Since the FA Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of February, Stoke have produced some of the league’s most-notable results – the highlight of those surely being a 5-1 away win at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland.
Alex Neil’s side have left it too late to mount a playoff push, yet they are still having a major say in matters at the top end of the table, taking points off the Black Cats, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough in the last three.
Right-back Ki-Janaq Hoever made it three goals in two matches by netting the equaliser at the Riverside on Tuesday night, a strike which allowed the visiting Potters to earn a point following Chuba Akpom opening the scoring for Michael Carrick’s men.
Seven points collected in their last three games has seen Stoke rise to 14th in the second-tier standings, and with 12th-placed Sunderland just five points ahead, the club’s first top-half finish since being relegated from the Premier League in 2018 appears to be a realistic aim.
Stoke have actually fared worse at the bet365 stadium than on their Championship travels this year, with only 22 of their 47 points so far coming at their Staffordshire home – the likes of Dwight Gayle and William qSmallbone will be hopeful of firing in the goals to improve that record on Saturday.
During a five-game unbeaten run in February – which saw them earn 13 points – it appeared that Norwich’s promotion charge was truly back on track under the new stewardship of David Wagner, but adversity is never too far away in the Championship.
The East Anglian club have managed just one point from their last two fixtures, losing at home to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon before being frustratingly held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town.
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Wagner’s men dominated possession at the John Smith’s Stadium and created the lion’s share of the chances, but a second-half own goal from Grant Hanley cancelled out Gabriel Sara’s opener, meaning the points were shared in Yorkshire.
With playoff rivals Luton Town and Millwall both recording back-to-back wins over the past week, the Canaries have fell behind the top-six pace slightly and now sit in seventh, four points behind Gary Rowett’s Lions in sixth.
Norwich fans have been accustomed to plain-sailing Championship titles over the past four years, but if they are to be promoted this season, it will be via a more arduous route than those associated with the club have become used to.
