One of the most intriguing narratives in the Premier League during the late 2000s and early 2010s was the psychological advantage Tony Pulis’ Stoke City held over Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.
The contrasting styles of both teams often saw the physically dominant Potters leave the more finesse-oriented Gunners feeling battered and bruised when they visited the then-Britannia Stadium.
Remarkably, under Pulis, Arsenal managed to secure only one victory in their six trips to the Potteries.
Pulis Discusses His Success Against Arsenal
Pulis led Stoke through five seasons in the top tier, achieving a commendable finish no lower than 14th each year, largely due to their expertise in set pieces and Rory Delap’s legendary long throws.
Interestingly, Arsenal, who often criticized Stoke’s tactics, have transformed into the league’s set-piece specialists during Mikel Arteta's tenure.
This irony is not lost on Pulis. He shared, “We always seemed to have it over Arsenal, psychologically as much as anything else. Arsene was perplexed by Rory’s exceptional throwing ability and the chaos it created.”
He further recalled Arsene Wenger's attempts to counter their strategy: “He tried to ban throw-ins, complained about the pitch's grass length, and even mentioned that our field was the smallest – it wasn’t, it was the same size as Goodison Park.”
“Wenger discovered numerous excuses to criticize us when playing at the Britannia, but it was truly wonderful. If we could have faced Arsenal every week, we would have, because it was immensely enjoyable.”
“The atmosphere was always electric for those matches.”
“In fact, for the first few years in the Premier League with Stoke, every home game was something extraordinary.”
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