Stoke City vs. Chelsea: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Premier League champions Chelsea will be keen to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they make the trip to face Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium.
The Blues were held to a surprise 0-0 draw at home to Arsenal last time out, halting the recent progress they have enjoyed. Manager Antonio Conte will want to ensure his team stay in touch with the Manchester sides at the top, who have both been in imperious form as of late.
Stoke have been inconsistent so far this campaign, although they have fared well on home soil, picking up four points from matches with Arsenal and Manchester United in front of their own fans. They will fancy their chances of getting one over on another of the division's big names.
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Read on for the viewing details for this clash, the team news for each side and a closer look at what to expect from these two outfits.
Date: Saturday, September 23
Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET
TV Info: NBC Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: NBC Sports App (U.S.)
Team News
Stoke City
Manager Mark Hughes has no fresh injury concerns to contend with, though Ibrahim Afellay and Julien Ngoy are both long-term absentees.
Likely XI: Jack Butland; Kurt Zouma, Bruno Martins Indi, Kevin Wimmer; Mame Biram Diouf, Joe Allen, Darren Fletcher, Erik Pieters; Xherdan Shaqiri, Jese, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Chelsea
David Luiz will be suspended for this one, while summer signing Danny Drinkwater is unlikely to be ready to make his debut yet. Given the midfield battle is likely to be a physical one, Tiemoue Bakayoko may be preferred to Cesc Fabregas, while Eden Hazard should be fit to start.
Likely XI: Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, Antonio Rudiger; Victor Moses, Tiemoue Bakayoko, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Pedro, Alvaro Morata, Eden Hazard
Preview
Given Chelsea have steamrolled past Arsenal in the recent years at Stamford Bridge, the Blues fanbase would have been disappointed to see their players frustrated by the Gunners on Sunday.
The attacking dynamism and variety that has come to epitomise Chelsea under Conte was missing, and the team lacked chemistry in the final third. It meant Arsenal were able to defend with relative ease and limit the number of chances their London rivals had.
Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe was disappointed in the way Chelsea went about the match on Sunday:
What will be worrying for the Blues manager is the lack of discipline his players have showcased at times in 2017-18, with David Luiz becoming the third Chelsea player to be sent off at Stamford Bridge this season.
It wasn't as though the Brazil international was making a last-ditch lunge to protect a point for his team either, as he was impetuous and reckless in flying into a challenge with Sead Kolasinac. Luiz will miss this vital contest as a result.
As noted by Squawka Football, sometimes when they come up against their rivals, the Blues tend to lose their heads a little:
Against Stoke, they will need to keep their cool in what is always a lively atmosphere in the Potteries.
Hughes' side may not be as agricultural as they once were under former boss Tony Pulis, but there's been a sense of Stoke finding themselves again in home games against Arsenal and United. Yes, there's more attacking flair, but there have been dashes of fight and physicality in their play, too.
Having slumped to disappointing away defeats at Newcastle United and Bristol City in their last two outings, Hughes will demand a response from his players. The Oatcake Fanzine were not impressed with the Potters' Carabao Cup exit:
At home, Stoke's performance should have a little more bite to it, and you sense they will have been given a rollocking by their manager.
For Chelsea, going into this one without Luiz will be a challenge. While he lost his cool late on against Arsenal, the Brazilian was arguably the team's standout performer beforehand and is vital to the three-man defence flourishing. Whoever steps in for him has a big job to do.
However, with Hazard slowly getting back to full fitness, the champions should have enough in the final third to overcome this challenge.
Prediction: Stoke City 1-2 Chelsea
