Perry Groves Exclusive: Stoke Preview

by CARL ELDRIDGE Perry Groves reckons fans will see a ‘beauty and the beast’ contest today when Arsenal face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in the Premier League.

 

Arsene Wenger takes the side north to the Potteries for a must-win encounter against Tony Pulis’ side. Three points are invaluable if we are to try to peg back leaders Chelsea and Manchester United.

 

And Groves, who played 155 games for the glorious Gunners scoring 21 goals, says we can still get in the back door and nick the title this season, thus ending a baron run of four seasons when it comes to silverware, but it will be hard chasing two title contenders.

 

And Groves has warned that Stoke’s strength-sapping FA Cup clash with Manchester City won’t necessarily make a difference to Pulis’ side on the day. “Whoever they pick the system stays the same,” he told arsenalinsider.com. “Yes, they played a tough game in the week at home to City and had to contend with extra time as well but they won the game so they’ll take confidence into the game against us.

 

“They can change personnel and the way they play remains the same so we know they are going to be in our faces. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t pay to see them but you have to say they are effective at what they do and they have got results from it. But I think we need to stick to our football, play the game and not be intimidated against them,” he added.

 

“They’ve obviously got Rory Delap and his throw and we know only too well that can cause problems but we need to stand firm because it is such a massive game in terms of us trying to get in on the title action.”

 

That said, Groves thinks the odds of us lifting aloft the Premier League crown are slim given that we are chasing two teams in the hunt for glory. “I’ve written us off after the defeats against Manchester United and Chelsea but we are still in there, remarkably. It’s going to be difficult because we have two other teams we are chasing rather than one. I can see one of them slipping up to let us in but you wouldn’t bet against both of them doing it. But who knows, we’ll have to wait and see.”

 

As for our squad ahead of the game, Eduardo has resumed training after a hamstring injury and will be assessed, but Andrey Arshavin is still sidelined.  William Gallas remains out with a calf strain, so Sol Campbell or Mikael Silvestre will partner Thomas Vermaelen.

 

As for Stoke winger Matthew Etherington has an outside chance of playing after returning to light training from a knee knock while defenders Abdoulaye Faye and Andy Wilkinson are back after bans, so Dean Whitehead will return to midfield after playing right-back in midweek against City.