As far as players for the big occasion go, Marko Arnautovic fits the bill for Stoke City. The Austrian’s goals in the opening 15 minutes in the Potters’ impressive 2-0 win over Manchester City took his total to five for the season in the England’s top tier. Indeed, Arnautovic’s goals have come at a time when Stoke have needed them most. The 26-year-old has netted the winning goals against Aston Villa and Chelsea and kept his cool to slot past Hugo Lloris in the club’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham back in August, coming back from 2-0 down in the process of securing a point.
After a stop-start beginning to the campaign, Stoke are beginning to rediscover their best form. Victory over City means they have lost just one of their last five league games, that coming at Sunderland following Ryan Shawcross’ red card minutes after the interval. The centre-back’s return from injury has coincided with their much-improved form. His influence has solidified the defence, with Stoke shipping 0.4 goals per game with him compared to 1.2 without.
However, it’s further forward where the Potters are beginning to click. Shawcross’ return was always going to bolster the backline, but in attack; Stoke are realising their potential. The trio of Arnautovic, Ibrahim Afellay and Xherdan Shaqiri started in support of Bojan against Manchester City on Saturday and it was this quartet that wreaked havoc upon the Citizens’ backline in the weekend’s early kick off.
With Bojan occupying Argentine pair Martin Demichelis and Nicolas Otamendi, Arnautovic and Shaqiri were granted the creative freedom to exploit their attacking quality in the final third. While starting on the left and right, respectively, Hughes allowed for the pair to cut inside from the flanks, with Arnautovic maximising this freedom to great effect.
Both of the Austria international’s goals against City came when he ran across Sagna to fire past Joe Hart. It was a similar story against Chelsea and while his winner against the Blues was a more scrappy effort than his brace against City, Hughes has demanded Arnautovic cut inside to offer a more direct offensive threat for the Potters, which the attacker is gladly adhering to. An average of 1.7 shots per game means he boasts a commendable conversion rate of 20.8%, all the better when considering he doesn’t operate from the front in Hughes’ favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
This is also a benefit to Shaqiri, who with a more physical presence in the box, is able to maximise his creative qualities. The Switzerland international churned out his best performance in a Stoke shirt at the weekend, with his two assists contributing to his WhoScored rating of 9.13, enough to land the man of the match award. While not the quickest attacker, his eye for a defence splitting pass is a benefit to Arnautovic, with the latter making late surging runs into the 18-yard box.
It’s certainly a far cry from the Stoke side that established itself as a Premier League team under Tony Pulis following their promotion to England’s top tier. Hughes has moved to alter the philosophy of the previous regime to create a more aesthetically pleasing Stoke side and while it took time to implement, the Potters are beginning to reap the benefits. With the likes of Joselu, Crouch, Walters and Diouf also available, Hughes has plenty of options should his favoured approach struggle to have the desired effect.
However, he opted against reverting to Stoke's former type when the going got tough in the early stages of the season, instead remaining faithful to a system that he feels will take Stoke to the next level. The faith in the system is being repaid on the pitch, with the win over City arguably their best of the campaign.
Arnautovic’s goalscoring form has indeed been a consequence of the change in style, with his second goal against City meaning he has already enjoyed his most prolific campaign to date, despite November only recently turning to December. The win could have been larger having twice struck the woodwork - “We could have easily made it embarrassing (for City) if I’m honest,” Hughes said after the win. Moreover, Shaqiri finally looks to be the player Stoke signed after struggling initially upon his arrival in England, while Bojan and Afellay add a touch of class to the Stoke attack.
In his third year at the Britannia helm, Hughes’ plans certainly appear to be coming to fruition as Stoke take up the mantle as dark horses for a Europa League finish this season.
Has Stoke's attack finally begun realise their potential? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
