Peter Crouch: 'Top clubs scared of Stoke City'

Peter Crouch has expressed his belief that the big Premier League clubs are still scared of playing Stoke City following Saturday's victory over Arsenal at the Britannia Stadium.

Crouch scored after just 19 seconds as Stoke raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to further goals from Bojan and Jonathan Walters, before being pegged back 3-2 by the Gunners.

The Stoke striker believes that no team relishes the prospect of facing Mark Hughes's side.

"I've been an away player coming here in the past and I know it's not a place you want to come," Goal.com quotes him as saying.

"I've been here with Spurs, with Liverpool and as a big club you're thinking, 'Do we really have to go to Stoke?'

"We still have that fear factor. The crowd are always up for it."

Stoke are 13th in the Premier League following the win.