Fired-Up Stoke Can Pile The Pressure on Wenger And Arsenal
STOKE CITY v ARSENAL 15:00; Britannia Stadium (Saturday)
Stoke have only managed one victory in their previous 10 league matches – six defeats and three draws – although that win was over Manchester United. The Potters have not lost to Arsenal in their last three league meetings at the Britannia Stadium and Mark Hughes’ men have taken 21 of their 27 points on home soil.
Peter Crouch has also scored seven Premier League goals against the Gunners, the 33-year-old only more prolific against Blackburn Rovers. Stoke have committed more fouls than any other team in the Premier League and picked up the most cards, including three dismissals and 58 bookings, something Hughes will need to address.
Arsenal bounced back from their Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich with a comprehensive 4-1 demolition of Sunderland. Mesut Ozil was rested for the game after his penalty miss against the Germans, but Arsene Wenger said he will return for the trip to Stoke. The Gunners record signing has struggled to live up to his price tag of late, with Arsenal supporters questioning whether they should have signed the Germany midfielder when they already has Santi Cazorla in his position.
If Arsenal are to suffer their ninth consecutive year without silverware then the decision not to strengthen their attack last summer or in January could prove the most costly, with the Gunners crying out for a world-class striker. The Gunners have won seven and lost only one of their last 10 league meetings with Stoke and have earned 26 points away from home this term, second only to Tottenham.
What to watch out for: Olivier Giroud has scored the opening goal of a game seven times this term, more often than any other player in the division.
Possible line-ups:
Stoke – Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters; Whelan, Adam, Odemwingie, Walters, Arnautovic, Crouch
Arsenal – Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Arteta, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Özil, Giroud
Recent Form: Stoke: LLWDDL; Arsenal: WDWLDW
Prediction: 2-1
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