Official Boothen Roar Match Preview: Stoke v Arsenal

Last updated : 06 May 2011 By Dan Buxton

The Potters welcome Arsenal to the Britannia Stadium in Sundays big Premier League game. 

Stoke sit 10th in the Premier League but will be looking to win so as to move onto the FA Cup final in good form and strengthen their hold on a top ten position. The visitors are sitting twenty four points ahead of Stoke in the league and are seven places higher in the top half.

Stoke have a very good home record this season and have already beaten thirteen sides at the Brit, but have four defeats. The Gunners have won eight times away from home in the league this season and have lost only three times away aswell.

In the 42 matches between these sides at Stoke, the Potters have won 17, the visitors 11 and fourteen have been drawn. Stoke have beaten Arsenal in both seasons since promotion, last seasons win being in the cup after the Gunners won the league clash 1-0. Overall Arsenal have won 49 times to the Potters 22 victories. 

The referee is Mark Halsey. He reffed Stoke in their 1-1 home draw against Cardiff, 2-0 home wins against Fulham and Liverpool and the 1-0 away defeat against Birmingham this season. He has refereed Arsenal twice this season, in their 2-0 away win against Wolves and 3-0 victory at home to Ipswich.

The Met Office report that there will be very heavy showers, temperatures of a mild 17 degrees celsius, very good visibility but a mild 16mph wind, with gusts of 30mph.

Prediction: The Potters take the lead through another strike for Jones before Huth doubles the advantage and seals the points