Stoke City

Ged Scott at The Hawthorns
BBC Sport England

Image source, PA Media

Stoke City boss Mark Robins praised the instant impact of Nathan Lowe who started back with his parent club just as he had left off at Walsall.

A week earlier, Lowe had scored his sixth goal in five games for League Two leaders Walsall in a 5-1 lunchtime win over Tranmere Rovers - to take his tally to 18 in his Saddlers loan spell.

With 15 in the league, the England Under-19 international was the EFL's joint top marksman with Norwich City's Borja Sainz and Stockport County's Louie Barry.

After being recalled last Sunday night by Stoke, 16 months on from his last goal for the Potters, Lowe netted again to become the EFL's leading striker on his own.

"He's only 19 and he has so much potential," Robins told BBC Sport. "He's an intelligent boy, who asks intelligent questions.

"I'm so pleased for him. He's come back full of confidence from scoring goals for Walsall – and they've obviously done a good job with him.

"He took his chance really well. He got himself in a good position and his finish was great.

"When we didn't score a second goal, you're always in danger of conceding and they were doing more attacking than us second half.

"But I'm happy to have come here and got a point. You can tell what a good side they are and why they are up there at this end of the league. They were always a threat."

Having gone five games unbeaten - three of them under new boss Robins - Stoke's third straight draw sets them up for a tough midweek trip to Portsmouth who sit four places below Stoke in 22nd, but just two points behind.

Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City have cooled their interest in a loan move for Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle after competition from Bristol City, Swansea and Millwall. (The 72, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip here.

Stoke City look to capitalise on an uptick of form as they visit West Bromwich Albion on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Potters are undefeated across their last four matches, including a victory against promotion-contenders Sunderland in the FA Cup on the weekend.

However, they will be without top scorer Tom Cannon after he was recalled by parent club Leicester City and are still in the midst relegation danger.

Meanwhile, Albion are in the battle for a playoff spot but have also seen their top scorer Josh Maja ruled out through injury.

• After losing each of their three league games against Stoke City between January 2020 and April 2022, West Brom are since unbeaten across their last five EFL matches against the Potters (W3 D2).

• Stoke have won just two of their last nine away league games against West Brom (D2 L5), failing to score more than one goal in all but one of those matches during that time.

• West Brom have won their last three home games, last winning four in a row in the Championship in February 2024 (5 in a row).

• Stoke have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three league games, with the last two ending goalless. The Potters have only drawn 3+ league games in a row 0-0 twice before, in March 2003 (3) and March 2019 (4).

• Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson has made the most saves in the 2024-25 Championship campaign (98) while he has also prevented the most goals in the division this term according to Opta's expected goals on target model (13.5 – 41.5xG, 28 conceded).

Image source, Rex Features

Former Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross has been promoted to the role of first-team coach by the Championship club.

The 37-year-old steps up from Under-21s coach, replacing former Crewe boss Alex Morris - who is leaving the club - in manager Mark Robins' backroom team.

Shawcross, who played 453 games for the Potters between 2008 and 2021, was in charge for two games prior to Robins' appointment, taking four points out of six against Sunderland and Burnley.

He retired from playing in 2022 but returned to the Bet365 Stadium the following year as part of the academy coaching staff.

Dave Hibbert has replaced Shawcross as U21s coach, with Darren Potter taking over from him in charge of the U18s.

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City full-back Junior Tchamadeu says the players are in "a good place", two weeks after new manager Mark Robins arrived.

The 21-year-old, who was named the Potters' player of the month for December, says performances have been "good as a collective" following a four-game unbeaten run, including the 2-1 victory at Sunderland in the FA Cup on Saturday.

"We're growing with each other, which is important - we're full of confidence," the Cameroon defender told BBC Radio Stoke.

Tchamadeu has been deployed at right-back in a back-four since Narcis Pelach left, both under temporary boss Ryan Shawcross and now Robins, as opposed to playing in a back-five.

"I feel I'm able to give the team what I was brought in to do," he said. "Having that freedom to do that is always going to help my game.

"I'm enjoying my football now. That's helped me a lot and it's helped the team."

Tchamadeu says Robins sets "high demands" but that it's "exactly what we want and it's what we need".

"We need high expectations, we need demands from each other, as players, as staff and everyone around the building," he said.

"Without these demands, we won't progress. It's important for us as a collective to have a demanding manager who will take no nonsense.

"He [Robins] knows the division inside and out, so with that experience it's going to help us."

Stoke City have an anxious wait ahead as striker Tom Cannon could be recalled by parent club Leicester, with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy saying "there are decisions to be made". (Stoke Sentinel), external

Both Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday are keen to sign Cannon if he becomes available. (Yorkshire Post), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip here.

Stoke could lose loan striker Tom Cannon this week, if Leicester decide to recall him and send him elsewhere, with Sunderland, Luton, Sheffield United and Wednesday all monitoring the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland forward. (Leicester Mercury, external)

Burnley boss Scott Parker is prepared to part ways with Hjalmar Ekdal and Hannes Delcroix this month, putting QPR, Stoke, Rangers and a clutch of continental clubs on high alert. (Football League World, external)

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column.

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This is the first FA Cup meeting between Sunderland and Stoke since February 1976, the Black Cats winning a fifth round replay 2-1 at Roker Park.

Sunderland have won their past two home games against Stoke, including a 2-1 Championship victory last month.

They last won three consecutive home games against the Potters in all competitions in September 1986.

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Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson has been ranked No1 in the Championship for expected goals prevented so far this season.

The ranking includes any second-tier keepers who have played 1,000 minutes or more, with the Sweden international having denied 13.5 expected goals.

Johansson is way ahead of his nearest rival, Blackburn Rovers keeper Aynsley Pears in second with 7.9, while Burnley's James Trafford is third on 7.0.

The metric, via Opta, substitutes the number of goals conceded by a keeper (in Johansson's case - 28) from his expected goals faced (where the relative shot quality of each on-target attempt is calculated and totalled; for Johansson it's 41.5).

Pretty impressive stuff from the Potters keeper, huh?

What's your favourite moment from Johansson so far?

Where does he rank in your thoughts on the summer signings?

Were you expecting him to be this good?

Where would the Potters be in the table without him?

Let us know right here.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach has been appointed first-team coach at West Ham United as part of new Hammers' boss Graham Potter's backroom staff.

Pelach was sacked by Stoke on December 27 after just three months in charge during which they won only three of his 19 games at the helm.

"Narcis Pelach is a really young coach who is excellent on the grass, excellent with the players," Potter told his first West Ham news conference, having been confirmed as Julen Lopetegui's replacement.

"We need everyone to be pulling in the same direction, we need to be aligned and using the resources we have."

Pelach had been appointed Stoke head coach in September having held previous assistant roles at Huddersfield Town and Norwich City.

He joins Billy Reid and Bruno Saltor as part of Potter's coaching team at The London Stadium.