Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
The final action of Week 10 brings us to the Bet365 Stadium as Stoke play host to Swansea in what is arguably a relegation 6 pointer even at this stage of the season. With Stoke in 17th and Swansea two places further behind this is definitely a must win fixture for both sides.
After a very sluggish start to the season Stoke have now started to find their legs, a run of four straight defeats has now been ended thanks to a run of four games without defeat and the last two matches have been their first two wins of the campaign.
The past fortnight has seen Mark Hughes’s side see off both Sunderland and Hull, perhaps the fixture computer has been kind to them but at the end of the day you can only beat whats in front of you and they will look to make it three wins in a row with the visit of Bob Bradley’s side this evening.
The first two weeks of Bradley’s Swansea tenure have seen them unlucky not to get anything from a spirited performance away at The Emirates in which they were edged out in a five goal thriller and then a first point under Bradley’s stewardship after a goalless draw at home to Watford last Sunday.
That draw still only sees them second bottom of the table but it certainly gives Bradley a platform in which to work with and will hope that his Swansea can deliver a first win since he took charge. On the flipside if Stoke were to win they would go 7 points clear of the Swans and start to open up some daylight between them and the bottom three.
Such is the congested lower half of the table then a win would see them move to the heady heights of 12th positions, after the heavy defeats that were being handed out in August and September that will come as very welcome reading for Stoke fans
The momentum and form seems to be with Stoke and those two wins would have done their confidence the world of good not only that but they have managed to keep two clean sheets in the process add to the fact that they earned a point at Old Trafford and it’s fair to say that the tide is definitely starting to turn in their favour.
I think that momentum will carry over to this evening and they will make it three wins from three, with an extra three points then they can start looking at the top half than opposed to looking over their shoulder. Swansea will have to wait to deliver that first win for Bob Bradley as I’m going with a home win Tonight.
