Stoke City vs. Arsenal: Gunners Must Win 2nd Game of EPL Season

The Premier League season is about to heat up for Arsenal. If the squad isn't able to manage a win against Stoke City, the beginning of the season could be very difficult for the Gunners.

In September, Arsenal has Liverpool, Southampton, Manchester City and Chelsea to deal with. That's not an easy month, especially against last year's champs and a Chelsea side that has looked extremely good behind new signing Eden Hazard. 

Another tie or loss against Stoke City combined with a tough September could nix Arsenal's championship aspirations very quickly this season. And a trip to face Stoke City in the team's home stadium won't be an easy victory for the Gunners.

They've only won once in four tries at Britannia Stadium, and there is no love lost between these two teams. Animosity has built after a careless Ryan Shawcross challenge in 2010 left Aaron Ramsey with a broken leg, and Stoke's fans will no doubt have some clever cheers in mind for Arsene Wenger.

And besides that, the two teams famously play contrasting styles, with Stoke City preferring a physical, cross-heavy manner of play and Arsenal playing a possession-based system predicated on good movement and clever passing.

In the past, Stoke City have, to put it bluntly, bullied Arsenal off the ball a bit. The Gunners need to end that on Sunday.

So this won't be an easy fixture for Arsenal. But another tie would be extremely disappointing, and a loss would be devastating. 

Plus, there is the Robin van Persie and Alex Song factor. The longer Arsenal struggle this year, the more fans will lament the departures of the two stars to Manchester United and Barcelona, respectively. But if the team can get on a winning track, that talk must fade away.

Besides, for all of the talk of the departures, this is still a very talented side. The additions of Lukas Podolski, Oliver Giroud and Santi Cazorla should prove to be brilliant signings by Wenger, and there is plenty of talent already on the squad.

In other words, the Gunners should remain in the top four this season. They're good enough to do so. Last season, a rough start killed the team's championship hopes. This year, they can't allow that to happen.

The Gunners must win at Stoke City. Anything less and it will prove to be a long season for the Gunners.

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