in drop zone
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a 75th minute penalty kick and then belted home an emphatic insurance goal as Arsenal beat Stoke City 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Alexandre Lacazette also scored a penalty kick for the Gunners.
The win gives Arsenal 51 points, five more than seventh place Burnley and five less than fifth place Chelsea.
Stoke remains 19th, three points back of 17th place Crystal Palace.
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Xherdan Shaqiri threatened from the top of the 18 yard box, but curled his shot across the goal and outside the far post.
For Arsenal, it was all going through an active and armband-wearing Jack Wilshere. He cued up Aaron Ramsey for a blocked shot int he 29th minute. The corner came to nothing.
The second half saw Arsenal find better form as the match neared the hour mark, and Nacho Monreal forced Jack Butland into a low collection.
Shaqiri swept a shot into the arms of David Ospina with 23 minutes to play. The Swiss attacker struck the post with a corner kick moments later.
At the other end, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Alexandre Lacazette in having in-tight shots blocked by the Stoke defense.
Arsenal won its penalty with controversy, as Bruno Martins Indi pushed the ball away from Mesut Ozil before the German hit the deck. It wasn’t a dive, but the referee had a rough angle and awarded a penalty that Aubameyang converted for 1-0.
Badou Ndiaye tried his luck from just outside the arc but swirled the ball around the post in the 82nd.
Butland made another pair of stops in the 85th, but Aubameyang scored off the ensuing corner to salt away all three points.
Stoke gave away another penalty when Ndiaye shouldered Lacazette to the turf in the 88th. Aubameyang deferred to Lacazette for the PK.
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7 - Arsenal have made seven changes to their starting XI against Stoke; more than in any Premier League game since January 1st 2011 (8 v Birmingham). Rotation. pic.twitter.com/kQf0S7aC5t
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 1, 2018
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