MOTD2 Extra

Jason Burt on Arsenal's recent struggles against Stoke: "Stoke know they can get after Arsenal at home, but Wenger is also pig-headed and will go with the same team and tactics each time they play at the Britannia, thinking he can outplay them. When Arsenal play Stoke at home, it's a completely different set of circumstances."

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Remember much about 1981?

Nope, me neither, mostly because I was not around then but a quick internet search tells me it was the year Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest with "Making your mind up", oversized shoulder pads were an acceptable fashion choice and a little Italian plumber first started winding up an oversized ape in Donkey Kong.

It was also the last time Stoke travelled to Arsenal and returned with anything to show for their visit to London, Lee Chapman scoring the winner for the Potters.

With 12 league games and 12 wins on home soil since then, everything points to a straightforward Arsenal win today, but then, much like operating the zip on Arsene Wenger's coat,, external things are never as easy as they seem...

QPR midfielder Joey Barton on MOTD 2 Extra

On QPR's relegation battle: "What people forget is that QPR scraped promotion. We didn't get promotion pulling up trees. We did it the hard way. We finished at least 10 points behind Leicester and Burnley. We should be bottom of the league, so if we can finish 17th it will have been a great season."

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter on MOTD2 Extra

"Alan Pardew is an excellent manager and he will galvanise Crystal Palace. Selhurst Park will be vibrant again under him. Alan is the first person to leave St James' Park on his own terms in 14 years and in time his four years at the club will be seen in a positive light."

Reaction from Twitter to Arsene Wenger leaving Wojciech Szczesny out against Stoke:

Moses Ayeni: Wenger made the right decision benching Szczesny, I really want Ospina to stamp his place in goal for Arsenal.

Kashmo: Arsene shuffling out the keepers. Finally! By the way, this is a much stronger bench we've been able to manage season long.

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter

"Stoke have had a bit of success on the road this season and I think they can cause Arsenal some problems today."

QPR midfielder Joey Barton on MOTD 2 Extra

"I can understand the frustration of Arsenal's fans. You have to go away at this time of year and dig in. You look at Arsene Wenger's side and ask 'who is going to lead the side?'. Mikel Arteta is a good player but he's not a leader of men."

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Stoke striker Jon Walters, speaking to BBC Sport's Mark Chapman: "Recently there's been a lot made about this fixture and there is a rivalry there. Arsenal keep the ball very well and will be dangerous so it will be a difficult game. We will try and keep the ball ourselves but it could be one of those games where we sit in, soak up the pressure and hit them on the break. We did that at Spurs and Man City and came away with all three points."

Jacco Rubbens: Ospina starting was inevitable and for the best; he needs time to reflect on the Southampton performance away from the media

Jack Saunders: Arsene Wenger putting a marker down and sending a message to the others in the team. Good decision but is Ospina good enough?

Charlie Wheeler: Ospina starting after some goal keeping clangers vs Saints. The smoking doesn't help but the poor display a main factor.

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MOTD2 Extra

Jason Burt on Arsenal leaving Wojciech Szczesny out against Stoke: "I think Arsenal will look to offload Szczesny in the summer now and look to bring in another first choice goalkeeper. Obvious candidate is Petr Cech if Arsenal can do a deal with Chelsea, while Tim Krul will also be a target the club have in mind."

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Aside from David Ospina making his first Premier League start for Arsenal, Olivier Giroud returns from suspension while Nacho Monreal is also in the side.

Stoke's new loan signing Philipp Wollscheid makes his debut against Arsenal after the centre-back joined from Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the week. Bojan also returns to the first XI.

Mark Hughes makes eight changes from the side which beat Wrexham 3-1 in the FA Cup third round last weekend. Striker Mame Diouf is absent at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Arsenal XI: Ospina, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Cazorla, Alexis, Giroud. Subs: Szczesny, Bellerin, Flamini, Ramsey, Ozil, Campbell, Walcott.

Stoke XI: Begovic, Cameron, Wollscheid, Shawcross, Pieters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Arnautovic, Bojan, Walters, Crouch. Subs: Butland, Muniesa, Ireland, Wilson, Moses, Adam, Sidwell.

QPR midfielder Joey Barton on MOTD 2 Extra

"Alan Pardew does love himself. But he is one of the best man-managers I have worked with. Palace just needed someone to make a few subtle adjustments."

Thoughts on the Arsenal team, Gunners fans? Arsene Wenger showing Wojciech Szczesny who's boss after the Poland keeper was reportedly caught smoking in the showers after the New Year's Day loss at Southampton?

Let us know, #bbcfootball, external

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David Ospina starts in goal for Arsenal, with Wojciech Szczesny on the bench. Mesut Ozil is also among the substitutes on his return from injury.

Arsenal XI: Ospina, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Cazorla, Alexis, Giroud. Subs: Szczesny, Bellerin, Flamini, Ramsey, Ozil, Campbell, Walcott

Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann, speaking to Match of the Day 2 Extra: "Alan Pardew has given everyone a massive boost and given the fans a lift. He has tried to get across to us that we've got a great bunch of lads who work their socks of but it's shown in quite a few games that we've not put chances away or put bodies into the box.

"We do need to score more goals. He has told the defenders to pass the ball a bit more and have the confidence to do that. He wants us to keep possession because for the majority of the season we have not had much of the ball in games."

MOTD2 Extra
MOTD2 Extra

Jason Burt, football correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph, on a tight situation at the foot of the Premier League: "There are some very good teams there, but there some who are very much of a muchness with not a lot between them.

"The whole league has concertinaed this season. Everyone is in contention and nobody has been cut adrift at either the top or the bottom. That's why there's been so little movement in both the managerial and the transfer market.

"Everyone is holding what they've got."

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter

"Tony Pulis and West Brom and Alan Pardew and Crystal Palace will have momentum. I don't think Newcastle and Stoke can be included in the relegation picture but Everton will be nervously looking over their shoulder although they are still looking up rather than down. Aston Villa and Sunderland are not scoring goals so that's a big concern for them."

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I told a little lie in my opening entry to this live commentary. I said it was business as usual on Saturday in the Premier League, but not quite as Alan Pardew had the unfamiliar sound his name being chanted and cheered after guiding Crystal Palace to a crucial win against Tottenham in his first Premier League game in charge of the club.

Pardew also revealed that Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley sent him a congratulatory text after the win.

He said: "You can't win Premier League games if you're going to be super-disciplined and I felt we needed a bit more maverick behaviour in the team. Mike Ashley just said 'great result' and I appreciated that from him."

We asked whether Wilfried Bony is worth his transfer fee in his proposed move from Swansea to Manchester City. 71.2% of you said no, while only 28.8% said yes he was. Thanks for voting.

QPR midfielder Joey Barton on MOTD Extra

On the relegation battle: "The benchmark for staying up is 37, 39, 40 points. I think it will be a bit lower than that this season because everyone is beating everyone. I think it will go right down to the wire which is great for the fans."