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Arsenal play hosts to Stoke City this weekend hoping to close the gap between themselves and Chelsea at the summit of the Premier League table.

The Gunners have been in impressive form recently and during the week secured top spot in their Champions League group for only the second time in six seasons.

With Arsene Wenger’s team continuously causing destruction in recent weeks, including battering West Ham 5-1 last Saturday, the Gunners must ensure Stoke become yet another victim.

Just one defeat in 22 games makes Arsenal enormous favourites for the contest, but Wenger should not underestimate the quality of the Potters.

The recent uplift in form from Mark Hughes’ side should make this an interesting match, not to mention the bi-annual subplot of Aaron Ramsey facing the team he once broke his leg against and a set of supporters who bizarrely still mock him for it.

Three points is the prize on offer for Arsenal, whilst the Welshman certainly wouldn’t mind a pinch of personal revenge.

To ensure victory, however, this is the starting XI Wenger must field against Stoke.

GK: Petr Cech

For Arsenal to have any chance of success this season, Petr Cech must ensure his performances remain to the standard previously witnessed at Chelsea.

Cech cannot allow Stoke to overpower him, especially at crosses and set-pieces. The Potters are notorious for causing goalkeepers to panic, but Cech is usually ice-cool under pressure.

RB: Gabriel Paulista

The return of Hector Bellerin must occur sooner rather than later for Arsenal to mount a considerable title challenge.

In the absence of the Spaniard, Gabriel remains the standout candidate to fill the enormous void.

But to keep his place over Carl Jenkinson, Gabriel must combat winger-forward Marko Arnautovic. This battle could be a deciding factor in the outcome of the match.

CB: Laurent Koscielny

French defender Koscielny has formed a formidable partnership with summer signing Shkodran Mustafi.

The combination will be tested this weekend with Stoke’s attacking prowess more than capable of damaging Arsenal’s chances of securing three points.

If Koscielny can cause a threat at set-pieces also, it would be an ideal time to score his first Premier League goal of the season.

CB: Shkodran Mustafi

For nearly a decade, Mustafi has been the defender that has eluded Arsene Wenger.

The German international has become an integral part of the Gunners’ recent success and rather tellingly, Arsenal are yet to lose with him in the side.

Mustafi will be hoping his impressive run of form continues against Stoke.

LB: Nacho Monreal

When it looked as though his Arsenal career was coming to a close, Monreal suddenly emerged as a key member of the Gunners’ back four.

The Spanish left-back must contain Xherdan Shaqiri this weekend as the tricky Swiss winger has proven his ability to be a match-winner in the Premier League.

An attacking display from Monreal wouldn’t go amiss as it would aid Arsenal’s attempts to stretch the Stoke back-line.

CM: Granit Xhaka

The Swiss midfielder may have cost Arsenal a fair few pennies during the summer, but he’s importantly increased Arsenal’s squad depth.

Xhaka’s ‘no-nonsense’ style has evaded the Gunners in recent seasons and Stoke are exactly the sort of opponent that have outfought the north Londoners before.

With Xhaka capable of physically going toe-to-toe with the Stoke midfield, Wenger must pick the Swiss international this weekend.

CM: Aaron Ramsey

Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey has been inconsistent all season, but the Welsh midfielder thrived alongside Granit Xhaka against Basel in midweek.

Perhaps more importantly, any time Ramsey comes up against Stoke, he’s always met with a rather ghastly reception of jeers – ironically because Potters favourite Ryan Shawcross once broke the midfielder’s leg with a career-threatening ‘tackle’.

That should have the 25-year-old extra pumped up for Saturday’s game as he looks to take revenge.

CAM: Mesut Ozil

German international Mesut Ozil has found a goal-scoring touch this season. Eight goals have seen him overcome his tally for last season already.

Nonetheless, a ninth goal would be widely welcomed as Stoke look set to prove rigorous opposition. The electric pace of Alexis Sanchez and Lucas Perez will allow Ozil to find spaces to thread the ball into.

RW: Theo Walcott

At last! After nearly eleven years at Arsenal, Theo Walcott has finally hit heights expected as a teenager.

With nine goals already this season, Walcott’s contribution has been invaluable to the Gunners’ title challenge.

Walcott’s pace and agility could stretch the robust Stoke defence and will help the Gunners find space behind.

LW: Alexis Sanchez

Is there a better player in the Premier League than Alexis Sanchez at the moment?

The Chile international continues to destroy defences single-handed, as witnessed against West Ham last Saturday. Sanchez’ role as a central striker has been a revolutionary move by Arsene Wenger.

But now, Wenger should restore Sanchez to the left-wing to allow another in-form striker to start against Stoke.

ST: Lucas Perez

How can Arsene Wenger contemplate dropping Spanish striker Lucas Perez after his goalscoring exploits against FC Basel in midweek?

Three goals against the Swiss outfit saw the Gunners finish top of their Champions League group. Perez, in red-hot form, could prove a decisive factor in overcoming Stoke this weekend too.

If Perez can score another goal in front of the Emirates crowd, Arsene Wenger will have an enormous selection headache for the coming weeks.

Southampton defender Jose Fonte will continue his exile from the squad when the club take on Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

Fonte has made it clear that he wants to leave the club after submitting a transfer request last week.

The centre-back has previously been linked to Manchester United and Everton, but it is unclear where the 33-year-old will end up, or if he will even leave in this window.

As far as manager Claude Puel is concerned, though, Fonte’s request to leave the club is proving to be a distraction and will therefore keep him out of the cup squad.

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During his pre-match press conference, Puel told reporters:

“Jose doesn’t participate in this game. We will see for the next game but, for the moment and with the situation of Jose, it’s important to keep the stability in defence. We don’t know the future for Jose. It’s a difficult situation with the [transfer] window.”

Despite his desire to leave, Fonte has been a prominent figure in the team this season having started 17 of the club’s 20 Premier League games.

The defender, who has also been in the first XIs for two EFL Cup fixtures, lost his captaincy to Virgil van Dijk when he was dropped from the squad last weekend.

Southampton may also face a struggle to keep Van Dijk as the former Celtic defender has been linked with a move away, but unlike Fonte, the club are not prepared to let him go.

Saints executive director Les Reed recently told the Daily Echo that the 25-year-old is not for sale.

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Hull City have accepted a bid in the region of £10m from Burnley for midfielder Robert Snodgrass, according to Sky Sports.

What’s the latest?

The 29-year-old has sparked a tug of war in this transfer window, with numerous Premier League clubs eager to sign him.

West Ham United have reportedly had a number of offers rejected by the Tigers, but The Telegraph claimed earlier this week that they were planning a fresh bid of £8m.

It seems as though they will have to go even higher if they want to land Snodgrass’s signature as Sky Sports have reported that Burnley’s £10m offer has been accepted.

The broadcaster claims that Middlesbrough remain in the mix as they have tabled a second bid, but as it stands, Burnley are winning the race to sign the Scotland international.

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What does it say about Hull’s ambitions?

The Tigers are battling against relegation from the Premier League, so they are in need of all their best players.

Snodgrass is one of them as he is the club’s top-scorer this season with seven goals to his name.

The midfielder has also produced three assists and created 45 chances, which is more than any other Hull player, claims Sky Sports.

It does not make sense for Hull to sell, but there are various aspects that need to be considered, including whether Snodgrass himself wants to move on.

If the midfielder is keen to leave the KCOM Stadium then it will become increasingly difficult for Hull to hold on.

It could be the case that he is not favoured by new manager Marco Silva, who did not have Snodgrass in his squad for last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea because of an injury.

If Hull do not have a replacement lined up, then it sparks concern for the club’s survival hopes, particularly as they recently sold Jake Livermore to West Bromwich Albion.

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In 2014, Louis van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford promising a philosophy that would take Manchester United in a new direction after David Moyes’ nine-month imitation of Sir Alex Ferguson had left the club rudderless, out of Europe and in desperate need of a squad overhaul. Two-and-a-half years later, six months earlier than when his United contract was due to expire, the Dutchman is talking about retirement in relatively conclusive terms.

“I thought maybe I would stop, then I thought it would be a sabbatical, but now I do not think I will return to coaching. So much has happened in my family, you become a human being again with your nose pressed to the facts.”

Indeed, there was a great paradox to Van Gaal’s philosophy. In England, at least, the term is instantly put into a pejorative context – associated with whimsical notions of exciting, attacking, breakneck football straight out of the Jurgen Klopp playbook. But Van Gaal’s philosophy defied the grain; a slow-paced passing game so meticulous it could trigger narcolepsy, yet more often than not delivered the right result.

Despite the negativity that accompanied Van Gaal for the majority of his United tenure, his Old Trafford spell was by no means a failure considering the mess he inherited from Moyes and the after-tremors of Ferguson’s retirement. His first season brought an instant return to the promised land of Champions League football; his second brought the first major trophy, the FA Cup, of the post-Ferguson era.

That wasn’t enough to spare the Dutchman the axe, as dissidence towards his rule grew increasingly louder. Criticisms of boring, long-ball football not only came from the supporters, but more pivotally a never-ending list of Manchester United alumni who had moved on to picking up their pay-cheques in punditry.

Nonetheless, if Van Gaal was simply the night-watchman until a more convincing option came along, he certainly played his part in stabilising a club that appeared to be in freefall under his predecessor. He even found room for Ryan Giggs on his bench and reduced United’s squad age by two years – paying homage to the former winger’s declaration of chances for young players at the end of the 2013/14 season.

In turn, however, that put Jose Mourinho in an unfamiliar position when he was summoned to replace his one-time employer last summer. The Portuguese has built a career upon results and silverware, but suddenly found himself tasked with bringing the style back to Old Trafford – of course, whilst providing the necessary wins to re-establish United as a world force once again. But compared to a predecessor endlessly vilified for style of football, has Mourinho actually lived up to his mandate?

Of course, Van Gaal’s retirement comes at a curious time, considering the inevitable points of comparison accompanying it. Only a matter of days ago, Mourinho was accused of resorting to long-ball tactics by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, as the aerial prowess of substitute Marouane Fellaini grabbed a late equaliser in the most recent instalment of the northwest derby.

“They played long balls in a wild game. We played the better football and had the better plan. In the end period of the game when United started playing long balls – to Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – after 80 minutes high intense football it is really hard.”

It mimicked Sam Allardyce’s accusations of ‘long-ball United’ in February 2015, when Fellaini was once again utilised as a battering ram to punch holes in the opposition box and create second-ball scenarios for his team-mates, as United successfully searched for a last-minute leveller against West Ham.

“In the end, we couldn’t cope with the long balls Manchester United kept putting in the box. It was just, thump it forward and see what they could get. In the end, it paid off for them.”

The hint of attritional tactics also triggered memories of the reverse fixture earlier this season, when Mourinho put everything into escaping Anfield with just a point – his side barely producing one genuine attack throughout the entire ninety minutes.

But the statistics suggest a rather different story, the performances against Liverpool being the anomalies rather than the norm. Indeed, in terms of goals scored, goals scored from open play, shots and dribbles (all per match), United have improved from their two years under LVG, whilst long balls have decreased and goals conceded has stayed the same. That’s no small feat considering the intensity and competitiveness of the Premier League has reached unprecedented heights this season, whereas Van Gaal oversaw a relatively uneventful 2014/15 and a chaotic 2015/16 that, in truth, he should have capitalised on more.

Yet, there is one crucial area where LVG currently rules supreme over the Special One, in a curious variation from the latter’s career. Indeed, Mourinho has become revered for obtaining the right results from the most important games, but his United side have struggled to live up to that billing this season.

Across all competitions, the Red Devils have managed just two wins against the Premier League’s ‘big six’ – one of which was a victory over a severely weakened Manchester City side in the EFL Cup. They struggled to get going in both northwest derbies, lost the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, failed to overcome Arsenal – a side Mourinho boasts a fantastic record against historically – and were annihilated by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a 4-0 romping.

Indeed, whilst Mourinho may have found a considerably more popular balance between results and performances than Van Gaal, the most vital, most-Mourinho piece of the jigsaw is still yet to be put in place. As paradoxical as it may seem, during a season in which it appears the top six has become a complete league of their own, United may well be better off with Van Gaal in the dugout, grinding out results against their closest divisional rivals.

Chris Smalling seemed to have cemented his place in Manchester United’s backline last season, but under manager Jose Mourinho he has dropped down the pecking order.

The centre-back has started just seven Premier League games this season, and four of his outings have come off the bench.

Surprisingly, Marcos Rojo was brought in from the cold and has formed a partnership with Phil Jones.

At the moment, the pair seem to be Mourinho’s first-choice defensive pairing, but it is worth noting that Eric Bailly has been away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Regardless, Smalling is struggling for game time, and his performance in Thursday night’s EFL Cup semi-final against Hull City did not breed much confidence.

United’s 17-game unbeaten run came to an end as the Tigers won 2-1 on the night, but Mourinho’s side progressed into the final 3-2 on aggregate thanks to their 2-0 first-leg win at Old Trafford.

After the match, some United fans took to Twitter to criticise Smalling’s performance.

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Tottenham Hotspur are the closest challengers to Premier League leaders Chelsea, but there is a big part of their game that they need to work on.Mauricio Pochettino’s men are currently nine points adrift of the Blues and are on a positive run having gone unbeaten in their last nine fixtures.The North London outfit’s title campaign crumbled in the closing stages of last season, effectively handing the crown to Leicester City early.The team are well equipped to challenge again, but they have plenty of ground to make up if they want to halt Chelsea’s charge.One particular statistic from OptaJoe has shed light on where Pochettino’s men could improve.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]

As the tweet above shows, Spurs have created the most shots outside of the danger area than any other club in the division.

However, in just 208 attempts, only one has ended in the back of the net, which suggests that the players need to work on their accuracy.

They do not have to worry too much, though, as they currently have the fifth-best attack in the league with 46 goals, six shy of top-scorers Arsenal.

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Jonathan Biabiany’s agent Davide Bega has told Calciomercato that his client rebuffed Chelsea last month and that he admires West Ham United.

What’s the word?

The winger’s representative has revealed that Chelsea manager Antonio Conte contacted Biabiany directly in a bid to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge.

However, apparently there was not enough time left in the January window to agree a deal that suited the player.

In an interview with Calciomercato, Bega said:

“Conte wanted him and personally talked to Jonathan to persuade him to move to Chelsea. Chelsea’s offer, however, was late. They called us on Sunday night and the transfer window was closing two days later. There was no time to finalise a deal.”

The football agent also said that Biabiany “likes the Hammers” when asked if the winger would like to play for the East London outfit.

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Could both make summer swoops?

Conte is clearly a fan of the 28-year-old given that he personally spoke to the player regarding a potential move, so he may revisit the deal when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

The problem for Biabiany, though, is that he will struggle to gain a spot in the first team given how well Chelsea’s players are performing.

The manager would be wary of breaking up a unit that have lost just three Premier League games all season and are on course to be crowned champions.

Biabiany would have more of a chance to play if he joined the Hammers, but the fact that he has not made a single Serie A appearance this season is concerning.

In fact, the Frenchman has featured just three times in the Europa League and only two of those outings were starts.

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There’s no denying that Manchester United ace David De Gea and Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris are amongst the finest in the Premier League but it has been extremely difficult to pick between the two.De Gea has developed into one of the most exciting young goalkeepers in the world, whilst Lloris has established himself as one of the top keepers in Europe- and both have reportedly attracted the attention of Real Madrid.Whilst it has been difficult to split the two in the past, new statistics suggest that the younger keeper of the pair is actually the better.

In the last three Premier League seasons, David De Gea has kept 35 clean sheets compared to Hugo Lloris’ 31- and that should be enough to quell the debate for the time being, although there’s likely to be another angle that appears soon.

Either way, we can all agree that both stoppers are amongst the finest in the world.

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This weekend is going to be an emotional one for Spurs and their fans as they gear up for what looks likely to be their last ever cup match at White Hart Lane.

The north London club are due to play their matches across 2017/18 at Wembley as building work on their new stadium takes place, and with the FA Cup’s semi-finals and final taking place at the aforementioned home of English football, Millwall on Sunday will be the last at the ground – unless plans are put back.

With this in mind, we asked Lilywhites supporters which cup game through the years at White Hart Lane was their favourite ever, and the results are in…

There’s no real surprise in that a 5-1 drubbing of Arsenal in the Carling Cup in 2008 topped the board. Elsewhere, the 3-1 Champions League beating of Inter Milan proved popular, as did the 1984 UEFA Cup win over Bayern Munich.

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Some of the world’s greatest footballers of current and yesteryear will be looking to reproduce some of that sporting greatness on the golf course this summer.

At the ICONS of Football 2017 Tournament, English football legends will take on Rest of the World football stars in a battle at the Belfry from 23rd-25th June.

These Icons will be trading in boots and balls for a set of golf clubs, where they will see how their finishing ability and touch on the football pitch will transition on to the golf course.

From classic goals on the International stage to long range efforts for their clubs, the ROTW team are no strangers to brilliant goals. The team will need to bring their ‘A game’ to beat the England team, but many of the ROTW players are accustomed to winning.

Here a look at some of the most memorable goals from five members of the ROTW team…

Ryan Giggs vs Arsenal

Ryan Giggs is one of the most decorated footballers in the British game and one of his most iconic moments came in an FA Cup semi final replay v Arsenal in 1999.

With the game notched at 1-1 and the match deep into extra time, Giggs took it upon himself to change the match and, with the ball at the halfway line, weaved through Arsenal defenders before blasting it into the top corner to give United the win.

His celebration is one of the most iconic moments in FA Cup history fans can expect a similar reaction if Giggs nails a tough putt on the 18th to win the ICONS of Football Tournament this June.

Alessandro Del Piero vs Germany

Alessandro Del Piero had a historic career at Juventus but one of the star striker’s biggest goals came on football’s grandest stage.

With Italy winning by a goal in the waning moments of extra time against Germany in the 2006 World Cup semi final, Del Piero put the game out of reach with a cheeky blast that soared straight into the top right corner leading Italy to the World Cup final, which they won in penalties.

Andriy Shevchenko vs Juventus

There was a time when Andriy Shevchenko was the best player in Europe; he proved it over the course of his career with excellent finishing ability and blazing pace.

His goal against Juventus with Milan is one of the impressive goals in football history. Racing past defenders, Shevchenko was outside the right corner of the box and blasted a strike across his body, dipping just in time to find the top left corner of the net.

Peter Schmeichel vs Everton

It is not often that a goalkeeper finds himself on the scoresheet. Peter Schmeichel is not only an excellent shot-stopper but he also had an eye for goal as he notched 11 goals over his career. One of his more impressive goals came when he scored against Everton, becoming the first goalkeeper to score a Premier League goal.

Gabriel Batistuta vs Man United

Gabriel Batistuta scored more than 200 goals in his career and there were many that left fans shaking their heads in amazement and disbelief. One such goal came in a 2000 Champions League game against Manchester United. If Batistuta can strike the golf ball as well as he took that shot against Man United, it will be a long day for the England side at the Belfry in June.

To see these iconic goalscorers, and their ROTW teammates, book your tickets to see ICONS of Football 2017 now – www.icons-series.com