Arsenal scored in the first ten minutes, after Ramsey scored after a juicy rebound given up by Begovic from Ozil’s freekick.
Stoke then responded by exploiting Mertesacker’s lack of pace and a convenient rebound fell to Cameron who put the Potters level.
However Arsenal responded and after a spell of pressure Per Mertesacker headed home a Mesut Ozil corner.
The second half saw Stoke largely control play but create next to nothing. Arsenal scored against the run of play, Sagna heading home a free kick from Ozil in the 72nd minute.
It wasn’t a pretty victory but Arsenal were solid defensively and didn’t appear inclined to slip into second gear, probably due to having played midweek in Marseille.
Szczesny 7. A good game for Szczesny, who had very little to deal with. Wasn’t at fault on the goal.
Sagna 7. A solid game for Bacary who scored a rare goal to seal the victory. Stoke were unable to create much from his side.
Mertesacker 6. His lack of speed was exposed on Stoke’s first goal, but he scored the go-ahead goal later in the half. He was largely safe throughout, but some of his passes and clearances were a little erratic.
Koscielny 7. Good game for Laurent, who largely had an uneventful half and who looked solid throughout.
Gibbs 7. Another good game for Kieran, who played a good defensive game and kept the Potters quiet.
Flamini 7. Did what he does best, covered the defence and broke up Stoke’s play.
Ramsey 7. Another goal (his eighth) and a solid defensive game. Was guilty of a number of giveaways and perhaps is due a short rest.
Wilshere 7. A typical game from Wilshere, lots of being kicked and some retaliatory lunges. Played well at times. He hovers on the edge of having a great game, but things didn’t work out for him.
Ozil 8. My man of the match. Assisted on all three goals, yet you felt he could have delivered even more. You sense he could deliver much more if Arsenal had really taken the game to Stoke.
Gnabry 7. Handed the start when Walcott pulled out before the game. He had a pretty good game, did very well defensively, and was not a liability. A couple of times he hungs onto the ball too long, but experience will cure that.
Giroud 7. Put in a solid shift and will rue the chance he had in the second half when Ozil set him up. His Premier League scoring streak has ended, but he battled hard and was probably the only player keen to try and score the fourth goal.
Substitutes.
Monreal 6. Another twenty minute outing for Nacho. Was able to add some defensive stability as Arsenal sought to see out the victory.
Miyaichi 6. A couple of attacking moves late in the game, one with a long cross. Otherwise he was reduced to playing defence, not his preference.
Arteta 6. A brief outing for Arteta, his first appearance this season following his injury in early August. Looked ready to contribute and helped see out the game.