After the disappointment of crashing to opening day defeat at the hands of local rivals Wolves last Saturday, the Stoke players and fans will feel that tomorrow's game against top-four hopefuls Tottenham will be the perfect chance to get the season up and running. Back at the Britannia Stadium where 62 of the club's 92 Premier League points to date have come and with some of the country's most vociferous supporters behind them, Tony Pulis's men will aim to record a fine win in order to kick-start the campaign; with some tough fixtures coming up, it will be vital that the Potters get some points on the board as soon as possible.
TEAM NEWS
When Stoke's £8 million forward Kenwyne Jones hobbled off with an ankle injury just thirteen minutes into his debut six days ago, he looked set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Pulis has been given the excellent news that his record signing has not suffered any serious damage though, and the Trinidadian could well feature. There could also be a first Stoke appearance for the club's newest signing, former Ipswich man Jonathan Walters, who made the £2.75 million switch to the Potteries on Wednesday. He could well come into the side on the right wing allowing Rory Delap to move into his preferred central midfield role at the expense of Glenn Whelan. Whelan's Irish international teammate Liam Lawrence will miss out with a groin problem.
The Spurs squad includes some of the most exciting attacking players in English football, but fortunately for the Stoke defence many of these are injured. Russian forward Roman Pavlyuchenko, who scored a stunning goal in his side's Champions League qualifying loss to Young Boys of Bern, is ruled out with an ankle injury, while his fellow strikers Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane are sidelined with groin and knee injuries respectively, leaving 6'7" Peter Crouch, a player many look up to, as the only fit senior forward at Harry Redknapp's disposal. Creative midfielders Luka Modric and Giovannia dos Santos are also injured while David Bentley, Jamie O'Hara and Jonathan Woodgate complete the lengthy treatment list at White Hart Lane. Redknapp's sqaud could soon be strengthened by the si gning of former Arsenal and Chelsea defender William Gallas, who has agreed a one year contract with Spurs, but he is unlikely to join the club in time to play.
Possible Stoke Side:
Sorensen
Huth Shawcross Faye Higginbotham
Walters Delap Whitehead Etherington
Jones Fuller
Subs: Begovic, Wilkinson, Collins, Whelan, Tonge, Sidibe, Tuncay
Possible Tottenham Side:
Gomes
Corluka King Dawson Assou-Ekotto
Lennon Huddlestone Palacios Bale
Kranjčar
Crouch
Subs: Cudicini, Kaboul, Bassong, Hutton, Jenas, Rose, Sandro
FORM
Both sides have made an underwhelming start to the season, something they will look to have rectified come five o'clock tomorrow afternoon. While Stoke slipped to defeat at Wolves last weekend, Spurs could only draw their opening Premier League game at home to Manchester City, while they surprisingly lost 3-2 in that European game against Young Boys, one that they were expected to win comfortably. Since Stoke's return to the top flight, each side has tasted victory twice against the other. During the 2008/09 season, Stoke beat Spurs 2-1 at home, while Tottenham won 3-1 in London. Last year, Whelan's late goal earned the Potters a superb 1-0 win at White Hart Lane, but Redknapp's side earned revenge, taking the points after winning 2-1 in a fiery encounter at the Britannia Stadium. Historically , Spurs have the edge over Stoke, winning 38 of the clubs' 77 meetings. Stoke have won 22 and there have been seventeen draws.
PLAYER LINKS
None of the current Spurs squad has ever played for Stoke, but Stoke's 2009/10 player of the season Matthew Etherington played his first Premier League football for the North Londoners. The tricky winger, who turned 29 last week, played 50 games for the club between 2000 and 2003, scoring two goals. Redknapp is also a coach familiar to Stoke strikers Jones and Ricardo Fuller, as he managed Jones at Southampton and Fuller at both Portsmouth and Southampton.
THE REFEREE
Merseyside official Chris Foy will take charge of the match. The 47 year-old kicked off his 2010/11 campaign by refereeing Monday's meeting of Manchester United and Newcastle, while he was involved in games featuring both Stoke and Spurs at the end of last season, officiating in Stoke's goalless draw at Wolves in mid-April and Spurs's crucial 1-0 home win over Bolton three weeks later, a result that helped them to a top four finish and Champions League qualification. Foy is not considered to be a particularly card-happy referee, averaging 3.8 yellow cards and 0.17 red cars per game last season.
THE WEATHER
The weather conditions tomorrow threaten to be as oppressive as the atmosphere the home fans will seek to generate, with heavy rain forecast for Stoke-on-Trent.
PREDICTION
Spurs are undoubtedly a very strong outfit, but with so many of their best players missing through injury and on the back of their disappointing midweek result, this could be as good a time as any for Stoke to record a victory over them. I foresee a narrow home win, thanks to a goal against his old employers from Etherington. Stoke 1-0 Tottenham
Enjoy the game