On Good Friday, Stoke City hosts Bristol City at the Britannia Stadium as they look to remain in the mix for a top-10 finish in the Championship standings with kickoff at 5 pm.
After failing to earn a promotion to the Premier League, manager Michael O’Neill knows that he may not be able to keep his position on Stoke City’s coaching staff even if the Potters’ next few games go well.
However, these next few weeks will allow the team to show their fans why they deserve continued support throughout the 2016-17 season. Notably, Stoke has won three of its last four contests, with each of those wins coming against a promotion-chasing club. Stoke recently defeated West Brom 3-1 at home to move into seventh place in the Championship table.
Some would argue that Stoke is playing at a higher level because they perform with a greater sense of freedom. Still, regardless of the circumstances, they show what they are capable of under their current manager.
If he is to be kept on as manager, Nigel Pearson needs to lead Bristol City to some more convincing wins—like the ones they had against Stoke. The Robins are currently four games without a win, but they should be able to pick up enough points in their remaining five games of the season to finish 17th in the table, although this won’t make up for their lack of success this year.
Stoke City vs. Bristol City Head to Head
Both sides have nine games against each other, with the hosts take three wins while the visitors have five wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- West Brom 1-3 Stoke City
- Reading 2-1 Stoke
- Stoke City 1-0 Sheffield United
- Stoke City 2-0 Millwall
- Cardiff City 2-1 Stoke City
Away
- Bristol City 1-1 Peterborough
- Bournemouth 3-2 Bristol City
- Bristol City 2-2 West Brom
- Barnsley 2-0 Bristol City
- Blackburn 0-1 Bristol City
Stoke City Team News
O’Neill may stick with the Stoke XI, which won at The Hawthorns on Saturday. Young defender William Forrester, who impressed on his first Championship start of the season, should also keep his spot.
Bristol City Team News
Antoine Semenyo could return to the Bristol City starting lineup after making an 18-minute out last time, having recovered from injury. If manager Keith Downing doesn’t change his formation, Robbie Cundy could get another opportunity despite an indifferent performance versus Peterborough.
Prediction and Odds
After a long time, Stoke can say that they have momentum heading into a match.
- Stoke City Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- Both Teams to Score
