Prediction: Stoke vs Birmingham

8th November 2010

Stoke slipped dangerously close to the relegation zone after four straight Premiership defeats and need we say this is a must-win game for the Potters. Brum, on the other hand, pulled back from two behind to earn a draw against West Ham and a point from Britannia Stadium would probably satisfy their appetites.

Stoke quickly recovered from three starting Premiership defeats having embarked on a very good run that saw them take 10 points from next 4 games, but the string of good results came to an abrupt end when the Potters lost four straight league games, in addition to being knocked out of the Carling Cup. In all fairness, they were extremely unlucky to have several shocking refereeing decision go against them and Tony Pulis had every right to react the way he did following the controversial defeat to Sunderland. The team now need to put all that behind them as they search for a very important home victory and they will certainly be glad to return to their Britannia Stadium, where not too many Premiership teams feel comfortable when faced with hard-working Stoke side. The hosts’ in-your-face approach could prove too much for out-of-form Birmingham, although there is no doubt we will see a very tight game at Britannia. Asmir Begovic will again be preferred to Thomas Sorensen in goal, while Ryan Shawcross serves a one-match ban following his dismissal in the Sunderland game.

Birmingham didn’t start this season the way they expected to and the Blues needed quite some time to hit the ground running, but it seems the team have finally gelled, so we can expect Alex McLeish’s side to start climbing the table in no time. They still remain pretty inconsistent as witnessed by the 2:2 draw with West Ham that saw Brum come back from two goal behind after the dreadful start to the second half, but at least they managed to avoid defeat in the third successive game. Being just two points clear of Stoke and the relegation zone for that matter, the Blues cannot afford to risk too much in this clash and would probably be satisfied with one point from Britannia, meaning Alex McLeish is set to adopt a cautious approach, with Nikola Zigic likely to start as a lone striker. While James McFadden and Maik Taylor remain sidelined with injuries, Jean Beausejour and Craig Gardner are pushing for the starting places after impressing against West Ham.

Conclusion

Stoke will be under a lot of pressure to win this game and thus end their dismal run of results but the Potters face a very difficult job against one of the toughest sides in the league. The two teams play their football in a very similar way, so there is no doubt we will see a very tight game, with the goalless draw a real possibility. All things considered, we recommend betting on draw.

Verdict: Draw (X)

Best Odds: 23/10

Bookmaker: Ladbrokes