West Brom v Potters

Last updated : 19 November 2010 By BBC Sport

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is expected to name the same side that beat Liverpool.

He has no fresh injury concerns after Glenn Whelan, Jon Walters and Marc Wilson all returned back from international duty unscathed.

 

West Brom

Doubtful: Bednar (illness), Brunt (groin), Dorrans (foot), Morrison & Odemwingie (both knee), Reid (Achilles)

Injured: Miller (abdominal problem), Olsson (Achilles)

Stoke

Injured: Sidibe (Achilles)

 

MATCH PREVIEW

West Brom and Stoke will take to the field locked together in the league table on 16 points, yet the two clubs have experienced rather different starts to the month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We always do some training related to the way the opposition play. They (Stoke) are just very difficult to play against

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roberto Di Matteo, West Brom manager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Brom's fine early season form appears to have deserted them. Roberto Di Matteo's men have been on a haunting run since Halloween, and have slipped from fourth to 12th place following a run of three defeats in their last four games.

The Baggies boss has hinted that he will make changes to his starting line-up in an attempt to compete with Stoke's power and athleticism. He has revealed he is contemplating picking "big players" for the game, although he insists his comments do not relate to City's style of play and should not be taken out of context.

And neither should they; Stoke's impressive victory over Liverpool last time out demonstrated there is far more to Tony Pulis' side than solely playing a physical brand of football. The result saw Stoke claim back-to-back wins and suggested they are starting to turn the corner after a slow start to the campaign.

Key to the Potters' recent success has been the form of their Caribbean strike-force of Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones. Fuller has netted two goals in two games since returning to the side, despite having to play in a specially fitted shoulder brace having twice dislocated the joint this season.

 

 

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• The visitors have traditionally been a bogey side for Staffordshire rivals West Brom. They have lost only one of their last 25 league meetings dating back to April 1989.

• Stoke have won six of the last seven league meetings between the two clubs, including a Premier League double during 2008/09, the only season both clubs have been in the top flight since 1984/85.

• West Brom's sole victory over the Potters this millennium was a 1-0 win at the Hawthorns in September 2003. Scott Dobie was the man on target.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can West Brom finally bury their Stoke City hoodoo?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Brom

• The Baggies have kept only one clean sheet in 13 league games so far this term.

• West Brom have not been involved in a goalless draw for over a year since their Championship stalemate at Coventry in October 2009.

• Roberto Di Matteo's men are the only Premier League side not to have conceded a headed goal this term.

• If selected, Scott Carson will be playing his 100th game for the club.

Stoke

• Ricardo Fuller's strike against Liverpool last weekend was the first Potters goal to have its roots from a Rory Delap throw-in since 10 March v Burnley, a run of 22 games.

• Victory for Stoke would see them record a third straight Premier League win. The last time they won three consecutive top flight games was during the 1983/84 season.

• City have lost their last three away Premier League matches.

 

 

LEADING GOALSCORERS

 

West Brom

Odemwingie: 4 goals (4 league); Cox: 3 goals (0 league)

 

Stoke

Jones: 6 goals (4 league); Fuller: 3 goals (3 league)

 

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Chris Foy

Assistant referees: John Flynn & Bob Pollock

Fourth official: Andy Woolmer

 

 

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

West Brom (L0-1 v Wigan, a): Carson; Reid, Tamas, Pablo, Shorey, Scharner (Barnes 67), Mulumbu (Fortune 89), Brunt, Morrison (Cox 73), Odemwingie, Thomas. Subs not used: Myhill, Dorrans, Cech, Zuiverloon

Stoke (W2-0 v Liverpool, h): Begovic; Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Wilkinson, Pennant, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington (Wilson 90), Fuller (Walters 87), Jones. Subs not used: Sorensen, Higginbotham, Whelan, Gudjohnsen, Sanli

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport