Stoke boss Mark Hughes will be looking for his side to continue their good home record against Arsenal this afternoon
Arsenal faces a tough trip to Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium this afternoon.
The Gunners have won on just one occasion at the Britannia, which came back in December 2010. They have lost two games and drawn two since then.
Form
However, they travel to a Stoke team that have suffered three consecutive defeats and dropped to 13th place in the Premier League table.
That poor run of form means the Potters are just three points above the Premier League drop zone, which will be concerning to their fans.
In contrast Arsenal have been in decent form winning their last three games in all competitions and keeping three clean sheets in the process.
That turnaround in fortunes has slightly taken the pressure off under-fire Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
A victory in the Potteries could take the side from north London back into the top four of the Premier League, if results go their way of course.
Change
Stoke boss Mark Hughes has attempted to change the style of football at Stoke. Under former-boss Tony Pulis they were regarded as a very direct team, who would be very physical in their approach.
Hughes has tried to be more expansive with the team in the last season and a half, which has had mixed results so far.
Physical
No matter how Hughes attempts to change the team’s style of play there will still be players at the club who buy into that physical style and who will always make life difficult for opponents, legally or illegally.
One of those players is centre-back Ryan Shawcross, who divides opinion amongst football fans. Some believe he is just a glorified thug, while others would just describe him as a no-nonsense centre-back.
Either way he is the player that seems to be the most physical in the Stoke side. For good or for bad Shawcross become synonymous with Tony Pulis’ Stoke. He almost seemed to be the poster boy of the way the Potters played under the Welshman.
Despite Hughes wanting to change the style of play at Stoke, the team will still offer a physical challenge to any opponent, especially on their home turf.
Reliable
Arsenal’s defensive abilities have been questioned not only this season, but for the last few seasons. The lack of a top quality defensive midfielder was attributed as one of the causes and tactical naivety another one.
However, in the last three games the Gunners have kept three clean sheets. In all three young Argentinian keeper Emiliano Martinez has been in-between the sticks for Arsene Wenger’s side.
The youngster started the season as third choice keeper behind Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina, but has been given his chance in the last two few weeks by injuries to the first choice pair.
The 22-year-old has taken his opportunity with both hands. Well it is always good for a keeper to be good with his hands. The youngster recently revealed that he came close to leaving Arsenal in the summer, but was persuaded by family, friends and his agent to stay for another season.
The decision to stay could be a crucial one in youngster’s career, because he has looked very reliable for the Gunners in the absence of his two senior colleagues.
Ospina is close to a return to first team action and Szczesny is still a doubt for this afternoon’s trip to the Potteries. It would be harsh on Martinez to be dropped after he has looked so solid in his limited appearances this season.
His confidence is growing and he is looking more and more like a realistic contender for the number one spot at Arsenal. How long he occupies the spot will depend on now just his form, but also the fitness of his competitors.
Returned
Another key to the Gunners last two clean sheets is the return to the team of French centre-back Laurent Koscielny. The defender has forged a very solid defensive partnership with German international Per Mertesacker in recent seasons.
His return proved that it is amazing what you can achieve when centre-backs actually play at centre-backs and full-backs are not filling in out-of-position.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger seems to have learnt his lesson about not having enough back-up defenders and has promised defensive reinforcements in January.
Betting Odds
No doubt Stoke will be no pushovers in this afternoons clash. Despite their relative struggles at the Britannia Stadium in recent seasons,
Stoke are always a tough nut to crack at home and Arsenal will have to work hard to gain a victory on their travels this weekend. I just have a sneaky feeling that Mark Hughes team may just take something from this game and end Arsenal’s winning run.
Can Arsenal end their Britannia Stadium hoodoo?
