Stoke boss Mark Hughes has rejected Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger’s claim that Sunday’s 0-0 draw at the Britannia Stadium was “an old-fashioned battle”.
The Potters and the Gunners could not be separated at the final whistle although the point was enough for the north Londoners to move back to the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal, currently 2.50 second favourites to be crowned English champions this season, are ahead of second-placed Leicester City on goal difference, with title favourites Manchester City a point further back after 22 games.
The stalemate between Stoke and Arsenal was largely down to the form of goalkeepers Jack Butland and Petr Cech, however Wenger’s post-match comments did not sit well with Hughes.
Wenger felt Stoke’s players “made the game very physical, the crowd were up for it, the players were up for it”, but his assessment was not shared by the Potters boss.
Hughes said: “I don’t think there was a yellow card, was there? I don’t know why the physical aspect of the game needs to be mentioned.
“I thought it was a good football game, with both teams trying to win a key Premier League game. That’s certainly what we were doing.”
The draw moved Stoke on to 33 points to consolidate seventh place in the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to title-challenging Leicester.
The Potters are 4.00 to win at the King Power Stadium, with the Foxes 1.95 for the win while the draw is 3.50.
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