Arsenal will have the chance to take over top of the league when they host Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal could move up to the top of the league table (at least for 24 hours) if they pick up three points again in form Stoke.
The Gunners are without a defeat since the MD1 and are looking more and more like a team that could challenge favored Chelsea and Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title. Last two performances were especially impressive as they’ve netted eight times.
Alexis Sanchez scored five goals in those two games (v Bournemouth and West Ham) and passed Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero on the Top scorers table. Chilean superstar now has 11 goals at his account (plus four assists) and if he keep that kind of form Arsenal could be flying high this season.
Wenger’s men were at Switzerland in the midweek, playing the Champions League against Basel and won that game 4-1 with Lucas Perez’ hat-trick. With that victory (and PSG’s slip against Ludogorets), Arsenal won the CL group for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
On the other side, the Potters have bounced back after a terrible start in the season. They’ve lost just one of the last nine Premier League games, winning five in the process and have moved to the upper part of the table (ninth place).
Stoke have proven proven formidable opponents for Arsenal at the Britannia, but it has been 35 years since the Potters have departed North London with three points in a league game so Wenger and his troops can feel pretty confident of extending their unbeaten league run.
Head to Head:
Arsenal have won their last nine .home matches against the Potters in all competitions- The Gunners have also kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home games against Stoke. Last season Walcott and Giroud scored for Arsenal’s 2-0 victory.
Match Facts
- Arsenal are now on a 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League (W9 D4 L0); their longest such run in the competition since a run of 16 games that ended in April 2011.
- The Potters have lost all eight of their visits to the Emirates in the Premier League. Only at Old Trafford have they gone longer without a win since being promoted in 2008 (nine games, W0 D1 L8).
- Alexis Sanchez scored twice and assisted another goal in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Stoke in January 2015
- Sanchez has had a hand in 25 goals in his last 25 Premier League appearances for Arsenal (18 goals, seven assists).
- The Chilean is the only player to score hat-trick in Serie A, LaLiga and Premier League.
- Peter Crouch has scored eight times against Arsenal in the Premier League – only against Blackburn does he have as many goals in the competition.
Arsenal Team News: Arsenal’s long term absentees, Santi Cazorla, Peer Mertesacker and Danny Wellbeck are still sidelined, but Hector Bellerin could return in the squad if he passes fitness tests ahead of the clash.
Stoke City Team News: Mark Hughes confirmed he can’t count on Ryan Shawcross and Geoff Cameron due to their injury troubles.
Arsenal: Cech; Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Xhaka; Walcott, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Sanchez.
Stoke City: Grant; Johnson, Indi, Muniesa, Pieters; Whelan, Imbula; Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic; Walters.
