Bristol City vs Stoke City Preview 17/12/2022

Bristol City vs Stoke City – 17/12/2022

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Bristol City haven’t had much to smile about this season in the Championship. The Robins are 16th in the standings and just three points above the relegation zone.

So far, Bristol City’s board has resisted sacking manager Nigel Pearson, giving him the chance to get the team out of the mess it is in.

Pearson has the team unbeaten in three straight games, and it restarted the Championship season following the World Cup break with a 3-1 win at Rotherham last week.

Stoke City will visit Ashton Gate on Saturday, as they attempt to stop their own rotten campaign. The Potters are 19th in the Championship ahead of the weekend and just two points ahead of the relegation zone.

Some big clubs are on the verge of relegation to League One this season. If Stoke City or Bristol City go down to the third tier, it would be a massive fall for both teams, especially having had aspirations of playing Premier League football.

Bristol City are unbeaten in five of their last six games against Stoke City in all competitions. In 2021-22, the Robins did the Championship double over Stoke, winning both games by identical 1-0 scores.

Pearson’s Robins picked up a mere six points from their last six games in the league. Yes, the team is unbeaten in three straight matches, but wins have been difficult to come by.

The Robins scored just five goals and conceded six times in the last six matches. Bristol City are surprisingly one of the Championship’s best-scoring teams. The Robins scored 30 goals in their opening 22 games.

Although Bristol City have one of the highest totals in goals in the league, they have conceded the fourth-most goals with 30. The defence did play better over the last six games. If Bristol City want to move up the table, they must improve defensively.

Stoke City picked up seven points from the last six games in the league. The Potters are winless in two straight, but they did pick up a 2-2 draw with Cardiff City a week ago.

Manager Alex Neil watched the team score seven goals in its last six games. The team conceded nine times across the same six fixtures.

Bristol City could be without star striker Andreas Weimann. The Austrian has four goals this season but could miss the match due to a knock.

The Robins should continue their form against Stoke City with a third straight win in head-to-head matches versus the Potters. Like last season, Bristol City should post a 1-0 win.