Stoke City vs. Wigan: Recap & Reaction

Stoke City went into DW Stadium on Wednesday needing a result in the worst way. And The Potters delivered just what the doctor ordered. Stoke City coming in on a three-match losing streak finally snapped a bad spell of results with a 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

Also importantly for Stoke City, Wednesday’s win now provides the club with some breathing room on the table from the relegation zone. The Potters after midweek now sit at 17th on the table with 22 points. That’s three points ahead of Wigan who sit at 22nd on the table.

Next up, Stoke City will be back in action on Saturday as they host Birmingham City.

Stoke City Do Just Enough to Win Against Wigan

It wasn’t always pretty on Wednesday, but Stoke City found a way to get the job done against Wigan Athletic. Stoke City as they have in recent matches made some bad decisions in possession at times, stood around too much defensively at times, and even looked just plain off all around at times.

But more importantly Stoke City hung in the match and had some positive moments as well. Stoke City were able to look more tactically balanced throughout the 90 minutes and also looked more inventive in attack.

The Potters’ big moment in the match came in the second half by wing-back Josh Tymon who made his return to the team’s starting XI. The buildup started down the left channel of the pitch when forward Dwight Gayle was able to lay off a pass to Josh Tymon.

Tymon, who was making a great run, continued that run into the 18-yard box with the ball and fired a shot perfectly past Wigan goalkeeper Jamie Jones. That one moment of quality was enough as Stoke City were able to defend well enough the rest of the way to keep a clean sheet.

Who Stood Out for Stoke City Against Wigan Athletic?

Josh Tymon, good to have you back:

Josh Tymon, who missed all of October’s fixture list, finally returned from injury on Wednesday and made an immediate impact. As discussed above, Tymon’s goal sealed the three points for Stoke City.

Tymon overall between the run he made and his shot decision and placement again showed off why he’s so important to Stoke City. Tymon was also solid throughout the rest of his 67 minutes on the pitch. The bad news for Stoke City is Tymon may have left the match again with an injury.

Alex Neil and Stoke City will be hoping that Tymon can continue to start and can continue to make the impact that he does when healthy for The Potters.

Jordan Thompson, keeping the team balanced:

Thompson, like Tymon, also returned to the club’s starting XI. Thompson, who has been battling head injuries since late September, finally got a start again and helped settle down the team’s midfield.

Thompson playing alongside Baker in midfield did a great job dropping deep when needed in build-up and then joining the team’s attack as well. Thompson didn’t have a fantastic game back, but Thompson still provided a sense of calming to the team’s midfield.

Lewis Baker, field general:

Baker as always was great when he was on the ball. Baker regularly found pockets of spaces to receive passes. Baker was also crisp with his passing and putting balls in the box on set pieces.

Baker alongside Thompson is one of the team’s best duos in midfield and will continue to be as long as he’s healthy for Stoke City.

Honorary Mentions, Dwight Gayle and Jacob Brown:

Dwight Gayle had an up and down match again. Gayle had some great chances that he failed to capitalize on in Wigan’s 18-yard box. But on the other hand Gayle was able to again be a force by assisting his teammates with chances.

Jacob Brown nearly scored in the second half when he fired a ball through traffic at goal. If not for a good save, Brown could have found the back of the net as well. Brown, who’s healthy again, provides a big scoring threat to Stoke City’s starting XI.