Arsenal… Title contenders? Who would have thought it? Despite a disastrous start against Aston Villa, four games into the Premier League season the Gunners are perched near the top and there is renewed optimism around the club. Today they have the opportunity to fly to the summit as they welcome Stoke to North London. Welcome to live coverage of Sunday’s clash at the Emirates.

Let's get the thoughts of Mr Wenger: “Ozil has integrated well, and been well accepted. I think he is not at the top physically yet, overall we are very pleased to have him with us, but he will demand a bit of time to adjust to the vigorous body challenges he will face here in the Premier league. Once he has done that, he will be even stronger.”

Mark Hughes appeared to have an impossible challenge when he took over at Stoke – get the team playing attractive football without spending a fortune – but he’s got off to a fantastic start with last weekend’s home draw with Man City the highlight. And get this… If Stoke claim a 3-0 win (perhaps not the most realistic target) then they will go joint top of the Premier League. Not bad at all.

This is it: the day Mesut Ozil makes his home debut. The Emirates faithful finally gets to see what a £42million signing looks like in the red of Arsenal. And they’re going to need him on top form in the coming weeks after news broke that Santi Cazorla is out until mid-October with an ankle injury.

Also just the solitary change for Stoke as Mark Hughes brings in Marko Arnautovic at the expense of Matthew Etherington. Charlie Adam recovers to take his place in the starting line-up.

Any Arsenal fans own a shirt with Bendtner on the back? Well dust off the cobwebs and get it on standby – the Danish striker is on the bench, as is Mikel Arteta who leaps off the Gunners' lengthy injury list to join the substitutes. Just the one change to Arsene Wenger’s starting XI that beat Sunderland with Per Mertesacker coming in for Carl Jenkinson.

TEAMS – Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Flamini, Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud… Subs: Viviano, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Arteta, Monreal, Bendtner, Gnabry /// Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters, Walters, Wilson, Nzonzi, Adam, Arnautovic, Jones… Subs: Sorensen, Whelan, Pennant, Palacios, Crouch, Etherington, Ireland.