Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. Millenic Alli celebrates a goal

  2. Nat Phillips is congratulated by West Bromwich Albion teammates after scoring at Stoke City

  3. Neil Harrison, a man with grey hair and beard, is wearing a twead jacket and plaid shirt.

  4. Goalkeeper True Grant during a game for Manchester City

  6. Ben House celebrates his winning goal

  7. Two performers are balanced on a series of interlinked bamboo poles. One of the performers is upside down with his back arched, the other is sat watching, perched on poles nearby.

  8. A close-up image of a woman, Barbara Pointon, who has blonde hair and is wearing a black top.

  9. National League ball

  10. Johansson played 'huge part' in Stoke's win at Saints

    Charlotte Richardson
    Final Score reporter at St Mary's

    Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson grips the ball in one handGetty Images

    "We are top of the league" rang out amongst Stoke City supporters and how proud they can be of their side's resilient display at Southampton.

    Three wins in three for the visitors inflicting a first defeat of the campaign for Will Still's side.

    I have to shout out Stoke keeper, Viktor Johansson. He pulled off some exceptional saves at key moments.

    Commanding off his line, positionally astute, there was little he could do to prevent Taylor Harwood-Bellis' bullet header - but what a part he played in what proved to be the winning goal.

    Johansson came out to gather a Southampton corner, doing so with such poise and clarity he was able to quickly identify the counter-attacking opportunity was on.

    He unleashed Sorba Thomas, who dispatched the chance well but Stoke's No.1 played a huge part - in the goal and the victory.

  11. 'Stoke players feel they could do something special'

    Mark Elliott
    BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator

    Sorba Thomas of Stoke City celebratesGetty Images

    Stoke City showed a different side of themselves at Southampton and left the south coast having turned a very good start to the season into a great one.

    They edged the game with 11 men on the field but it was Divin Mubama's red card that gave the Potters the chance to really show the progress they're making.

    Stoke started the game well without creating the clear-cut chances their work between the boxes deserved.

    They were thankful for one terrific save from Viktor Johansson and wastefulness from impressive teenager Jay Robinson and former Stoke man Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but they were the better side.

    Lewis Baker scored a vital goal to punish those mistakes and keeps popping up in dangerous areas in and around the edge of the penalty area. It's realistic to think he could provide 10 goals or more from midfield this season.

    Mubama's dismissal, which followed a second yellow card for diving, felt extremely harsh and changed the game, but Stoke took the opportunity to show they could win when their backs are against the wall.

    Sorba Thomas' fine finish from a brilliant Johansson assist gave them breathing space and showed they can be clinical on the break, whilst their defending highlighted a growing togetherness and tenaciousness.

    To a man, Stoke's players all talk about the bond they're forming and the fact that they feel they're part of a group that could do something special this season.

    The calm resilience with which they saw the game out had a noisy away end bouncing at full-time.

    Players, coaches and fans were celebrating in unison in the corner at St Mary's and it feels like that togetherness is extending out from the dressing room and onto the terraces in a way not seen at this club in a long time.

    Manager Mark Robins was again the voice of reason post-match. Whilst warning everyone not to get too far ahead of themselves, he did tell the fans and players to "enjoy this". Starts don't get much better.

    So, how would Robins celebrate? "A bottle of water" with a bit of game analysis on the long journey home. That win was intoxicating enough.

  12. An aerial artist's impression of the road - there is lettering on the floor which indicates sections of the road form a bus gate, and there are people milling about the front of an elaborate railway station building.

  13. A concrete trig point on top of a hill, with views of the surrounding countryside for miles around.

  14. England prepare for a team photo

  15. A bench with black and white images of the members of Black Sabbath has flowers resting across the bench

  16. Sam Parkin, Final Score EFL pundit

  17. Robins questions Mubama's second yellow at Southampton

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins Rex Features

    Mark Robins' side beat Southampton 2-1 despite Divin Mubama's red card

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins described Divin Mubama's dismissal for diving at Southampton as "unnecessary" and wondered if his striker could have stayed on his feet and scored instead.

    Mubama went to ground after Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu rushed out and dived at his feet as the Stoke striker bore down on goal just before the hour mark.

    Referee Josh Smith deemed Mubama's actions worthy of a second caution for simulation.

    Stoke eventually held on despite their numerical disadvantage to claim a 2-1 victory and third successive Championship win but Robins said: "We went down to 10 men unnecessarily, in my opinion.

    "He's got his ankles tapped by the goalkeeper, there's no doubt about that, but I think he's gone round the goalkeeper.

    "His first touch has taken him around him so it begs the question why would he go down? I don't get it.

    "I haven't asked him, I have not had that conversation with him.

    "But I think that he can go round him, stick it into the empty net and then walk away with his arm raised in the air rather than getting a red card for a second yellow, which means we miss him for Tuesday and we've got a backs against the wall task for the remaining, half an hour."

    Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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  18. National League matchball

  19. Stockport match winner Oliver Norwood

  20. Southampton's Jay Robinson, left, in action against Stoke City

  21. Two men wearing sunglasses pose with a cityscape against blue sky in the background.

  22. Four men standing outside a storefront built in honey-coloured stone. They are all wearing caps and three have branded restaurant tops on. The fourth is in a checked shirt. Next to them, a sign reads "The Beefy Boys"

  23. A woman wearing a carnival outfit looks at the camera with a smile. She has long platinum blonde hair and wears a multi-coloured, sequinned top with feathers of yellow, blue, orange and gold flowing up from her shoulders

  24. A pedestrian crossing which is white has had red crosses painted in each of the sections. Behind the crossing is a closed restaurant.