Llion analyses Stoke ahead of our Premier League fixture tomorrow
The Potters have endured a mixed start to the new Premier League campaign, as they’re currently positioned 13th in the table having amassed five points from their opening five games.
Despite significant acquisitions to the squad, and impressive performances against some of the very best players that the Premier League can flaunt, Mark Hughes’ side have struggled to find consistency this season having lost to Newcastle and Everton, while also drawing to West Brom.
Nonetheless, they have displayed their capacity to perform – and thrive – against teams of the highest repute. Stoke City achieved what we failed to do last weekend, by scoring a goal against Arsenal as they secured all three points in August. This heroic triumph was coupled with a tremendous 2-2 draw against Manchester United in September, who hadn’t conceded a league goal before visiting the Bet 365 Stadium. We must be wary of the threat that they pose.
It’s worth considering that Mark Hughes – the former Chelsea striker – is stuck in a precarious position with regards to team selection. Bruno Martins Indi is the only fully-fit defender available for Stoke City this weekend. Ryan Shawcross and Geoff Cameron are both injured, Kevin Wimmer is a doubt while Kurt Zouma is ineligible to face Chelsea. Thus, Hughes could be forced to reconsider his strategy.
Best Player: Kurt Zouma Xherdan Shaqiri
The on-loan Chelsea defender, Kurt Zouma, has arguably been Stoke’s best player this season. However, since he’s ineligible to feature tomorrow, our attention alters towards Shaqiri. The 25-year-old is Mark Hughes’ most menacing talent, he’s proficient at dead-ball situations, and he possesses the ability to create something out of nothing. Indeed, the Swiss international exhibits the perfect concoction of physicality and technical ability, and we must be prepared to negate his influence tomorrow. If we allow him to exert control of Stoke’s play, he could seriously threaten Courtois’ goal.
Formation: 3-4-2-1
The extent of Antonio Conte’s strategic revolution is well-documented, and Stoke is one of many Premier League outfits which have adopted the system that our impassioned manager instituted in England last season. Without question, the decision to revert to a 3-4-3 system was the decisive moment of our season, a move that was of exceeding benefit to the team as we won the Premier League trophy for the fifth time in our history.
Tomorrow we’ll be facing a side who usually plays with an identical system to the one that we currently employ. Nonetheless, while taking Stoke’s unfortunate injury concerns into consideration, they may not have sufficient numbers to operate with a back three. Therefore, it is difficult to anticipate how Stoke will line-up for the game.
Let us know your thoughts!
