Match Highlights
Gunners miss out on the chance to grab a win as Stoke City and go top of the English Premier League, with the Potters battling to a good point at the Britannia stadium. Both goalkeepers were on task making some good saves.
Pre Match Video
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faced the media on Friday (15th January) – two days ahead of his side’s English Premier League trip to Stoke City. He reflected on Theo Walcott’s ten years at the club and revealed new arrival Mohamed Elneny could go straight into the squad at the weekend.
Walcott, who completes ten years at the club next Wednesday):
“Well, Walcott came at 16 years of age and, went straight to the World Cup without having played a Premier League game. So he could have gone both ways, and I feel the credit I have to give to him is that he did very well with that early fame and kept always his feet on the ground, was always very humble and receptive to advice. He had ups and downs because he had bad injuries, and that (made) him, much stronger mentally and today I believe that he has become much more (of a) team player, conscious of his contribution to the team work. His basic strength is still there because what I liked when I saw him first was his movement off the ball. One of the few strikers, who has a good movement off the ball. The timing is right, the areas where he goes, the quality of his reception is very good and…. he has developed well as a technical player, as a team player and today he’s a much better finisher, much better in assists than he was before, and much more reliable in his teamwork.”
Team Lineups
Arsenal substitutes: Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta, Ospina, El Nenny, Iwobi, Chambers.
Arsenal starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Flamini; Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell; Giroud.
Stoke substitutes: Muniesa, Odemwingie, Van Ginkel, Adam, Diouf, Crouch, Haugaard.
Stoke starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Afellay; Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic; Joselu.
