Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. EFL match ball

  2. An EFL matchball

  3. Ben Gibson celebrates scoring for Stoke

  4. Paul McIntyre is wearing a high-visibility t-shirt which is black with fluorescent yellow shoulders and collar. He is stood on a playing field, with trees and an adjacent row of houses visible behind him.

  5. Pick of the stats - Stoke City v Cardiff City

    Stoke City and Cardiff City football club crestsPRESSBOX GRAPHICS

    Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach posted a social media message to fans this week after they lost a third game on the spin with the Potters 18th and just four points above the bottom three.

    Cardiff City occupy one of those positions are on a six-game winless streak with Omer Riza demanding a reaction following the midweek defeat to Preston North End.

    • Stoke City have failed to win any of their past eight league games against Cardiff City (D5 L3) since a 2-0 home win in February 2020.

    • Cardiff are unbeaten in their past four away league games against Stoke (W1 D3), with each of the past three ending in a draw.

    • Stoke have won just one of their past six home league games (D4 L1) and could fail to score in three successive such games for the first time since December 2023.

    • Cardiff are winless in 11 successive away league games (D5 L6); their longest such run since November 2014; they last endured a longer such run in March 2014 as a Premier League side (13 games).

    • Cardiff have shipped 37 away league goals in 2024, their most in a single year since 2019 (also 37), last conceding more back in 2014 (41).

  6. A man with short dark hair and wearing sunglasses and a black shirt stands in front of a tree.

  7. A man in a grey jumper, over a white shirt, sitting on a sofa in his lounge, with family pictures in the background on a table.

  8. A damaged marquee with no roof on the top. The fabric is hanging off the poles, with Christmas decorations still in place.

  9. National League football perched on a plinth

  10. Two men standing with their hands behind their backs, in army camouflage. They are wearing blue hats and have a green belt around their waist

  11. A CCTV black and white image of a man with a long beard, wearing a grey sweatshirt with the hood up.

  12. Dennis Taylor wearing a white shirt, black waistcoat and black bow tie and his trademark large glasses.

  13. A hospital with ambulances parked outside it. The hospital building is several storeys high, and has red and yellow cladding on the lower part.

  14. Charlotte and Carl Cooper. Charlotte is wearing a beige knitted jumper, Carl is wearing a grey jumper over a white t-shirt. There is a large television on the wall behind them and blue curtains to the right of them.

  15. 'We will find our way back'

    Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach looks onRex Features

    Narcis Pelach was appointed Stoke City head coach in September

    Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach has posted a message to fans on social media vowing to work as hard as possible to start winning games again.

    The Potters' 2-1 defeat by Luton Town on Tuesday was their third successive loss in the Championship and they have failed to win any of their past six matches.

    "Defeats hurt and late goals are hard to take, but we will find our way back," Pelach said in a post on X.

    "The next few days are about giving you something to cheer at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

    "We will work as much as possible to improve and we will soon find ourselves in a good run of results."

    Stoke have slipped to within four points of the Championship's relegation zone and on Saturday they are at home to Cardiff City, who are 22nd but could move out of the bottom three on Wednesday when they take on Preston.

  16. Interim Burton boss Tom Hounsell

  17. The fluorescent yellow bonnet of a car, with reversed lettering spelling the word police.

  18. 'You cannot choose how opposition plays' - Pelach

    Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach on the touchline at LutonRex Features

    Stoke City have lost their past three league games under Narcis Pelach

    Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach says his side tried to play the game in a different way to their opponents during their 2-1 Championship loss at Luton.

    The Potters boss praised his side for their bravery in possession but admits they were outmuscled by the home team.

    "Luton were more physical and bigger than us, but we knew that," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "We tried to play the game in another way – when we had the ball we played to our style, on the ground.

    "You cannot choose how they play - you have to face it because you cannot tell them how you want them to play but when we have the ball we can choose so I was pleased when we had the ball we tried to play our style and be brave on the ball."

    Stoke have now lost their past three Championship matches and are without a win in six games as they prepare to host third-bottom Cardiff City on Saturday.

    "We were in a good place not long ago and now we have lost three on the spin but we have to be calm and I'm sure with the body language and attitude we have we will improve very soon," added Pelach.

  19. A woman with long dark hair past her shoulders wears a light white coat with a purple scarf knotted around her neck. She stands on a road leading to a main road and behind the road is a red brick building next to trees and a muddy path

  20. A woman with blonde hair is wearing an elf costume. She has a green hat with red lining and a green top with a large red collar and gold trim. The top is fastened with a large white and purple button resembling a traditional lollipop. Behind her there is an large archway of balloons of different colours and shapes - cyan, pink, gold and red. The archway stands over a brown leather sofa in a magnolia room with a light wooden office door and white blind.

  21. A woman in a police uniform. She has blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and is standing outside in front of a patch of grass and red brick building.

  22. A bald man with brown eyes, smiling towards the camera.

  23. A lady with short, blonde hair, wearing glasses and a blue blazer. She is standing in a sports hall with an election count is happening behind her.

  24. A picture of a man with short, brown, spikey hair, who is wearing a suit and smiling