Gameweek 15’s opening salvo pits Stoke City against Manchester City at the Britannia Stadium. The Potters were unable to cope with the dismissal of their captain, Ryan Shawcross, in their last league tie but recovered with a 2-0 win in their midweek League Cup clash. Likewise, the Sky Blues will be in high spirits in the wake of their 4-1 win over Hull City.
Stoke have proven a tough nut to crack on their own turf this campaign, conceding the fifth-fewest number of home goals (four). Furthermore, they rank in the bottom four with regards to shots inside the box conceded (40) and joint-last for big chances surrendered (four). A sturdy base has come at the expense of attacking flair, though, given that the Potters have carded fewer attempts (58), shots inside the box (29) and shots on target (17) than any team at home.
Surprisingly, only four sides have recorded fewer goals than Man City on their travels (seven). In addition the Sky Blues possess the third-worst shot-conversion rate (7.1%) in road matches, which suggests their meeting with Stoke could be a keenly contested and edgy affair. Those Fantasy managers in possession of Man City defenders will be encouraged by the fact that Manuel Pellegrini’s troops boast the best away record (four goals conceded) in the league.
