Post by staggerstag on Aug 19, 2017 16:02:47 GMT
So here are again, another season with Wenger. It was pretty pathetic listening to the guy a couple of weeks back saying how he understood the fans' frustration last season regarding his contract with the club. It's not like he didn't have enough opportunities to take a couple of minutes to say "Yes, I am staying" or "I'm afraid I am leaving" Of course the fans were frustrated, Wenger, the question is will that level of frustration be equaled or surpassed this season? With the Champions League a no-go zone this term you'd think this might just be Wenger's season for a Top 2/3 finish - but early signs are that City look better than them already and Utd look absolutely on fire, albeit only against West Ham and Swansea.
Stoke can boast the unlikely stat of having the most Champions League winners in their current squad - 5 - Man City have 4 and CFC 3. They'll be looking to give Arsenal a test here after last week's narrow loss to Everton.
Stoke: Butland, Zouma, Shawcross, Cameron, Diouf, Allen, Fletcher, Pieters, Shaqiri, Jese, Choupo-Moting.
Subs: Martins Indi, Johnson, Berahino, Crouch, Krkic, Sobhi, Grant.
Arsenal: Cech, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette.
Subs: Mertesacker, Giroud, Ospina, Walcott, Iwobi, Coquelin, Elneny.
Referee: Andre Marriner - 3 Yellows and 1 Red (Jonjo 'Mad Dog' Shelvey v Spurs)
Stoke 10/3
AFC 17/20
Draw 3
(BET365)
Preamble by Simon Burnton :
Stoke can boast the unlikely stat of having the most Champions League winners in their current squad - 5 - Man City have 4 and CFC 3. They'll be looking to give Arsenal a test here after last week's narrow loss to Everton.
Stoke: Butland, Zouma, Shawcross, Cameron, Diouf, Allen, Fletcher, Pieters, Shaqiri, Jese, Choupo-Moting.
Subs: Martins Indi, Johnson, Berahino, Crouch, Krkic, Sobhi, Grant.
Arsenal: Cech, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette.
Subs: Mertesacker, Giroud, Ospina, Walcott, Iwobi, Coquelin, Elneny.
Referee: Andre Marriner - 3 Yellows and 1 Red (Jonjo 'Mad Dog' Shelvey v Spurs)
Stoke 10/3
AFC 17/20
Draw 3
(BET365)
Preamble by Simon Burnton :
Stoke’s biggest home crowd for some 29 years – “When our fans get behind the team, there’s no more intimidating place,” says Mark Hughes, hopefully – will savour the latest instalment in a series of matches that have famously featured horrible injury, less horrible but still painful injury, rancour, fury and rather mean taunting. “I don’t know why they boo me so much,” sobbed Arsène Wenger of the Stoke fans; “Stick your fingers in your ear if you don’t want to hear it,” countered Hughes.
Maybe this time will be different? Some things definitely will be: for example, this is the first time in over two decades that Arsenal have visited a Stoke team not containing the great Glenn Whelan. It’s a new dawn. Of sorts.
Maybe this time will be different? Some things definitely will be: for example, this is the first time in over two decades that Arsenal have visited a Stoke team not containing the great Glenn Whelan. It’s a new dawn. Of sorts.