Soccer-Arsenal hit back to beat Stoke and move top

* Arsenal beat Stoke City 3-1 to move top of the table

* Charlie Adam fired Stoke ahead from the penalty spot

* Theo Walcott levelled for Arsenal after 42 minutes

* Mesut Ozil headed Arsenal in front soon after the interval

* Substitute Alex Iwobi put Arsenal in control

* Arsenal away to Everton next, Stoke host Southampton

LONDON, Dec 10 ( Reuters) - ARSENAL 3 STOKE CITY 1

Dec 10 (Reuters) - Free-scoring Arsenal replaced Chelsea as Premier League leaders as goals either side of halftime by Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil helped them recover from a slow start to beat Stoke City 3-1 on Saturday.

A rash challenge by Granit Xhaka on Joe Allen gave Charlie Adam the chance to put Stoke ahead from the penalty spot after 29 minutes and the Scot dispatched his spot-kick with ease.

Arsenal raised their game and equalised three minutes before the break when Walcott stabbed in Hector Bellerin's low cross.

Ozil's looping header over stranded Stoke keeper Lee Grant put Arsenal ahead five minutes after the interval before substitute Alex Iwobi ran through to give Arsenal the two-goal victory they needed to top the table on goals scored. (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)