Stoke City vs Arsenal as it happened: Gunners go to within one point of Champions League places
Follow all the action as it happened from the Bet365 Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal head to Stoke this weekend knowing that failure to win will destroy their top four hopes, which are hanging by a thread. Their record in this fixture is poor as the hosts have proven a bogey team to the Gunners, who have often struggled to deal with the home side’s physical approach. That said, Arsenal have not lost to Stoke since December 2014 and will be encouraged by their recent run of form, which includes just one loss (albeit to Tottenham) since April 10th.
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What time does it start?
Stoke City vs Arsenal kicks off at 5:30pm on Saturday 13th May.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1, with coverage beginning at 5pm. Highlights will be shown the same evening at 10:20pm on BBC2 and at 10:30pm on Sky Sports 1.
It’s a big game for…
Alexis Sanchez. He scored Arsenal’s first goal against Southampton in midweek with a great effort, collecting Mesut Ozil’s through ball and faking to shoot and sending the defenders flying, before slotting past Fraser Forster. If Arsenal are to somehow claw their way into the Champions League places, Sanchez, with 25 goals and 14 assists this season, will have been at the heart of it, and he must continue his good scoring form against Stoke.
Best stat…
Arsenal have won just 1 of their last 8 games away at Stoke City. This is their second worst away win ratio, second only to their record of 3 wins in 25 games at Old Trafford.
Remember when…
Arsenal beat Stoke 1-3 at the Brittania Stadium in February 2010, which was the last time they won this fixture. The match was overshadowed by Ryan Shawcross’ horror tackle which broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg; the incident and its aftermath was the catalyst for the bad air which currently exists between the two teams.
Player to watch...
Ramadan Sobhi. If the talented Egyptian winger gets the opportunity which many Stoke fans so desperately crave that he will, he has the potential to get at Arsenal. He’s made 15 appearances for Stoke this season and particularly stood out in their draw with Manchester City in March. There are big hopes for the 20 year-old, who is still acclimatising to Premier League football, and Mark Hughes may consider bringing him in, at least from the bench, to freshen things up in his attack.
Past three meetings…
Arsenal 3-1 Stoke, Premier League, December 2016
Stoke City 0-0 Arsenal, Premier League, January 2016
Arsenal 2-0 Stoke City, Premier League, September 2015
Form guide…
Stoke City: LWLDD
Arsenal: WWLWW
Odds…
Stoke City to win: 37/10
Arsenal to win: 3/4
Draw: 14/5
(Odds courtesy of 888 sport)
GOAL! Stoke 0 Arsenal 1 - Olivier Giroud
Something happened! Bellerin surges down the right, he's completely free of his marker and just cuts it back for Giroud to tap it in from a yard out. Arsenal lead.
HALF TIME
Stoke 0 Arsenal 1 - Arsenal dominate a less than thrilling half.
Stoke 0 Arsenal 1: We are back underway in the second half here... Hopefully it'll be better than the first.
Stoke 0 Arsenal 1: Free kick to Stoke, Shaqiri whips it in but it's easily cleared by Arsenal. Not much else going on so far this half.
Arsenal still top of the hiring planes to fly over football grounds league table if nothing else
GOAL! Stoke 0 Arsenal 2 - Mesut Ozil
A goal! Arsenal are surely safe now. Great passing move, Sanchez and Ozil playing a lovely one-two, the latter played in with a great through ball by Sanchez and coolly dinking it into the net. 2-0 now.
Stoke 0 Arsenal 2: How did that miss? Stoke should have a goal back, Arnautovic whips a cross in and it's straight to an unmarked Diouf who can't twist to head it in and it bounces off him and wide.
Stoke 0 Arsenal 2: Subs for Stoke, Allen and Diouf off, Crouch and Berahino on.
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