Pulis praises Stoke spirit

Tony Pulis was delighted to see his Stoke side put in the perfect pre-Wembley performance on Sunday.

The Potters could have been forgiven for having one eye on next weekend’s FA Cup final when they welcomed Arsenal to the Britannia Stadium.

If they did, they did not let it show, with a 3-1 win providing the ideal preparation for a date with Manchester City.

Pulis was insistent afterwards that he never expected his squad to take their eye off the ball, with Stoke having established a reputation for giving their all in every game they play.

“It was pleasing in the respect of the effort and commitment the players have put in when they know that their next game is at Wembley in an FA Cup final,” he told Sky Sports.

“We have got a real good spirit in the camp and I think everybody understands and recognises that if they are picked to play for us, they have to run around, they have to work hard and they have to competitive.

“We have got some good players as well to go with that, so we are really pleased.”

Tough

Pulis can now turn his attention to Saturday’s cup final and he acknowledges that City will pose another considerable challenge to his side.

He said: “I watched Man City yesterday and they are going to be a massive force in English football, without a doubt, and they played exceptionally well for an hour at Everton.

“It will be a tough game for us but we will deal with it when it comes along.”

While Stoke enjoyed an afternoon to remember against Arsenal, they did see Robert Huth and Kenwyne Jones limp from the field, providing them with an untimely injury headache.

Pressed on the pair’s chances of making the Wembley trip, Pulis said: “Huth is probably the one we are worried about the most, but we will see what it is like tomorrow instead of sitting here and making any rash statements.”