Fulham had one stroppy striker upfront on his own, and in Marko Arnautovic Stoke had their own enigmatic forward. By and large, the summer signing from Werder Bremen epitomised Stoke's struggles, where apart from corners the visitors did not trouble David Stockdale in the Fulham goal. The Austrian had plenty of shots from distance and showed some good link up play, but did not look like getting a goal. Both teams lacked a penalty box presence, and while Stoke played the better football and did at least have the willing Jon Walters running in behind, there was a distinct lack of quality in the penalty box. That was until a true striker was brought on to the pitch. While Berbatov and Arnautovic would no doubt have finished as well as Darren Bent after the ball deflected into his path, it is doubtful that the duo would have been in such a position to take advantage of lady luck. Bent can be anonymous, but the idea of playing him and Berbatov together makes sense, and if given the service he will get goals. How thankful Jol must have been for the Englishman's late impact one can only wonder.
