Arsenal news: Jon Walters explains how Stoke ‘bullied’ the Gunners during Arsene Wenger’s reign

Jon Walters admits Stoke were always deliberately aggressive against Arsenal – because they knew Arsene Wenger ‘hated’ facing them.

Stoke’s ultra-physical tactics and Wenger’s complaints and the Ryan Shawcross tackle that broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg have helped create a genuine rivalry between the two sides.

The Gunners traditionally struggled at the bet365 Stadium, from the Potters’ promotion in 2008 until their relegation last season – and Walters, the former Stoke winger, claims to know why.

“We used to bully Arsenal. We knew they didn’t like coming,” he told talkSPORT.

Walters says Stoke enjoyed playing Arsenal

“There was a bit with Arsene Wenger and the crowd. The atmosphere was like nothing else.

“The Stoke fans were really up for it, they generated a great noise and Arsenal hated coming to the Britannia.

“First challenge, I’d win the ball but I’d go right through whoever I was pressing against.

“We used to not let teams out. If they wanted to play out we’d set it up so they could play out to the centre-half, but I would full-on sprint, everyone would be behind me and that just gets the crowd going.

“Once we got the crowd going, they were on the back foot.”

Another former Stoke man, Dave Kitson, previously told talkSPORT that Stoke’s excessive aggression against Arsenal directly led to Ramsey’s horror injury in February 2010.

Ramsey suffered a horror injury after a challenge by Shawcross

He said: “We crossed the line because we went hell for leather to try and win that game and be aggressive, which was a reflection of the way Tony [Pulis] wanted us to play.

“We didn’t go out to break anyone’s leg. We did go out to be physical and in that game we crossed the line.”

Six months after that incident, Wenger took aim at Pulis’ tactics and labelled Stoke a ‘rugby team’.

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“We’d laugh about that,” Walters added.

“No one goes out to deliberately injure anyone. Yeah, you’d have a firm tackle and get stuck in, you knew the Arsenal players were wilt.

“But saying we were a rugby team?”

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Jon Walters admits Stoke were always deliberately aggressive against Arsenal - because they knew Arsene Wenger 'hated' facing them. Stoke's ultra-physical tactics and Wenger's complaints and the Ryan Shawcross tackle that broke Aaron Ramsey's leg have helped create a genuine rivalry between the two sides.
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Arsenal news: Jon Walters explains how Stoke 'bullied' the

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