Arsenal moved up to joint second in the Barclays Premier League after Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud both scored as the Gunners beat Stoke 2-0 at the Emirates yesterday and one can really say the club is back to its winning ways.

Mesut Ozil played a major role in the game’s opening goal, with the German playmaker threading a glorious lofted ball through to Walcott to slot home beyond Jack Butland after 31 minutes.

The Gunners had to wait until the final five minutes of the game to seal the three points, as substitute Olivier Giroud headed in Santi Cazorla’s cross, as Stoke sunk to the bottom of the Premier League.

His strikers were on target and Arsene Wenger enjoyed a sigh of relief as Arsenal recorded their first home win of the campaign. Wenger rarely fails in this fixture, making it 10 out of 10 at home to Stoke.

Walcott’s goal was squeezed past Jack Butland in the first half after a long pass from Mesut Ozil succeeded when more intricate football was failing. Olivier Giroud came on to add the second, heading in a free-kick, five minutes from time.

The opening day defeat by West Ham, when Petr Cech’s new career started so badly, has long been forgotten. Arsenal have since eased towards the top of the Barclays Premier League and yet they remain criminally wasteful in front of goal.

Walcott was the chief culprit, although Giroud screwed wide the best opportunity of the game within seconds of replacing him. It mattered little. Wenger’s defence kept their third successive clean sheet and Stoke, still winless after five games, offered very little threat.

Were it not for Arsenal’s fallibility in front of goal a fabulous display of shot-stopping by goalkeeper Jack Butland, this could have been humiliating for the visitors.

Alexis Sanchez hit the woodwork twice inside the first 10 minutes, the first a header tipped onto the post by Butland, before Walcott stabbed the rebound wide.

The second was a curler with his right-foot after cutting inside from the Arsenal left. Butland also beat out a free-kick from Sanchez and Walcott missed a sitter, heading over from six yards. All inside the first 10 minutes.