Arsenal put out a youthful line up, that did include Swiss international Phillippe Senderos, and were technically ahead of the Potters as they passed and moved to their hearts content.
The hosts should have been in front after five minutes but Parton did well after Brazite had been put through on goal. City had to wait for their first opportunity and when in came it should have resulted in the opening goal but Leon Cort, often so prolific with his head, nodded Griffin's free kick wide of the goal.
Diego Arismendi made his second appearance for the reserves and put in another dominating display, earning rave reviews from the ArsenalTV commentators, especially for his first half efforts.
16-year-old keeper David Parton pulled off two stunning saves to keep the Gunners at bay as he, firstly, denied Rhys Murphy, flinging himself to his right after an effort from close range and then getting himself behind a Bartley header to hold onto the effort.
Stoke were struggling to impose themselves on the game, against a side where the majority had played an U18 fixture just 48 hours previous, and the Potters looked rusty, something Tony Pulis may have to consider when he looks to pick his side for the Carling Cup game at home to Blackpool next week.
The second half had barely started when the Gunners took the lead. Murphy controlled a pass inside the Potters area and chipped Parton. The City stopper managed to get his hand to the effort but could only turn and watch the ball drop under the crossbar and into the net, much to the young keepers visual frustration.
This seemed to put an extra skip in the home sides step and Murphy had a chance to grab his second moments later but, after Parton raced out to close the angle, he fired wide with just the keeper to beat. Just before the hour mark Barazite got himself in behind the defence but the alert Shotton came across from right back and made a superb last ditch tackle to nip the ball off the strikers toes as he looked to pick his spot.
Arsenal knocked the ball around like a group of kids, well they are really!, playing football down the park. The Potters did have a couple of late chances, Cresswell involved in both as firstly, he beat the offside trap to race in on goal before a dreadful lack of pace and conviction allowed the defenders to recover and force him to lay the ball off to Danny Pugh. The ex-Manchester United midfielder smashed his 20-yard effort towards goal but had to settle for a corner after brave defending diverted it wide.
The last effort arrived in injury time as a corner dropped inside the six yards box and Cresswell hit it first time. Despite having the whole of the goal to aim at, he struck in towards the area where the goalkeeper had taken position and the stopper hardly had to move to smother the effort.
Louis Moult also went close late on but the keeper expertly managed to gether his effort from close range when a goal seemed sure to arrive
Stoke(4-1-4-1): Parton; Shotton, Griffin(McDonald 85), Cort, Davies(Wedderburn 75); Arismendi; Soares, Dickinson, Pugh, Lund(Moult 69); Cresswell