Stoke City told Narcis Pelach truth as Derby County seek statement win
Stoke City host a Derby County side looking to create their own little bit of history come lunchtime on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).
The Rams emerged victorious the last time the near rivals clashed in the Potteries, sub Colin Kazim-Richards bagging an 85th-minute winner for the visitors in a 2-1 success on December 30, 2021.
And should they manage to repeat the feat this weekend, it will be the first time they have won consecutive league games at Stoke since September 1933.
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Of course, Stoke head coach Narcis Pelach will take comfort from his side’s midweek Carabao Cup defeat at Premier League Southampton. Despite a second consecutive loss for the Potters, a youthful side gave their top-flight hosts a real scare, rallying from a two-goal deficit before a goal-line clearance denied them a shock lead at St Mary's.
The Saints ultimately ran out 3-2 winners of the fourth-round tie and now face Liverpool for a place in the semi-finals, but Pelach will be pondering selection changes based on what he saw from his team on the south coast.
Sky pundits Simeon Gholam and David Prutton focused on the Stoke v Derby match at the bet365 Stadium during their latest Essential EFL podcast.
Discussing Stoke’s plight in the lower reaches of the table, and the arrival of Pelach from a coaching role at Norwich City in place of the sacked Steve Schumacher, Prutton said: “They obviously made the change thinking that their season was going to bounce, but they are not necessarily doing much with that at the moment considering their 19th place.
“But I think Derby are looking more and more solid as the games move on. I think they've made a cracking return to the Championship.”
The Rams, promoted from League One last season, go into the game on the back of consecutive 1-1 draws against Millwall, Oxford and Hull, but are three points and seven places better off than their hosts this weekend.
And asked for his score prediction at the bet365 Stadium, Prutton delivered a clear verdict. “I'm going to go Derby to win this nil-one,” he said.