Stoke were the second-biggest winners in the second round of the EFL Cup in the week, beating fellow Championship outfit Rotherham 6-1 at their Staffordshire home on Tuesday.
New arrival Wouter Burger netted his maiden goal for the Potters on the night after just two minutes, with the hosts scoring four goals before the half-time interval.
A trip to Premier League side Bournemouth awaits in round three after the international break, but attention now returns to the second tier for Alex Neil’s men, who have started the league campaign indifferently.
Home successes against the Millers and Watford have been dampened by losses on the road at Ipswich Town and Millwall, meaning Stoke sit 10th in the Championship standings after a quartet of contests.
A standout performer for the Potters so far has been Portuguese winger Andre Vidigal, with the former Maritimo man scoring three goals in four league matches to date.
Preston recorded their third straight win in the Championship last Saturday, seeing off Michael Duff’s Swansea City 2-1 at Deepdale in Lancashire, although recording the maximum was far from straightforward.
The Welsh visitors took a first-half lead thanks to West Ham United loanee Harrison Ashby, but second-period strikes from Andrew Hughes and Duane Holmes snatched all three points for the Lilywhites.
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Ryan Lowe’s men have been on the fringes of the playoff fight over the past few years, and supporters will be hoping this is the campaign that their side can go the distance.
North End are currently fifth in the second-tier standings, joining a group of four other outfits in the division that remain undefeated after four matches of the 2023-24 term.
A maximum on Saturday at bet365 Stadium for the visitors would extend their winning streak to four matches, with Preston last achieving such a record at the end of the 2020-21 season
