Stoke City

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.

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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.

Image source, Rex Features

Blackburn boss John Eustace admits Rovers will miss the leadership qualities of Lewis Baker, who has been recalled from loan by Stoke.

The 29-year-old has started five Championship games in holding midfield in the past month among his 13 Rovers appearances, scoring his only goal in the win over Cardiff in November.

Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Lewis has been fantastic on and off the pitch. Most importantly off the pitch really, as a leader. His experience has really helped the group through some good times and some difficult times.

"He's been brilliant with the young boys. He's a top professional and that's the reason why we brought him to the football club.

"We knew what we'd get from him and he's going to be missed."

Rovers' 21-year-old striker Harry Leonard also had his say, adding: "He was great with me and great around the dressing room.

"He's come in to the team in the last few weeks and has done really well. His ability in training and in the games is there for everyone to see.

"It's a big miss for everyone."

Image source, Getty Images

New Stoke City boss Mark Robins has recalled midfielder Lewis Baker from his scheduled season's loan with Blackburn Rovers.

The 29-year-old former Chelsea youth player scored the only goal of the game to beat Robins' Coventry City on the opening day of the season.

But he was then allowed out on loan to fellow Championship side Blackburn on transfer deadline day in August.

He has made 13 appearances to help Blackburn to seventh place in the Championship, 12 places and 12 points ahead of Stoke.

But he has returned to The Potters in time for Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie at Sunderland.

"It was clear in discussions with Mark that he believes Lewis can play an important role in our squad," said sporting director Jonathan Walters.

"With the best part of 300 career appearances to his name, Lewis will add invaluable experience, while his technical ability is something our supporters will be well aware of.

"Having started each of Blackburn's four fixtures over the festive period, he returns ready to make an immediate impact."

Baker, originally signed by former boss Michael O'Neill on loan from Chelsea in January 2022, is currently on a three-year deal with Stoke, which expires at the end of this season.

Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion are among clubs interested in signing Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas, with the 19-year-old impressing in his 25 Championship appearances on loan at Stoke City this season. (Daily Mail, external)

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

New Stoke City boss Mark Robins said he was pleased with the effort his side produced despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Championship bottom club Plymouth on Saturday.

The Potters dominated possession against managerless Argyle- with 65% of the ball- but out of 18 shots on goal, only hit the target three times.

"There's a lot that we can work on clearly but when you're coming into a third game in a week, whoever you're playing against, it is really difficult," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

The draw stretched the Potters' unbeaten run to three games following victory over Sunderland and a hard-fought draw at high-flying Burnley in Ryan Shawcross' short tenure as interim boss, and Robins is keen to focus on the positives.

"They've tried to execute everything we've asked them to do so, for the first game, it was a reasonable point in the end," he added.

"There were some really decent performances in there for a start.

"I'd like us to move the ball quicker, but for a starting position - off the back of the physical demands of the week- it was a really good shift, so I have no complaints."

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City fan George Weaver, also known as Potterlytics, has been speaking to Lucas Yeomans on the BBC's A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast about the appointment of Mark Robins and his first game in charge.

The Potters drew 0-0 with bottom side Plymouth on Saturday, three days after Robins joined on New Year's Day.

Potterlytics said: "In a vacuum, the Mark Robins appointment in terms of who is available, I'm pretty excited by it. The work he did at Coventry was incredible.

"I don't think Mark Robins was part of any long-term plans at Stoke prior to the issues with Narcis Pelach and how poorly that went.

"I feel Robins has come in to implement some of his own long-term plans and that's fine, but it's more of a return to rolling the dice.

"On the positive side, this is a dice roll that's more likely to work out. I think he suits the club, I think he suits what we're looking for at this point in time but it's still a dice roll.

"There's no way this is what Stoke were looking to do when they brought in Pelach, when they brought in Jon Walters, when they brought in [Steven] Schumacher in the first place.

"Robins is a pretty decent fit and probably more likely to come off than some of the previous ones."

On the performance against Plymouth, Potterlytics added: "The big takeaway was that the vast majority of that starting XI were absolutely knackered after 45 to 50 minutes.

"The way they worked in the Burnley and Sunderland games, that was inevitable. He [Robins] said afterwards we've not got a great depth of squad to work with at the minute.

"So it very much makes sense that it was a bit of a tired performance. But I don't think there is too much we can take out of it in terms of what Robins is going to be like in the long-term."

Listen to A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast on BBC Sounds.

At least one new era will begin at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday (12:30 GMT) when Mark Robins takes charge of his first game since being installed as Potters boss, having watched their 0-0 draw at Burnley from the stands on New Year's Day.

It will be Plymouth's second match since parting ways with Wayne Rooney, with Kevin Nancekivell and Joe Edwards having taken charge of the dramatic 2-2 draw against Bristol City to kick-off 2025.

Argyle remain bottom, effectively five points from safety, but City are too close for comfort, seven points ahead of Plymouth, but having played a game more.

• Stoke City have won their last two league meetings with Plymouth Argyle, last winning three in a row against the Pilgrims between March 1963 and October 1987 (four in a row).

• Plymouth have never won away to Stoke City in the Football League in 20 previous attempts (D6 L14); among current EFL fixtures, the only teams to go away to an opponent more often without earning a single victory are Mansfield (25 v Reading), Coventry (23 v Preston) and Blackburn (22 v Luton).

• Three of Stoke City's four home wins in the Championship this season have seen them net the winning goal in the final 15 minutes – the Potters could win back-to-back home matches for the first time this season.

• Plymouth have conceded more goals (35) and scored the joint-fewest goals (3) of any team away from home in England's top four tiers this season – the Pilgrims (2.69A, 0.23F) are currently only the second team in English league history to average more than 2.50 goals conceded per game and average fewer than 0.25 goals per game in an away campaign after Gainsborough Trinity in 1901-02 (3.23A 0.24F).

• For the third year in a row, Stoke City will have a different manager in the dugout for their first home match of the year (Alex Neil in 2023, Steven Schumacher in 2024).