When you think of Stoke, you might well think of a scrappy 90 minutes of football that ultimately ends with Arsenal suffering injuries or disappointment.
That might be the case down up at the Bet365 stadium, but in actual fact The Potters have failed to record a win in the red section of North London for 35 years.
That’s a stat that didn’t sit well with Mark Hughes during his pre-match press conference, as he assured his side would do everything to beat a Premier League side who haven’t lost since the opening day.
If the Gunners are going to continue their stunning form then a stern test against ninth placed Stoke should be welcomed if they’re going to enter Christmas top of the tree in first place.
Stoke have lost just once in their last nine fixtures which isn’t bad considering their injury concerns, meanwhile Wenger is spoilt for choice when it comes to options for his starting XI.
Team News
Arsenal
Despite returning to training ahead of schedule, Arsene Wenger is in no rush to throw Hector Bellerin back into the starting XI due to Gabriel featuring so well as a replacement.
Bellerin will receive a late fitness test and should be back for Tuesday’s game against Everton, meanwhile Olivier Giroud is fully fit after missing the trip to West Ham last week.
Wenger could face a selection dilemna at the heart of midfield, but is likely to return to the partnership of Coquelin/Xhaka after the Frenchman sat out of the 4-1 win over Basel.
Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck are looking good in training and will spend the majority of the month returning to full match fitness, with spells in the Under-23 side scheduled.
Arsenal Absentees: D. Welbeck (match fitness), P. Mertesacker (match fitness), M. Debuchy (hamstring), S. Cazorla (ankle), H. Bellerin (doubt) C. Akpom (back)
Stoke City
It’s good and bad news for Mark Hughes at the moment, but he’ll take great confidence in welcoming back a key duo for the trip to North London.
Both Marko Arnautovic and Bruno Martins Indi will be available from the off after shaking off knocks, giving him plenty of experience in both ends of the starting XI.
The unpopular figure to many Arsenal supporters in Ryan Shawcross will have to sit out of this one, meaning Marc Muniesa will complete the defensive partnership.
Geoff Cameron’s lengthy injury is still difficult to figure out when he’ll return, so Hughes will have little choice in his striking options with Ibrahim Afellay also injured.
Stoke Absentees: G. Cameron, I. Afellay, P. Bardsley, J. Butland, S. Ireland, R. Shawcross
One’s To Watch
Arsenal – Alexis Sanchez
What more do I really need to say when it comes to this guy? His transformation into a centre forward has been one of the greatest things to come out of this season.
Following on from his 15 minute hat-trick against West Ham last weekend, many would think the Chilean would take a rest during the trip to Basel on Tuesday night.
However, Wenger played him from the off and inside the 70 minutes he played a part in a great deal of Arsenal’s attacking play, despite not finding himself on the scoresheet.
He’s the first name on the team sheet at the moment and we need him to carry on this form in order to make December a successful month when it comes to mounting a title charge.
Stoke City – Joe Allen
He’s had his fair share of criticism during his career but Joe Allen is really finding his feet this year, as proven by making the Euro 2016 Team of the Tournament.
His midfield runs and ability to play football in tight spaces likens him to Santi Cazorla, and he’ll want to cause problems for an Arsenal midfield partnership that has made mistakes in the past.
As well as being the orchestrator of their attacks, Allen has bagged four goals for The Potters so far this season and is playing with confidence in that attacking midfield role.
If there’s a loose ball in the box get ready for this guy to pounce on it; Arsenal must ensure they don’t underestimate this guy’s ability when it comes to snatching a chance.
Likely Line-Ups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech, Gabriel, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Xhaka, Walcott, Ozil, The Ox, Alexis
Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Grant, Johnson, Muniesa, Martins Indi, Pieters, Adam, Imbula, Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic, Walters
Prediction: Arsenal 2 – 0 Stoke City
Much like the result of last season, I’m going with a straightforward win for the Gunners on Saturday afternoon due to their run of form giving them so much confidence at the Emirates.
The added pressure of having competition in each position is making every single player improve their game, and behind a crowd of 60,000 it can only get better for Wenger’s men.
Stoke have never been one to take a game against Arsenal lightly though, and much like Bournemouth we should expect to see a side trying to break us down by playing us out our own game.
This will also be a physical battle between the two, but with Arsenal’s chance to go top of the table for the first time since October, I can’t see them throwing anything away.
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