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Three Keys to Stoke City Finding Success Against Coventry

By Jeff Brantley

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 18: Dujon Sterling of Stoke City runs past Shane Ferguson of Rotherham United during the Sky Bet Championship between Stoke City and Rotherham United at Bet365 Stadium on October 18, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 18: Dujon Sterling of Stoke City runs past Shane Ferguson of Rotherham United during the Sky Bet Championship between Stoke City and Rotherham United at Bet365 Stadium on October 18, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images) /
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On Saturday, Stoke City welcome Coventry City into Bet365 Stadium. Stoke City are winless in their last five matches against Coventry City.

The Potters will hope to break that streak on Saturday, as they try to again work their way closer to the top of the table…

Three Keys for Stoke City vs. Coventry:

  • Overlapping Runs: On a rewatch of Stoke City versus Rotherham, some more overlapping runs in attack would have benefited Stoke City a great deal. Overlapping runs can help an attack create width and give different channels in which the ball can be moved around the 18-yard box.Stoke City would be very smart against a defensively sound team like Coventry to create some marking problems and create different ways the ball will be crossed/passed/shot into the box.

    • Staying Awake Defensively:

    Stoke City were acceptable defensively against Rotherham (The Millers conceding possession certainly helped). But as we’ve gone over many times, it’s the results that count in the Championship.

    The results against Rotherham weren’t good enough, as all it took was Rotherham’s one goal to sink The Potters. That one goal was conceded because Stoke City, even just for a moment early on, were caught snoozing defensively.

    The Potters will need to make sure against Coventry’s mostly toothless attack that they don’t get caught slipping for a second straight week.

    All Shots Don’t Equal Good Shots:

    Oftentimes the general misconception is the more attempts the better. Well, xG (expected goals) tell us more shots doesn’t always equal more goals.

    This isn’t to say don’t shoot at all, but it means to be more picky if needed with your attempts – which is something Stoke City failed to do against Rotherham. Stoke City will need to be patient and wait for the right attempt to find the back of the net.