Arsenal will be hoping to bounce back from their midweek disappointment at the first attempt when they face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. This season Arsenal.com will be identifying the key battles for the game. We will bring you all the statistics and information a fan could need so swot up now and come Saturday you will be impressing anyone who will listen with your new-found knowledge.
Rory Delap v Bacary Sagna
Bacary Sagna will come to face-to-face with Stoke’s not-so-secret weapon on Saturday. It is Rory Delap’s hands, rather than his feet, that have hit the headlines this season as the midfielder’s long throws have helped him register three assists so far. Sagna’s pass completion rate is superior to that of Delap but he has won just one of his five tackles. The Republic of Ireland international has already notched against a North London club this term when he hit the winning goal against Tottenham earlier in the month.
| Rory Delap | Bacary Sagna | |
| Appearances | 9 | 9 |
| Minutes | 794 | 720 |
| Assists | 3 | 0 |
| Unsuccessful crosses | 4 | 15 |
| Successful crosses | 1 | 0 |
| Successful dribbles | 1 | 2 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 4 | 1 |
| Goals scored | 1 | 0 |
| Passes completed | 35 | 34 |
| Passes not completed | 28 | 16 |
| Tackles lost | 4 | 4 |
| Tackles won | 8 | 1 |
Ricardo Fuller v Kolo Toure
In the absence of William Gallas, Kolo Toure could captain the Gunners at the Britannia Stadium and he will have to be at his best to keep Ricardo Fuller quiet. The big Jamaican has been the figurehead of Stoke’s solid early Premier League form, hitting four goals in his 10 appearances. Toure has been the more accurate with his passing and has won four of the five tackles he has made.
| Ricardo Fuller | Kolo Toure | |
| Appearances | 10 | 8 |
| Minutes | 630 | 591 |
| Clearances | 0 | 10 |
| Fouls | 18 | 2 |
| Goals scored |
4 | 0 |
| Offsides | 4 | 1 |
| Passes completed | 27 | 31 |
| Passes not completed | 24 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 10 | 5 |
| Shots off target | 10 | 3 |
| Tackles lost | 1 | 1 |
| Tackles won | 0 | 4 |
Andy Griffin v Samir Nasri
It is no surprise that the return of Samir Nasri has coincided with Arsenal’s run of good form. The Frenchman has offered the Gunners vital width on the left-hand side and has pitched in with two goals from midfield. The Frenchman faces veteran full-back Andy Griffin on Saturday who is part of the Premier League’s second-leakiest defence. A total of 14 clearances and six completed tackles are testament to Griffin’s ‘no nonsense’ style and he will be taking no prisoners at the Britannia.
| Andy Griffin | Samir Nasri | |
| Appearances | 10 | 7 |
| Minutes | 900 | 526 |
| Clearances | 14 | 0 |
| Goals scored | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 13 | 1 |
| Passes completed | 41 | 24 |
| Passes not completed | 40 | 10 |
| Shots off target | 1 | 0 |
| Shots on target | 0 | 12 |
| Tackles lost | 3 | 2 |
| Tackles won | 6 | 1 |
| Assists | 0 | 1 |
