Arsenal have struggled to banish the Stoke hoodoo in recent seasons, at least until now.

Tough to break down, a very physical side with plenty of counter-attacking dangermen in their ranks, it’s understandable that the Potters have often got the better of us. That’s without mentioning their threat from set-pieces, either.

However this season, individual brilliance and a collective effort proved decisive in helping collect six points out of a possible six against Mark Hughes’ side.

This couldn’t have been possible without resilience and dogged determination though, which hasn’t been on display too often this term.

Charlie Adam’s penalty after half-an-hour at the Emirates silenced supporters after Xhaka was penalised for an elbow on Joe Allen. Refusing to be beaten though, up stepped the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Bellerín and Alexis, creating chances with regularity to the point where Stoke’s backline could no longer handle pressure.

Away from home, a similar story.

Özil and Sanchez’s partnership grew stronger despite a battle at the Britannia despite Peter Crouch’s dubious finish sparking hope amongst Stoke supporters that they could turn the game around.

They were wrong, and Arsenal’s combination play clicked in all the right areas as Stoke found themselves chasing shadows for sustained periods of the match.

Xhaka’s excellent passing, probing runs from Ramsey and Bellerín – who created both goals for Giroud – whilst the Duracell bunny Alexis himself was ever-present, even when he signalled to the bench for a substitution after sustaining an awkward knock that did not warrant further risk.

This season will be looked back with frustration and rightly so, because Arsenal have displayed their quality but far too infrequently to justify more than a half-hearted title challenge.

If only they could play like this every week…