Arsenal hauled themselves back into the Premier League title race with a 3-1 win at Stoke that was marred by a horrific injury to Aaron Ramsey.
Chelsea's defeat to Manchester City and Manchester United's inactivity presented the Gunners with an opportunity to gain ground in the title race, a chance they seized by scoring two late goals to a earn victory at the Britannia Stadium that takes them to within three points of the Blues.
Chelsea's defeat to Manchester City and Manchester United's inactivity presented the Gunners with an opportunity to gain ground in the title race, a chance they seized by scoring two late goals to a earn victory at the Britannia Stadium that takes them to within three points of the Blues.
Ramsey's horrific-looking injury however soured the triumph, with the midfielder stretchered off in the second half after a tackle that earned Ryan Shawcross a red card.
Stoke opened the scoring early on through Danny Pugh but Niklas Bendtner dragged the Gunners level just after the half-hour mark.
A draw looked on the cards after Ramsey's injury, but Cesc Fabregas scored a late penalty and Thomas Vermaelen netted in the seven minutes of added time to give the visitors a hard-earned and deserved win.
The Gunners started poorly and were behind on eight minutes.
Rory Delap's long throws have lead to three goals for the Potters in the Gunners' last two visits to the Britannia, but Wenger's side clearly have not learned their lesson as it was from another of the midfielder's hurled deliveries that the hosts opened the scoring.
Shawcross met Delap's missile with a flick-on that found Pugh at the far post, who nodded home his first Premier League goal of the season from close range with the Gunners defence nowhere to be seen
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Arsenal struggled to contain their hosts early on but slowly they found their way into the game, with Bendtner hauling them level on 32 minutes.
Arsenal struggled to contain their hosts early on but slowly they found their way into the game, with Bendtner hauling them level on 32 minutes.
Fabregas was afforded the time and space on the right to swing in a cross, but despite there appearing to be little panic in the Potters' defence, Bendtner climbed above Abdoulaye Faye and Shawcross to plant a superb header back across Thomas Sorensen, who was given no chance by the Danish striker.
Ramsey thought he should have had a penalty shortly after the break when he was bundled over by Faye in the Stoke box, while Emmanuel Eboue's blistering 20-yard drive on the hour had to be diverted over the bar by Sorensen as the Gunners went looking for the second.
Ramsey's sickening injury and Shawcross' red card came in the 66th minute. The Welshman was left stricken on the floor following the Stoke defender's misjudged challenge, and with the other players in the vicinity visibly distressed by the result of the tackle, ref Peter Walton produced a red card. Shawcross left the field in tears, followed soon after by Ramsey on a stretcher, who was given oxygen on his way to a waiting ambulance.
The game looked to be understandably petering out until Pugh was penalised for a handball in the box in the 90th minute.
Fabregas stepped up and slotted the ball low past Sorensen, to spark scenes of jubilation in front of the visiting support. Those scenes were repeated three minutes later when Vermaelen poked home from close range to seal the victory.
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