Mark Hughes is under monumental pressure right now with just one point grabbed so far after five games. On top of that, the Potters were ousted from the League Cup this midweek after a 2-1 loss against Hull city. On the other hand, West Brom had an emphatic 4-2 win over a star-studded West Ham side last weekend and will be keen to build on the solid result. The two sides will clash against each other on Saturday and here are three burning questions those will be answered in the game.
Will Stoke’s defensive calamity come to an end?
Since their 1-1 stalemate against Boro on the opening day, Stoke have failed to win a single Premier League game and a major reason behind this is their poor defensive display. The Potters have conceded as many as 14 goals this season in five games which is unacceptable. Mark Hughes’ side have scored just three goals this campaign which is not good either but Hughes must think of a way to improve his defence first. West Brom are not the most attacking team and if the Potters ship away sloppy goals against them, that will be a major setback for the hosts.
Was West Brom’s result last weekend just a fluke?
West Brom thrashed West Ham 4-2 last week. A Tony Pulis side scoring four goals in a game is unusual. The Baggies managed to score just 34 goals throughout the last season from 38 games which was less than anyone but Aston Villa. Club record signing Nacer Chadli inspired the Midlands club with two goals and two assists but a question still remains that was it just a fluke that happened in favour of Tony Pulis? This will be a big question what will be answered when Stoke host West Brom.
Can Joe Allen finally show his true colours?
It was a major statement of intent from Stoke city when they managed to sign Welsh international midfielder Joe Allen this summer. The Welshman had an outstanding Euro 2016 and carried his nation to the semi-finals getting a place in the tournament’s best XI in the process. However, the pass master is yet to impress at Bet365 Stadium this season. His average passing accuracy in the Euros was 85.3% whereas he has managed to get just 78% of his passes right for stoke this season.
The West Brom game will be a big one for the ‘Welsh Xavi’ and he would like to return some favour to Mark Hughes who believed in him this summer.
