Stoke City travel to the Hawthorns this weekend to face West Bromwich Albion, but does history smile kindly on the Potters?
The History
Judging by the Potters away form at the Hawthorns from recent years, it appears that history is not in Mark Hughes favour, with Stoke having failed to win away from home for three consecutive seasons.
Last season’s fixture at the Hawthorns saw the Potters beaten 1-0 in a closely fought game with the only goal of the match being scored by the Baggies' own James Morrison. Before that the Potters lost 2-1 and 1-0 in the 2015/16 and 2014/15 Premier League seasons respectively.
Stoke will certainly look to avenge this particular fixture for this new season and with the arrival of Stokes new central midfielder, Darren Fletcher, the former West Brom man, a victory over the Birmingham outfit will be even sweeter.
Whether or not the Potters can bag a win against the Baggies in their own back yard remains to be seen? Especially when considering West Brom’s strong start to this season picking up two straight wins, the confidence level of the home side will certainly be in their favour.
The Present
The players and pundits can all dwell on previous fixtures, but what really matters is the present. Both teams boast new players and a new squad so the outcome may be different.
What certainly looks good for the Potters is the latest arrival of Jese Rodriguez who put in a stellar performance in his home debut, scoring the only goal of the match against a lack lustre Arsenal side. The Spaniard will certainly be looking to carry over his impressive efforts in this game and the former PSG man will certainly add flair to Stokes attacking play.
Certainly an interesting focal point of this match will be Darren Fletcher's return to the Hawthorns only this time, it will be in red and white stripes. The Scottish International has done well for the Potters so far this season but how will he cope against his former club, teammates and manager?
Even though the Baggies are coming into this game unbeaten in the Leagues first two matches, Stokes new signings should hopefully see them outdo the home side in attack.