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Stoke City take on West Bromwich Albion at the bet365 Stadium in round 11 of the EFL Championship on Friday.
With just four points and four places separating the two sides in the upper echelons of the table, this game has all the makings of a thrilling contest.
Stoke City were denied a third straight win last Tuesday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Preston North End.
Prior to that, Michael O'Neill’s men claimed a 3-1 win over Watford in the EFL Cup before returning to the league to beat Hull City 2-0 on home turf.
With 18 points from 10 games, Stoke City are currently fourth in the EFL Championship table and could rise as high as second with a win on Friday.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion continued their superb start to the season last time out as they claimed an emphatic 4-0 victory over Cardiff City.
This followed a 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers to end their run of three consecutive draws.
The Baggies, who are one of just two sides yet to suffer defeat this season, currently lead the way in the division, one point above second-placed Bournemouth.
Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion Head-To-Head
Stoke City boast a superior record in the history of this fixture, claiming 62 wins from their previous 148 encounters across all competitions. West Bromwich Albion have picked up 49 wins, while 37 games have ended all square.
Stoke City Form Guide (all competitions): D-L-W-W-D
West Bromwich Albion Form Guide (all competitions): D-D-D-W-W
Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion Team News
Stoke City
The hosts will take to the pitch without Joe Allen and Morgan Fox, who have been ruled out through injuries.
Injured: Joe Allen, Morgan Fox
Suspended: None
West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies will have to cope without the services of Dara O'Shea, Kenneth Zohore, Matthew Clarke and Rayhaan Tulloch, who are currently recuperating from injuries.
Injured: Dara O'Shea, Matthew Clarke, Rayhaan Tulloch, Kenneth Zohore
Suspended: None
Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion Predicted XI
Stoke City Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Josef Bursik; Ben Wilmot, Harry Souttar, Leo Ostigard; Josh Tymon, Mario Vranic, Alfie Doughty, Romaine Sawyers; Tom Ince, Nick Powell; Jacob Brown
West Brom Predicted XI (3-4-3): Sam Johnstone; Conor Townsend, Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi; Adam Reach, Alex Mowatt, Jake Livermore, Darnell Furlong; Callum Robinson, Matt Phillips, Karlan Grant
Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion Prediction
Both sides have enjoyed an impressive start to the season and currently find themselves in the top four after 10 rounds of matches. We anticipate this will be a thrilling contest with the two sides settling for a share of the spoils.
Prediction: Stoke City 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
