Coventry City vs Stoke City Prediction: Stoke found their lost mojo recently

Coventry City will welcome Stoke City at The Coventry Building Society Arena in Game Week 16 of the English Championship. Coventry needs some consistency to keep their playoff dream alive. Stoke has found their lost mojo in recent weeks. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Coventry City's losing streak in the Championship continued for the fourth consecutive match last weekend. They were unable to overcome their historically poor performances at Deepdale against Preston North End, with the Lilywhites emerging victorious in a thrilling five-goal match. Despite Haji Wright scoring his first two goals for the club since transferring from Turkish Super Lig club Antalyaspor, goals from Duane Holmes, Alan Browne, and Milutin Osmajic condemned Mark Robins's team to their fifth match without a win. The departures of key attacking players Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer to Sporting Lisbon and Sheffield United respectively have had a significant impact, as has the team's defensive struggles this season. After recording 22 clean sheets in the previous season, goalkeeper Ben Wilson has faced criticism for his performances against West Bromwich Albion and Preston. Currently sitting in 20th place in the league, Coventry City has collected only 15 points from 15 matches, putting them just four points ahead of 22nd-placed Rotherham United. Meanwhile, Ryan Lowe's Preston North End sits in sixth place, 10 points ahead of Coventry as we approach the third international break of the season. Coventry suffered an embarrassing loss in their most recent encounter with Stoke at the CBS Arena, with Jacob Brown, Tyrese Campbell, William Smallbone, and Ki-Jana Hoever all finding the net for Stoke as they dismantled a Coventry side that had hopes of promotion to the Premier League.

Wilson; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell; Sakamoto, Eccles, Sheaf; Godden, Simms, Wright

Stoke City has demonstrated their potential for a top-six finish this season since their return from the international break in October. They have remained undefeated in four matches since their loss to Leicester City on October 7, showcasing their strength to the rest of the division. Although they drew 0-0 with Cardiff City last Saturday, halting their three-game winning streak, Stoke City still maintains positive momentum leading up to their upcoming match in the West Midlands. Recently, they have found a reliable defensive line, led by former Coventry duo Luke McNally and Michael Rose, resulting in three consecutive clean sheets for goalkeeper Jack Bonham. Despite not scoring since their loss to Hull City on September 24, Andre Vidigal has been a standout player for Stoke City this season, serving as a role model for the new players who joined the club over the summer. With an impressive improvement in form since the last international break, Stoke City has climbed from a lower position in the Championship table to 13th place, now just five points behind the top six. Furthermore, they have established a comfortable nine-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone.

Bonham; Hoever, McNally, Rose, Stevens; Burger, Pearson, Leris, Johnson, Vidigal; Mmaee

Coventry's current performances fall short of their success last season, but a possible switch to a back-four formation provides optimism for a new beginning. Stoke has displayed impressive form in their recent four matches, however, we anticipate that their undefeated streak will conclude when they face Coventry at the CBS Arena this Saturday. We expect a low-scoring game in which the home side will come out on top.