Gameweek five is upon us and with the international break out-of-the-way, football fans everywhere will be pleased to see their teams once again take to the field. This Saturday, the Gunners take on Mark Hughes’ Stoke side, who look to have bought very well during the summer.
In recent years, a rivalry has emerged between Arsenal and the Potters following a series of heated games, most notably when Aaron Ramsey’s leg was broken following a late Ryan Shawcross challenge. Up until recently though, Arsene Wenger’s side seems to always have been dominant. Yet the transfers that Stoke have made this summer have certainly added quality to their ranks and will surely make them a more worthy opponent this weekend.
Mark Hughes’ latest signings come in the form of Ibrahim Afellay, Xherdan Shaqiri from Inter Milan and Marko Van Ginkel on loan from Chelsea. These are all superb signings for Stoke and signify a change in their footballing philosophy.
Shaqiri is a UEFA Champions League winner and as such adds the hunger for victory to the Stoke side and also offers a different avenue of attack. It will be key to shut him down quickly. The Swiss international is equally devastating on the wings as he is through the middle and has excellent close-quarter dribbling. However, his passing is not as good as it could be which means that if the Arsenal defenders and midfielders close him down quickly he will be forced to either try and take them on or simply pass backwards.
Mame Diouf is a part of the Stoke squad that remains from last season. He is a dominant striker with good pace and height. This makes him a serious threat because not only does he have the mobility to run past defenders, but also charge into the box and latch onto crosses. To combat a player like this, the Gunners must man-mark and keep him away from the goal and even further from the ball. If Diouf is nullified, then Stoke will resort to their wingers cutting inside and popping shots off from distance – much like Bayern Munich did back in 2013 when Arsenal beat them 2-0 at the Allianz Arena.
In terms of attack, Arsenal must break quickly. Stoke are famed for their rigid defence and as such the Gunners must utilise the speed at their disposal to get around their opposition. However, they must also incorporate their fast-paced, intricate passing into the game. This will be the key to unlocking the immobile Stoke defenders and getting the Arsenal attackers through onto the keeper.
Gunners fans will have been disappointed in the lack of goals that they have scored thus far. The problem at the moment is knowing which type of pass to play. Should Giroud start, which he should – not only to combat the physicality with which Stoke play, but also to try and boost his confidence – then it will be crucial that the Arsenal wingers use their speed to run down the wing and swing crosses in for the Frenchman. Every Arsenal fan knows that Giroud scores goals when the chances are presented close to goal.
If Theo Walcott starts, however, then through balls must be utilised. He has the pace to rinse most of the defenders in the Premier League and as such players like Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla must make the most of their passing ability to thread the ball through to Walcott who, given enough chances, will score goals.
All in all this game will prove to be a real test for the Gunners who haven’t been in the best form so far this season. However, the international break, where many of the Arsenal players featured, will hopefully have had a positive impact on the players and cause them to have upped their game and show exactly why they were dubbed title favourites before the season.
