Arsenal vs Stoke City. Premier League.
Emirates StadiumAttendance59,964.
Saturday 10 December 2016 14:04, UK
Hector Bellerin may return for Arsenal when they welcome Mark Hughes' Stoke to the Emirates on Saturday.
The Gunners full-back has been missing since suffering an ankle injury in the north London derby before the international break.
His side can go top of the table if they win by two clear goals against Stoke, with current league leaders Chelsea set to face West Brom on Sunday.
"We are playing well but have plenty of room for improvement," Wenger said.
"We want to develop as a team and that is what we have done since the start of the season. We had a difficult start but responded very well. I feel the team is on the way upwards."
Stoke have lost just one of their last nine league games - a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth - but have not beaten Arsenal away from home in the league since 1981.
Team news
Bellerin has a fitness test ahead of the clash but Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck are still unavailable and Santi Cazorla is a long-term absentee following ankle surgery.
Francis Coquelin returns from suspension.
Bruno Martins Indi and Marko Arnautovic will be fit for Stoke when they travel to the Emirates. Defender Martins Indi was sent for precautionary X-rays after he was elbowed in the face by Burnley striker Ashley Barnes last weekend but he has been passed fit along with midfielder Arnautovic, who was also nursing a knock following the 2-0 home win against the Clarets.
Mark Hughes confirmed on Friday that Ryan Shawcross will miss the trip to London, while Geoff Cameron (knee) is still a couple of weeks away from getting back to fitness.
Opta stats
Arsenal have won each of their last 14 home games in all competitions against Stoke, keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
Stoke's last away league win at Arsenal came in the first game of the 1981/82 season, with Lee Chapman scoring the only goal of the game.
Arsenal are now on a 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League (W9 D4 L0); their longest such run in the competition since a run of 16 games that ended in April 2011.
Stoke have lost only one of their last nine Premier League games (W5 D3 L1) and have won their last two matches in the competition without conceding a goal.
The Potters have lost all eight of their visits to the Emirates in the Premier League. Only at Old Trafford have they gone longer without a win since being promoted in 2008 (nine games, W0 D1 L8).
Alexis Sanchez scored twice and assisted another goal in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Stoke in January 2015.
Sanchez has had a hand in 25 goals in his last 25 Premier League appearances for Arsenal (18 goals, seven assists).
This is Sanchez's joint-best goal return after 14 apps of a league season in Europe (11 goals), equalling his 11-goal tally for Barcelona in 2013-14. If he scores in this game, it would be his best goalscoring start to a European league season after 15 games.
Peter Crouch has scored eight times against Arsenal in the Premier League - only against Blackburn does he have as many goals in the competition.
The Gunners have made a higher proportion of their passes in the final third of the pitch than any other team in the Premier League so far this season (36.5 per cent).
Merson's prediction
Stoke will cause problems at the Emirates because they have the right players in the right creative areas.
You look at Arsenal's recent home games - Middlesbrough and Bournemouth were a little unlucky - and Stoke have a better team than either of those two.
If the Gunners get into an end-to-end battle, Stoke will enjoy that, especially the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri.
I still expect the hosts to win, but it won't be a walk in the park.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 15/2)
Betting
Arsenal are odds-on favourites (4/11) with Sky Bet for all three points ahead of their return to Premier League action against Stoke. The Gunners produced another impressive Champions League display in midweek and can be backed at 5/6 to beat the Potters by two goals or more. Mark Hughes' men are 13/2 to come away from the Emirates with the win and they are available at 21/10 in the Stoke/draw double chance market.
Arsenal v Stoke features among this weekend's Super 6 games and you can play for free right here.
