We’re back in Premier League action on Saturday as we head to the bet365 Stadium for our yearly grudge match against Stoke City.
Our record on the road against the Potters isn’t the best - just one win in our last seven league games there - but that came last time out when we beat them 4-1 in May.
Our pre-match briefing has classic goal clips, an exclusive chat with Arsene Wenger, match facts and a chance to have your say on who should start up front.
ONE TO WATCH: OLIVIER GIROUD
Wenger says…
He is a winner, he has a special mentality as well - he is a guy who is very strong mentally. He is a top-class player as well and all that together makes him efficient. I must say when you are in a fight you always want him on your side. He has that mental strength when you are under pressure, you know you can rely on him. That is a very special quality that is very difficult to have.
I have a deep respect as well for him, because we speak today about the mercenaries, and people who don’t give importance to the clubs or the shirt but he is one guy who really loves the club. He doesn’t talk much about it, he does it - he transforms it into facts and he has shown that again this season.
[His 99 goals] is an incredible return. You don’t see it like that when you sign the player, but what you want is for him to be efficient and be good value for the club and nobody would dispute that he has been an incredible signing.
TEAM NEWS:
ARSENAL: Alexis (abdomen), Gabriel (knee), Cazorla (plantaris)
STOKE CITY: Ngoy (thigh), Afellay (knee), Ireland (leg)
MAN IN FORM: AARON RAMSEY
Wenger says…
He has matured a lot and he scored a great goal against Leicester. The quality of his first touch, the way he controlled the ball and the way he finished, his game is very clean now. He still gets chances in the box now of course, but before sometimes he was in dangerous situations but couldn’t finish. But in the last six months he has highly improved at that. He is a guy who can get a number of goals.
Scoring the winner in two Emirates FA Cup finals helps him to know he had a positive impact. When you are a player, you want to be rated by your peers and especially in the dressing room and that [achievement] gives you credibility and belief that you are on the right way and do things in the right way, and also gives you confidence.
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