Since Michael O’Neill took the hotseat at Stoke City back in November, the Potters have climbed off the foot of the Championship table and moved four points clear of the relegation zone.

Their opposition on Saturday, Swansea City, have endured a turbulent time in the same period, dropping out of the play-off places down to seventh, yet remain just one point outside the top six.

If the league table began with O’Neill’s appointment on November 8th, the home side would be sitting tenth and the Swans down in sixteenth, highlighting inconsistent form for both sides.

However, Saturday’s fixture is crucial at either end of the table. A win for Stoke could see a gap of seven points open up at the bottom of the table, whereas Swansea are desperate remain in and amongst the interminable play-off tussle.

  • Current Form

Stoke delivered a classic Championship result on Monday night as they shocked league leaders West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

The Potters took the lead inside the opening ten minutes through youngster Tyrese Campbell before defending bravely to hang on to a 1-0 victory.

The game was preceded with a 0-0 draw against ten-man Millwall, and an emphatic 5-2 victory over relegation rivals Huddersfield Town.  

The current three game unbeaten spell is the longest of the campaign for Stoke all season, illustrating an inability to string together successive results.

A result against Swansea however, may give Stoke the much-needed consistency to distance themselves from a relegation dogfight.

As for the Swans, bar a disastrous 5-1 FA Cup defeat at the hands of Queens Park Rangers, Steve Cooper’s side are four games without defeat.

Last time out in the league they edged out a narrow affair with relegation fodder Wigan Athletic 2-1, a game followed a less than impressive 0-0 with Welsh rivals Cardiff City.

With just one loss in their last eight outings, Swansea are keeping the pace with the top six. A win on Saturday away from home and they will move up to fifth in the table, applying the pressure on the rest of the pack ahead of next weeks midweek encounters.

  • What to Expect

Despite the ast difference in league position, this is likely to be a tight affair.

At home, Stoke’s possession is the fifth lowest in the division- which paired with 75 long balls per game, the fourth most in the league- indicates the tendency to end up on the back foot.

The Swans, however, may suffer with Stoke’s direct approach. Away from Liberty Stadium, Swansea win an average of just eighteen aerial duels, the fourth worst in the division, in comparison to the Potters twenty-seven.

However, this does not highlight the passing style of play Steve Cooper has applied to his Swansea side. Whilst they average below 50% possession away from home, it’s likely the Welsh side will dictate the game with a short and accurate passing style.

In terms of goals, Swansea have the best defensive record from set pieces this season conceding just five, meaning Stoke’s aerial dominance may falter inside the area.

Stoke’s twenty-nine goals conceded from open play marks as the fourth worst in the league, meaning the likeliness of Swansea breaking the deadlock is high.

  • Key Men

Stoke’s troubles this season have been clear to see. But it is in times of poor form and desperation that a club turns to its senior members, and Joe Allen has taken a lot of the burden on his own shoulders.

The defensive midfielder, and former Swan, has registered three tackles per game for Stoke more than any other player in their squad- highlighting his significance in breaking up opposition play. This is coupled with more interceptions than anyone else, another pointer towards Allen’s influence on the game.

As for Swansea, their top scorer Andre Ayew has oozed Premier League quality throughout the campaign. With ten goals and four assists the Ghanaian international is where Swans fans turn if their team is in a rut.