The Potters host Arsenal this Saturday evening in a game that sees two sides who are in good form of late and both looking to pick up three points to keep their league seasons alive. Stoke have a decent home record this season and have already beaten Arsenal aswell as Manchester City, Blackburn, Burnley, West Ham, Sunderland, Fulham and Portsmouth whilst only losing to Manchester United, Birmingham and Chelsea. Arsenal have improved on last season but the pressure is on after a tough set of fixtures saw them lose ground on the top two. In the 41 matches between these sides at Stoke, the Potters have won 17, the visitors 10 and fourteen have been drawn. Last season when the pair clashed at the Britannia the game ended 2-1 to the Potters, whilst City beat the Gunners 3-1 in last months FA Cup tie. Overall Arsenal have won 47 times to the Potters 22. The referee is Peter Walton. He took charge as Stoke were beaten 4-0 by both Liverpool and Portsmouth this season. He has refereed Arsenal twice this season, a 6-2 home win over Blackburn and a 2-2 home draw with Everton. Prediction: Stoke grab an early goal through Fuller but their midweek exploits take their toll and they tire after the break, conceding two well crafted goals before the returning Etherington steps off the bench to net a late equaliser.
Stoke sit 11th in the Premier League are virtually safe and in the quarter finals of the FA Cup but still have slight hope of finishing in the top 7 and sneaking a place in Europe, they are also unbeaten in 11 games, the longest top flight run since 1972. Arsenal are flying in the Premier League and will be expected to field a full strength side as they need to win to keep alive their hopes of winning the league.
The Met Office report that there will be overcast conditions, temperatures of 2 degrees celsius, very good visibility and a breezy 10mph wind.