Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is ready to face Stoke City striker Peter Crouch today.

The 27-year-old, signed from Werder Bremen in an £8million deal last summer, feels these contrasts make the Premier League such an exciting prospect every game.

"I played against him [Crouch] at Wembley so it is not a new situation," said the German.

"When you look at Sunderland and [Stephane] Sessegnon and then one week later you play against Peter Crouch, it is weird, but you have to deal with this."