Arsenal v Stoke City

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has gone 12 months without a Premier League goal

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal's Per Mertesacker has returned to training following a lay-off with illness but Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky remain out.

Laurent Koscielny is fit despite missing France's friendly with Serbia as a precaution, having recently returned from a back injury.

Stoke pair Ibrahim Afellay and Charlie Adam both begin suspensions.

Glen Johnson, Mame Diouf and Marko Arnautovic are doubts with respective groin, hamstring and ankle injuries.

Jon Walters returns after missing the defeat by West Brom following uncertainty over his future, but Peter Odemwingie is out because of a lack of match fitness.

MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES

Jonathan Pearce: "It was 29 August 1981 when Stoke last won at Arsenal.

"It was a month after Prince Charles married Princess Diana. Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett had broken the world mile record three times in 10 days and Aneka's Japanese Boy knocked Shakin' Stevens' Green Door off number one in the charts. 

"With Charlie Adam and Ibrahim Afellay banned and Mame Diouf possibly injured, their hopes of causing Arsenal the sort of headaches they do at the Britannia Stadium don't look bright.

"But Arsenal have found scoring at home problematic. Couple that with Stoke's durable away record of four draws in five and it could be a frustrating day for home fans."

Twitter: @jpearcefootball 

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "[Stoke] have been here a long time in the Premier League and they have improved their technical quality.

"They have always had good teams and overall when we go to Stoke they are always specially motivated against us. There is a little bit of history because of what happened and overall it was always very difficult for us.

"For me there was never bad blood, it was just a game that was always very difficult for us."

Stoke manager Mark Hughes: "We feel we are better equipped to deal with Arsenal on the road now. We have players who can cause them problems.

"They have struggled at home, surprisingly, and maybe on the back of a break, going there this weekend could be a good time to go.

"Maybe teams used to fear going to the big clubs but that isn't the case any more. They travel with the intention of causing problems."

LAWRO’S PREDICTION

Stoke are still without a Premier League win this season, which is a surprise, but do I really fancy them to go Arsenal and win? No, I don't.

Lawro's full predictions v Mark Webber

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Stoke have lost on each of their last 13 league and cup trips to Arsenal, including seven Premier League matches.
• The last five encounters between the sides have been won by the home team (three wins for Arsenal, two for Stoke).

Arsenal

• The Gunners have failed to score in five of their last six home league games, recording one win, three draws and two defeats.
• If they are unable to net against Stoke it will be the first time in the club's history they have failed to score in their opening three top-flight home games.
• The last time they failed to win any of their opening three home league games was in 1959. They finished 13th that season.
• They average a league-high 65% ball possession this season.
• However, their shot conversion ratio is 5.6% – only Liverpool, with 5.4%, have a lower figure.

Stoke City

• The Potters have drawn four of their last five Premier League away games, including the last three.
• Stoke have collected just four points from 21 available in their last seven Premier League away games (D4, L3).
• The 1-0 loss to West Brom means the Potters are in danger of failing to score in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since January 2014, when they suffered 1-0 defeats to Crystal Palace and then Sunderland.