da pixbet： Arsenal go into Sunday’s game against Stoke in their 100th match at the Emirates Stadium looking to maintain their recent good form but will have to cure their European hangovers first.
da bet7k： The Gunners have lost all four games that have preceded a Champions League fixture and haven’t won a domestic game following a Europ
ean tie since last November. However they do look a better side than the one that started the season and have won their last three games at home. The much maligned defence is starting to tighten up and have conceded just five goals in their last six games. Per Mertesacker continues to adapt to the pace of the Premier League whilst Laurent Koscielny has improved tenfold this season. Arsene Wenger’s decision to sign Mikel Arteta from Everton looks a shrewd one but he will have concerns over Andriy Arshavin and Theo Walcott who continue to struggle on the wings. The pair have looked anything but clinical in the final third and it’s something Wenger needs to address. Once again though it’s likely Arsenal will rely on the goals of Robin Van Persie with the Dutchman going through a prolific streak. He’s hit 27 goals in his last 33 games in all competitions for the club including a game winning double against Sunderland last week with his 29 second opener the fastest goal of the season to date.
It’ll be a tough ask for Tony Pulis’ side to stop Van Persie but if there is anyone who can it’s the Potters. They’ve become one of the hardest teams to beat in the top flight and have adapted well to additional fixtures a Europa League brings. It’s likely Pulis will freshen things up after their midweek win in Europe with former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch likely to relishing a return to North London. The Potters are looking to end a torrid run in the capital having failed to beat Arsenal in 30 years and have yet to claim a point in their three visits to the Emirates.Their form away from the Britannia Stadium isn’t the best either and they’ve lost their last two on the road. Pulis’ back four will come in handy against the Gunners with the gambles on Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson paying off considerably. Five years ago both players would have cost an arm and a leg but the fact the Stoke boss picked them up for nothing is testament to his ability to get the best out of players.
Key Players
Robin Van Persie – Arguably his impact and leadership as captain has been considerably more effective than Cesc Fabregas’ when he held the armband. Everything the Dutchman touches at the moment turns to goals and it’s good to see him finally scoring on a regular basis and staying free from injury.
Peter Crouch – Scored a hat trick for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2007 and will be hoping to repeat the trick this weekend. His aerial dual with Mertesacker will be one to watch and if he can get the better of the big German then Stoke will be confident of claiming their first win at the Emirates since their promotion in 2008.
Prediction: 2-0
Robin van Persie scored his fourth and fifth game of the season last weekend. The Arsenal striker has been unlucky so far this season, and his return of 5 goals comes from 35 attempts at goal with 63% on target. By comparison, Rooney has scored 9 from 32 attempts with 59% on target. Van Persie’s goals lifted him 45 places to 23rd in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, making him Arsenal’s highest ranked player Peter Crouch covered most distance in that game with 10.786km in a Stoke team that together covered 110.461km Jonathan Walters scored his second goal of the season against Fulham. The striker has had 10 attempts at goal this season, getting 50% of his shots on target
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