Arsenal came back from 2 goals down against Liverpool to get a draw at the Emirates ...it finished 2-2 and although it was a wonderful game to watch the home fans will not have been happy by yet more sloppy defending by their players ..manager Arsene Wenger admitted after the game , "It was entertainment. , were defensively nervous ..We could honestly have lost the game but could have won it by three or four goals."


Stoke had to settle for a 2-2 draw as Wigan came back from 2-0 down to deny them a win , manager Tony Pulis was disapponited with the result but said .. " I couldn't see us getting beaten after we went 2-0 up, but we haven't beaten Wigan since 2009 and they seem to be a bit of bogey team for us."

Jack butland might start, can't wait to see what all the fuss is about.

another hard game for us ..Stoke are always tough to play against , after the draw against Liverpool we need to win this .

We'll win this one ,quite easily i reckon.
Arsenal 4-2

He has gone back to Birmingham on loan until the end of the season.

The word is that Fergie will try and sign Stoke's current No1 Begovic during the summer to replace De Gea.

Did you know that Peter Crouch has scored seven Premier League goals against Arsenal; only against Blackburn (8.) has he been more prolific.

Any more comments or predictions?

I think we'll win this one but you never know with the gunners these days.

3-1 home win with Giroud getting all the goals.

Giroud has been in very good form recently but I would be surprised if he scored a hat trick today!

Will be interesting to see how he deals with Stoke's defence.

A 1-1 draw suits here. Stoke are great at defending, and can block all them through balls from Arsenal.

Looking forward to see what Monreal brings to the team.

Theo Walcott with the goal.

Line ups

Arsenal:
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Diaby, Arteta, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Giroud.

Subs: Mannone, Jenkinson, Santos, Ramsey, Rosicky, Cazorla, Podolski.

Stoke:
Begovic; Shotton, Shawcross, Huth, Wilkinson; Walters, Cameron, Nzonzi, Whelan, Etherington; Crouch.

Subs: Sorensen, Jones, Owen, Adam, Whitehead, Kightly, Jerome

Why is Cazorla only a sub today? I just signed him for my fantasy football team and need him on the pitch earning me points not resting on the bench.
Thanks Mr Wenger!

HT

Arsenal 0-0 Stoke

Hope Wenger sends on Cazorla in the 2nd period to help try and break down the visitors defence.

FT

Arsenal 1-0 Stoke
1-0 Podolski 78'

Should Podolski's controversial goal have been allowed to stand or was it off side?

Any comments on todays result?

Should Michael Owen still be on the pitch after throwing a punch?

Ref looking right at that didn't even offer a card ,don't tell me about refs being impartial.
I only really saw the second half ,so i don't know if Arsenal can complain about Stoke playing overly physical.
When i was awake in the first half i saw them just doing a very good defensive job and offering absolutely nothing going forward. It got a bit testy at the end ,but nothing to bad ,not compared to other Stoke matches against us where it bordered on a butchering.
A much needed win and it was looking like a draw which would have been a disaster in regards to fourth place.

It didn't seem like much of a punch from Michal Owen and not enough to be sent off.

What was wrong though was the shameful way Arsenal's players surrounded the poor linesman
like a pack of hungry wolves going in for the kill when they thought that their goal was going to be ruled out.

I think that Giroud was in an offside position when Podolski hit the winner and so it should have not been allowed to stand.

Much deserved win for Arsenal and yet again the ref bailed out a "local legend" by completely ignoring something even the commentator said 'you can't go round doing that". But that's the darker side of the best league in the world ,it's not perfect ,but still the best. Stoke offered absolutely nothing at all as i sad before and deserved noting from this game.

Let the double standards role on!
Michael Own will not be charged for throwing a punch at Arteta ,what a joke. You couldn't get a clearer example of an offense ,seen by Chris Foy on the day Seen by the FA on video and no punishment. The reasoning i believe is that the FA cannot take retrospective action as the ref saw it. Basically that backs up my claim that refs are not impartial and therefor the FA should sanction the ref for not taking appropriate action at the time if he saw it.

The FA really has to get an handle on this before i start to unleash my wrath on them by going public with a catalogue of examples of double standards.

I don't blame Owen for punching him on the back - it was a nasty challenge. But not as nasty as that c**t Ryan Shawcross on Koscielny. Absolute braindead THUG, he is. I heard Wilkinson tread on Walcott too, which doesn't surprise me at all.

If there was one Premier League club I'd want to see relegated, it would be Stoke. I HATE them.

it is not the `power` of the punch that is relevant , it is the fact he did throw a punch , it was a poor challenge from Arteta but Michael Owen should have got a minimum yellow card for his reaction ...players have been sent off in the past for similiar actions .

The controversial goal was i thought fine ...Giroud was not interfering with play so it had no bearing on the game , it was no more than we deserved after the number of chances we created ..Stoke played the same they always do , i can understand the reaction of our players after the goal looked as if it might not be given ..they had worked so hard to break Stoke down .

The debut of Monreal was good i though ...he looks as if he could be another good signing by Wenger .