Last night’s game was always going to be difficult, an away trip to any established Premier League side often is, but the fact it was Arsenal and we are Stoke made it an even harder proposition.

I'll obviously be writing a match report after the event but I thought I would just set the scene for Wednesday's game against Arsenal in anticipation of the aftermath.

I was more than happy with a home tie against lower league opposition, and was confident we could get a result despite many of their players and fans saying we would be given a lesson in football.

Stoke were cruelly denied a point at St Andrews as Birmingham scored a 93rd minute winner following an uncharacteristic Begovic fumble.

Stoke came away with all three points following a late German inspired comeback at a windswept Britannia as Sunderland conceded from 3 set pieces on a day they lined up with as many centre halves to counter Stoke’s aerial threat.

Stoke put in another poor performance as they ‘built’ on the frustration of the Fulham game just two weeks earlier. The side seems to have regressed back to the long ball game and with a questionable team selection and the sale of Tuncay still fresh in their minds, most Stokies walked out of Anfield angry and bewildered