Arsenal not prepared to break bank to keep Jack Wilshere
Email Nick at nick.ames@guardian.co.uk or tweet: @NickAmes82
11.36am BST
Welcome to the big one – if you’re a Stoke fan, anyway! For Arsenal the league season has long since a bit ... how do the kids say ... “meh”, but we have here in our hands an affair that could make an impact on the relegation battle. Because if the Gunners are not at full throttle, and would rather pay fuller attention to Thursday’s assignment with CSKA Moscow (it really has come to this) then perhaps Paul Lambert’s side have the perfect opportunity to record a result that might put them in with a big shout of safety.
They could do with one, as the game are running out. Stoke have won once since 23 December and, while Lambert hasn’t done too much wrong since replacing Mark Hughes, it would be a stretch to say the change has made a big difference. They are three points from 17th place, effectively four if you consider their goal difference, and with Spurs up next week you’d have to say these matches against the top six aren’t really free hits anymore.
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