Pugh 8       Bendtner 32

                                                                                                              Fabregas 90 + 1 (pen)

                                                                                                              Vermaelen 90 + 4

Three points now separate the EPL’s top-three after Arsenal overcame recent nemesis Stoke City with two stoppage time goals.

But the cause of that stoppage overshadowed the match as 19-year-old Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey was taken to hospital twenty minutes from time after his lower leg crumpled under a strong challenge by fellow 19-year-old Ryan Shawcross.

The tackle merited the red card it received, but despite Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s disappointing attempts to suggest otherwise, there was no malice on the clearly upset Stoke player’s part.

Arsenal not only recovered from the incident, which happened when the score was 1-1, but also came from a goal down.

They fell behind on eight minutes when Danny Pugh stooped to head home from close range after a Rory Delap long-throw was headed into his path by Shawcross.

Arsenal equalised on 32 minutes, Nicklas Bendtner heading home Cesc Fabregas’s fine right-wing cross.

And they took the lead against Stoke’s ten men on 91 minutes, Cesc Fabregas converting a penalty after Pugh had handled a pass by Bendtner.

Thomas Vermaelen made it 3-1 three minutes later, stabbing home Fabregas’s pass from close range after Thomas Sorensen had parried Tomas Rosicky’s shot into the Spaniard’s path.