English Championship: Game Week 21
Stadium: Bet365 Stadium
12th December 2023
Stoke City will welcome Swansea City at Bet365 Stadium in Game Week 21 of the English Championship. Both teams are going into the game without permanent managers in this game. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?
Receive Your Welcome Bonus!Stoke City form
Neil's tenure as head coach of Stoke City came to an end after 16 months, as his team suffered a defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, which resulted in the opposition's first away win of the season. This loss marks Stoke's fourth consecutive defeat, following a difficult period in February and March 2022. The game against Sheffield Wednesday could have had a different outcome if Ryan Mmaee's penalty shot had not been saved by Cameron Dawson in the second half. John Eustace, a former coach of Birmingham City, is the front-runner to take over as manager of Stoke City, although no appointment has been made yet. In the meantime, an interim team led by Paul Gallagher will attempt to secure the team's first win since late October. Neil expressed his disappointment in his post-match press conference, feeling that he had let down owner John Coates. Despite active recruitment in the summer transfer window, Stoke City currently sits in 20th place in the Championship, just two points above the relegation zone. With the possibility of a relegation battle looming, the team will rely on the guidance of experienced players like Ciaran Clark and Enda Stevens to mentor the younger players and navigate through this challenging period.
Stoke City Predicted Lineup
Bonham; Gooch, McNally, Clark Stevens; Pearson, Laurent, Burger; Vidigal, Wesley, Bae
Swansea City form
Swansea City put an end to their worrying streak of five games without a win in the Championship on Saturday. This victory came right after the departure of the former Barnsley manager, Duff. In this game, Swansea collected three points against Rotherham, who are also struggling to find a permanent manager.
In the match at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, Swansea, led by interim manager Alan Sheehan, had an advantage in the first half when Millers' center-back Daniel Ayala was sent off. The Swans capitalized on this and secured a win with goals from Charlie Patino and Jerry Yates.
This win, their first since October 28, moved Swansea up to 16th place in the Championship standings. However, the club's management will be aiming for a higher position and a return to the style of football that brought them success under previous managers Graham Potter, Steve Cooper, and Russell Martin.
Swansea's top choice for the managerial role is believed to be Chris Davies, currently an assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur. It remains to be seen if Davies is willing to leave his position under Ange Postecoglou and take on his first managerial role in the middle of a busy Championship season.
The team's leading goal-scorer is Jerry Yates, formerly of Blackpool, with six goals in 20 league appearances. Alongside Jamal Lowe, Yates will be responsible for filling the void left by Joel Piroe, who has seamlessly integrated into a strong White team on their way to the Premier League based on recent form.
Swansea City Predicted Lineup
Rushworth; Key, Cabango, Darling, Tymon; Fulton, Grimes, Paterson, Patino, Lowe; Yates
Stoke City vs Swansea City Expert Tips
Stoke has recently been in a state of poor performance, but they have an opportunity to rectify this quickly in front of their home fans against Swansea. It is worth noting that Swansea is also currently without a permanent manager. After their victory at Rotherham, there was a genuine sense of unity between the players and the Swansea supporters. We believe that this positive atmosphere under Sheehan's leadership could potentially lead to Stoke earning a point on Tuesday.