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Three Keys to Stoke City’s Success Against Wigan Athletic

By Jeff Brantley

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Jordan Thompson of Stoke City during the teams warm up before the Sky Bet Championship between Stoke City and Coventry City at Bet365 Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Graham Chadwick/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Jordan Thompson of Stoke City during the teams warm up before the Sky Bet Championship between Stoke City and Coventry City at Bet365 Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Graham Chadwick/Getty Images) /
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On Wednesday, Stoke City turn the page on a new match week as they head to DW Stadium to take on Wigan Athletic. The Potters go into Wednesday’s match on a three-match losing streak after falling to Norwich City on Saturday.

Considering Stoke City’s bad form as of late, they’ll take any edge they can get this week to achieve results. In Stoke City’s last five matches against Wigan they have won three, drawn one, and lost one match.

It’ll also be on Stoke City Wednesday to try to get back to the basics and to stay focused in order to grab crucial points before the upcoming World Cup break. To achieve results see what we show as the three keys to a Stoke City win against Wigan.

Three Keys for Stoke City vs. Wigan:

Staying Strong at the Back:

Forget the club’s issues in possession for a second

, it’s time for Stoke City to put in a full 90 minutes defensively.Listen, Stoke City in recent matches have been hit with some bad luck defensively. Against Coventry and Rotherham the team’s combined xGA (expected goals) was 0.9. But overall, conceding six goals in three games just isn’t good enough. If you want to win games or even draw matches, it starts with being strong at the back.

For Stoke City against Wigan, they’ll need to make sure they’re staying strong with their backline throughout the match. This means:

  • Switching on better defensively when needed
  • Constantly marking opposing attackers in the box
  • Staying compact defensively
  • Clearing your lines when the ball is put into the box
  • Capitalize on Attacking Set Pieces: Wigan’s big weakness this season so far has been defending set pieces. Wigan can still be hit in open play as they’ve given up 15 open play goals this season (Stoke City have conceded the same amount), but it’s been set pieces that Wigan have really struggled with. So far this season, Wigan have conceded 7 goals on set pieces. That’s tied for third worst in the Championship. Fortunately for Stoke City, they have been very good on set pieces this season. Stoke City sit at second in the Championship this season with 6.81 xG (expected goals) from set pieces. With Wigan struggling to defend set pieces, Wednesday would be a perfect time for Stoke City to oppose their will again on attacking set pieces.
  • Grab Points, Even If It’s Ugly: This might seem too simplistic, but it still rings very true. Especially when you’re on a three-game losing streak. Stoke City have to grab points on Wednesday. Whether it be just a point or even all three points, Stoke City need to grab points again.

    • Never mind promotion right now, Stoke City are bordering on going into relegation position on the table. At just two points above relegation positioned Coventry, Stoke City need to give themselves some breathing room on the table.

    In a season that is so close on the Championship table from 22nd to 7th, every point this season is even more crucial. For Stoke City on Wednesday they need to do everything they can do to grab points.

    Even if it’s an ugly match that isn’t pretty to watch, Stoke City need to find a way to grind out a point or points. That might mean playing with defensive in mind throughout the match first before looking to attack – or even playing for a draw or a low scoring match. But at this point, there’s no room for Stoke City to drop points again.