Stoke City

Norwich City will look to keep their play-off hopes alive when they welcome Stoke City to Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon (15:00).

The Canaries are 12th, four points off the top six, and without a win in their past three games (D2 L1).

The Potters have won two of their past three and are seven points above the bottom three in 19th as they look to pull away from the relegation zone.

• Norwich City are unbeaten across their past eight league games against Stoke City (W5 D3), scoring 3+ goals in four of those matches.

• Stoke City have lost each of their past three away league games against Norwich City, last enduring a longer losing run against the Canaries between 1960 and 1974 (five games).

• Norwich City lost their previous home Championship match against Preston North End but haven't lost consecutively at Carrow Road since losing to Leeds, Middlesbrough and Blackburn in October and November last season.

• Stoke City have won two of their past three Championship matches (L1), more than they'd managed in their previous 15 games combined (W1 D8 L6).

• Norwich City forward Josh Sargent has had a hand in 14 goals in his past 16 Championship starts (9 goals, 5 assists), scoring five in his past five for the Canaries.

Image source, Rex Features

Goalkeeper Tommy Simkin has agreed a new contract to stay with Stoke until the summer of 2028.

The 20-year-old has been on loan at hometown club Walsall this season, featuring in all but one of the Saddlers' League Two fixtures.

He had previous loan stints with AFC Fylde, Solihull Moors and Forest Green Rovers and has also won six England caps at Under-20 level.

"I love being a Stoke City player and my family love me being a part of the club," said Simkin. "My aim is to be Stoke City's number one in the future.

"I have played consistently this season at Walsall which has given me consistency in my game. Every game I play on loan gives me more experience and takes me closer to that goal.

"In the immediate future, I am focused on playing well and helping Walsall to hopefully achieve promotion."

Simkin has made one Championship appearance to date for the Potters, against Sheffield Wednesday in December 2023.

"Can you hear that? I think that's the Stoke City pressure cooker letting off some steam."

Lucas Yeomans is joined by Potters fan Ben Rowley to discuss Stoke City's win against Swansea City in what could be a season-defining confidence boost for a squad looking to avoid relegation.

You can listen to the full episode and more on A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast.

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke boss Mark Robins praised the vision of Lewis Baker after he scored from inside his own half to cap a 3-1 victory over Swansea City.

Baker provided a spectacular finish as the Potters put themselves six points clear of the Championship relegation places.

"It was a huge win. I think we had played really well, limited them to one shot on goal before we contrived to give them their first goal," said Robins.

"What transpired after that was nothing short of phenomenal. The fact that we have taken everything on board… We have got the ball in the box with quality, we have got ourselves into good positions and we have taken those chances.

"What happened after that was absolutely magic. I don't know if anybody here will have seen a goal like that [from Lewis Baker], or anywhere really. I think that's further than David Beckham's one.

"As soon it left his foot I looked at the goalkeeper and thought that's got a chance. It's absolutely outstanding – the vision to see it and to execute it. That's goal of the season for me. Lewis Baker, take a bow son."

Stoke are next in action away to Norwich City on 22 February.

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City must not let their battle against relegation go into the final few weeks of the season, says head coach Mark Robins.

The Potters have won only one of Robins' eight league games in charge and are just three points clear of the relegation zone with 15 matches of the season remaining.

"There's a clear identity starting to form (in our play) but it's certainly not there yet - we've got to get there and we will at some point but it's about the here and now," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We've got to pick up points, so the pressure grows every time you don't and games start to diminish, the pressure comes on and games start to become must-win."

Stoke host Swansea City, two places and five points above them in the Championship table, on Saturday with just one win from their previous eight league games at the bet365 Stadium.

"The players need to understand it's better now to start picking up points rather than having to do it with the last three, four or five games to go," added Robins.

Stoke City and Swansea will seek to get back to winning ways as they meet at the Bet365 on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

After Wednesday night's 2-0 defeat at Bristol City, the Potters remain three places and three points above the drop zone in 19th, two places but five points adrift of the Swans, who won at Ashton Gate last Sunday but went down 1-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night.

• Stoke City have won just one of their past five league games against Swansea City (D3 L1), and have failed to score in their last two league games against the Swans.

• Swansea have won only once in their past 13 league trips to Stoke (D4 L8), though have earned draws in their previous two visits in August 2022 and December 2023 (both 1-1).

• Stoke have kept a clean sheet in each of their past three home league games (W1 D2); they last did so in four successive games in November 2012.

• Swansea ended a four-game losing run on the road in the league with a 1-0 win at Bristol City; they last won successive away games in February last season.

• Stoke manager Mark Robins has faced Swansea more times than any other side in the Football League without ever recording a win (13 games – D7 L6).

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City have parted company with head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough after just eight months.

Darnbrough was appointed in June 2024 having spent seven years with the Potters Championship rivals Hull City.

Stoke signed 10 first-team players on permanent and loan deals in the summer and two more during the winter window, which proved to be Darnbrough's last.

"Lee has our sincere thanks for his efforts and dedication during his time at Stoke City. We wish him well for the future," Stoke sporting director Jon Walters told the club website., external

"The process to identify a new recruitment lead for the Club is now underway. We will inform supporters once a new appointment is made."

The decision leaves Stoke looking for their third head of recruitment in under a year after Jared Dublin left the bet365 Stadium last May before joining Hull three months later.

Image source, PA Media

Stoke manager Mark Robins spoke BBC Radio Stoke after the Potters' 2-0 defeat at Bristol City.

"We had more possession and didn't have a shot on target, which is a damning statistic, and one I'm embarrassed about," he said.

"We have to win the duels, have an attacking intent and get that impetus by playing in a way that you mean it, rather than the apologetic performance we've just seen. The players are more capable than that – they know that.

"Everyone who pays their hard-earned money deserves the minimum, which is a side that's running and fighting. We are working hard, but not in the right way. Mentally, we weren't at it.

"We have to be miles better than that, and have the intent and a desire to score goals. These are young players who tend to be resilient but, in a game, can sometimes get overawed. There were two moments in the game where we switched off, allowing them to shoot and score."

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke boss Mark Robins has said he is happy he was able to keep Wouter Burger at the club after the German midfielder gathered interest from an unnamed club on the final day of the winter transfer window.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Bristol City on Wednesday, Robins confirmed discussions had taken place regarding the 23-year-old's departure from the Bet365 Stadium, but Berger remained a key part of his plans this season.

"There was a potential to lose Wouter, so I'm pleased that he's still here," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"He's a really important player, he's a really good player and he's somebody who I think can improve further.

"For me, at that stage [of the window], it would have been really difficult to replace anybody in the squad, especially with the circumstances around the injuries.

"There is a good player in there - 100% there is. Wouter has knuckled down and he's working hard to try and improve on a day-to-day basis, so I'm pleased with what I've seen with Wouter so far."

Burger played all 120 minutes of Stoke's FA Cup fourth-round exit to Cardiff on Saturday, converting his own penalty in vain as the Potters lost 4-2 in the shootout after the match ended in a 3-3 draw.

BBC Radio Stoke commentator Mark Elliott predicts Stoke will comfortably avoid relegation this season after their FA Cup exit at the hands of Cardiff City on Saturday.

Speaking on A Cold Wet Tuesday Night, Elliott said he has seen enough signs of improvement in Stoke since Mark Robins took over as manager to ensure they will be safe in the second tier for another season.

"They're not far away as an attacking team," Elliott said, following the Potters' penalty shootout defeat after drawing 3-3 at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

"They get into really good areas, and so often the final decision, the final ball, the final shot, isn't the right one.

"I do think Mark Robins has the right ideas to get more out of them going forward, and is trying to implement them. I just think it might take a bit of time."

Robins took charge of the Potters on New Years Day and has so far overseen a steady start to his time in charge, losing just one of his first seven matches in all competitions.

Elliott said: "He is trying to get his ideas in place and embedded and across in a context where players are probably under-cooked on the training ground and overplayed [on a matchday].

"I think you can see that they are more of a threat, certainly than what they were under Narcis Pelach.

"The big thing for Stoke this season is they get enough points on the board to stay in the division and then you might start looking at the future."

Elliott also singled out Robins' omission of regular number one goalkeeper Viktor Johansson as a factor behind their fourth-round exit.

"I think, without being too critical of Jack Bonham, it highlighted again just how fortunate they are to have Viktor Johansson in goal in the league," Elliott added.

"With Johansson in goal I certainly don't think they concede at least one of those goals.

"I think the season will probably peter out and actually that is probably something we would have taken in the last couple of weeks of the Narcis Pelach era when it looked like Stoke were bang in relegation trouble."

Bristol City are looking to get their play-off bid back on track when they welcome Stoke City on Wednesday night (19:45).

The Robins have won just one of their past five games (D2 L2), including a 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea on Sunday but are still only three points off the top six.

The Potters were knocked out of the FA Cup by Cardiff on penalties at the weekend but ended a five-game winless streak with victory at Hull City last time out in the league for their first win under Mark Robins.

• Bristol City have failed to win any of their past three league games against Stoke City (D1 L2), the club's longest winless run against the Potters since a seven-match stint between April 1995 and April 2002.

• Stoke City have won each of their past two away league games against Bristol City and will be looking to win three in succession at Ashton Gate for the first time.

• Bristol City forward Nahki Wells has scored four goals in his past four Championship starts against Stoke, scoring twice in the 2-2 draw in this season's reverse fixture.

• Stoke City ended a seven-game winless away league run (D3 L4) with a 2-1 victory at Hull last time out. The Potters haven't won consecutive away games since March 2024.

• Stoke manager Mark Robins has already picked up a point at Ashton Gate this season with Coventry in August – he has only won two of his nine visits there in the EFL (D3 L4), winning with Huddersfield Town in 2012-13 and Coventry in 2021-22.