This week’s View From The Enemy comes from the Stoke Sentinel, and focuses on an interview with the Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi who only moved to Stoke in the summer. After two clean sheets in a row against Watford and Burnley, he is feeling confident in his fellow defenders ahead of the trip to Arsenal where they haven’t won a game for 35 years. Read on…..,
Arsenal v Stoke City: Bruno Martins Indi wants end to losing Emirates run By Martin_Spinks
Bruno Martins Indi is pumped up to try and help Stoke City grab a slice of history at Arsenal tomorrow.
Stoke trek south to The Emirates burdened by a miserable record of eight defeats on all eight previous visits – and they have lost on their last 14 league and cup trips to Arsenal since winning at Highbury in 1981.
But Martins Indi, one player untroubled by any psychological scars, is confident an in-form Stoke can make a rare impression at The Emirates this weekend.
“We have two clean sheets in a row, that’s very important, and we are going there to play our game,” insisted the on-loan Dutchman. “Everything looks better when you win, always.
“I don’t like to talk about individual players of other teams. They have a very good squad, we as well, and we are going to see Saturday what is going to be the result.
“I try to do my best for Stoke City. We want to achieve something that Stoke City have never achieved and, if I can play my part in that, it is very positive and I will do everything to do that.
“We have a few days to focus on the game. It’s going to be a tough game, we know that, but so is every game in the Premier League. We are going to face them and we want to see the result after 90 minutes, or 93.”
The 24 year-old former Feyenoord and FC Porto defender has played at the highest level in club football, as well as the 2014 World Cup finals, but admits the weekly grind of the Premier League is something else.
“It’s not easy to come here and play your games like other competitions,” he admits. “Every week is tough. You need to run, you need to go in the spirit of the challenge, so it’s different.
“Also it is quite faster. I’ve also played in the Champions League and every week is like a Champions League game, the impact.
“But I am a happy man, always. I like the competition, but I am still adapting. I am only here four months, so I need to adapt and know more about the culture, why people are so proud about the competition.
“I come from the city and now I am living in the country, so it is different and I need to adapt more, but it will come.”
Martins Indi, who reported no damage after being caught in the face by an elbow against Burnley last week, has spent the week wondering if he will be playing alongside skipper Ryan Shawcross, recent sidekick Marc Muniesa, or both.
Shawcross has missed the last two games with a calf injury, but Martins Indi stressed: “Ryan is not gone. Ryan is still there and we need everyone. The season is going to be very tough.
“I’m playing my part, but in the whole team everyone is giving 100 per cent, but I don’t like to talk about myself and my influence, that’s not something for me.
“If everyone understands what we need to do, it’s easier and it doesn’t matter if it’s with you, or him, or Muni, or Glenn (Whelan). It’s no problem.”
Stoke have definitely improved over the last few years and are not just known for their bruising tactics any more. They are currently sitting in 9th place in the League and are actually unbeaten in their last four away games, so this is going to be far from easy for Arsenal.
But surely we are playing at another level to them recently?
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