13.24 – Without further ado, the team news. That rather hulking being you see in the picture is, of course, Vito Mannone. Both Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski are injured so the Italian makes his first Gunners appearance since December.

Olivier Giroud comes in for Theo Walcott.

Stoke make two changes from the game against Reading. Dean Whitehead is suspended after his red card and is replaced by Jeff Cameron, while Jermaine Pennant comes in for Matthew Etherington.

Arsenal: Mannone; Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Merteksaker, Gibbs; Podolski, Diaby, Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho; Giroud.

Stoke: Begovic; Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson; Pennant, Cameron, Whelan, Kightly; Walters, Crouch.

13.42 – Cazorla crosses for Podolski but the German’s header goes over. And he was offside. Arsenal still to get going.

13.45 – Giroud accidentally hammers the ball against Abou Diaby and the Frenchman stays upright. Wonders will never cease…

Arsenal are pressuring the Stoke defence, with Cazorla pulling the strings.

14.10 – Another Cameron long throw is plucked from the air by Mannone. The American has seen the game pass him by, which would lead one to suspect he’s been bought purely for his javelin skills as Delap approaches his 60th birthday.

14.15 –

Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla (left) and Stoke City’s Geoff Cameron (right) battle for the ball

14.40 – Arsenal keep trying to find Mertesacker with near post corners, and it hasn’t even barely looked like working. Stoke are not exactly a team of diminutive tricksters.

15.22 – Full-time, and Arsenal have started their season with two goalless draws. Stoke have also drawn their first two games. Not a bad game but the fact that the Gunners’ build-up play failed to yield a goal, or even a serious chance, will worry Arsene Wenger.

Thanks for keeping up – join Paul Fennessey shortly for Liverpool v Man City, while Fintan O’Toole is liveblogging the All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Cork and Donegal here.