Arsenal starting XI for Stoke – NO Giroud!!

Arsenal could hardly have asked for a better game to get back into Premier League action with. We may have had our problems when playing against Stoke City in recent years, but they have always come at the Britannia Stadium, while the Gunners have claimed all three points in the last seven games against them at the Emirates stadium.

And with Stoke missing quite a few key players in Shawcross, Afellay, Adam, Johnson, Diouf, Arnautovic and Odemwingie, the game today should provide a goo and important win for Arsenal. It should also allow Arsene Wenger a bit of leeway in his team selection and I think that will mean that he gives Theo Walcott another go in the centre forward role.

Giroud is struggling and perhaps having an impact from the bench is just what he needs. Other than that I don´t see the boss making any changes, keeping Ramsey in the wide right position as he does have that extra incentive when playing the Potters and has a great scoring record against them as well. Here is my starting XI.

Cech
Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin, Cazorla
Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis
Walcott