Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted his surprise at the way Stoke City now play their football ahead of Sunday's Premier League match at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke have only lost once in the league at home to Arsenal in 34 years and in recent times it was the Potters' physical football that the Gunners struggled to handle.
This season, however, Stoke have posted their best-ever tally after 21 games of a Premier League season by playing more passing football under Mark Hughes.
Asked if he was surprised at how Stoke have evolved, Wenger told PA: "Yes, I think they have gone a more technical and creative way.
"They have proved their creative potential and it's a symbol of Premier League power because Ibrahim Afellay has played at Barcelona, Xhedran Shaqiri at Bayern Munich, Bojan Krkic at Barcelona, Marko Arnautovic at Werder Bremen.
"So they have players who have played at the top European clubs. They have not taken them because they were bad and today they play at Stoke so that shows you the financial power of the Premier League."
Arsenal start matchday 22 top of the table on goal difference, with Stoke seventh, 11 points behind Wenger's side.
Pascal Lemesre
