Arsenal are yet again finding the Britannia Stadium a difficult place to visit as they laboured to a 0-0 half-time scoreline with Stoke City.

The title-chasing Gunners have only won once in their last eight visits to Staffordshire and were on the back foot for much of the opening 45 minutes this afternoon.

Wojciech Szczesny scrambled across his goal to try to save a Jonathan Walters header following a cross from Geoff Cameron, but the effort drifted wide of the far post before the offside flag was raised.

Peter Crouch nearly gave the Potters a deserved lead with an acrobatic 34th-minute volley which found the side-netting, and it was not until after this close shave that Arsenal threatened themselves.

Tomas Rosicky found some space outside the Stoke boss to roll in Lukas Podolski, who shot high and wide, and Santi Cazorla called Asmir Begovic into action with a tame strike just before the break.

Arsenal have Mesut Ozil on the bench should Arsene Wenger want to change things in the second half.