Southampton 3-2 Stoke City | Carabao Cup Elimination for Narcis Pelach

Stoke City faced a tough Carabao Cup match, ending in their elimination in what was expected to be a competitive game. The youthful Stoke City squad put up a strong and impressive fight against Premier League side Southampton, managing to hold their own despite Southampton’s dominance. However, in the final moments, a late goal sealed Stoke’s fate and saw them knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

READ MORE: Narcis Pelach Motivates Stoke City Ahead of Carabao Cup Clash

A Hard-Fought Game Against a Premier League Team

Playing at home, Southampton had several advantages, especially with their dominant ball possession, which reached 78% compared to Stoke City’s 22%. Stoke City set up with a very defensive approach, deploying a five-man backline to contain Southampton’s attack.

Yet, it didn’t hold for long, as Taylor Harwood-Bellis scored in the 19th minute to give Southampton a 1-0 lead. Stoke then conceded a penalty in the 35th minute, which Adam Armstrong converted to make it 2-0, a tough blow before halftime. But just before the break, Ashley Phillips managed to pull one back, sending Stoke into halftime down 2-1.

In the second half, Stoke City pushed hard for an equalizer, which came in the 54th minute when Tom Cannon found the net, leaving fans stunned as Stoke battled back from behind. As time ticked down, Narcis Pelach looked to the bench for another goal, bringing on Andrew Moran and Million Manhoef to bolster the attack.

Unfortunately, Stoke couldn’t hold out; in the 88th minute, James Bree scored for Southampton, sealing a 3-2 victory and securing their progression to the next round, while Stoke’s Carabao Cup run ended here.

This thrilling Carabao Cup clash left lingering doubts about Pelach’s leadership as Stoke City’s manager, with clear challenges remaining for him and the club in this season.