Stoke & Staffordshire

A win on Boxing Day could see Leeds United top the Championship table if results go their way elsewhere.

Leeds are three points behind leaders Sheffield United but with a much healthier goal difference and they take on a Stoke City side with no wins in their last five games.

The Potters are 19th in the table and four points above the relegation zone.

• Stoke have won three of their last four home league games against Leeds, losing the other 3-0 in August 2019.

• Leeds have won three of their last four league games against Stoke, winning each game without conceding a goal (3-0 and 5-0 in 2019-20, 1-0 in March 2024).

• Stoke City have lost one of their last eight league games on Boxing Day (W4 D3), losing 2-0 away at Birmingham City in 2018.

• Leeds United have won three of their last 10 Boxing Day matches (D3 L4), winning those in three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018.

• Leeds manager Daniel Farke has lost his last three Boxing Day league matches, losing twice with Norwich (in 2019 vs. Aston Villa and 2020 vs. Watford) and last year with Leeds away at Preston.

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke boss Narcis Pelach has identified the midfield as a key area that his side need to improve in order to win more matches.

The Potters have only claimed victory in five of their 22 Championship matches this season to find themselves in the bottom six heading into Christmas.

"We have to win more duels in the middle of the pitch, which we have lost a lot of in recent games. Not just duels but second balls as well," Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We lost physicality here with injuries, with Bosun Lawal and Ben Pearson.

"We have players in the midfield that are technical but not that physical and this is why we've won less battles basically."

Pearson suffered a set-back in his return from a long-term hamstring injury, while Lawal made the trip to Hillsborough on Saturday after back issues kept him out of training but was left on the bench.

With injuries impacting squad selection, Pelach says the answer to their midfield struggles may be in recruitment.

"We need to put on the pitch players who win more duels and if we don't win enough, we will need to go in January and in the summer and find players who can," Pelach added.

"We talk about talent but you don't see the talent.

"There's a level of fight in the Championship that you have to meet and now at the minute, we need to improve this."