Stoke City host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this afternoon.
Mark Lawrenson
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur will draw 1-1 at the Bet365 Stadium this afternoon.
Stoke head into the game having endured something of a frustrating season so far, having picked up just one point from the first three games of the new season.
Mark Hughes’ men picked up a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough on the opening day of the campaign, but have since lost 4-1 at home to Manchester City and 1-0 away at Everton to sit bottom of the table.
New Stoke City signing Wilfried Bony
The Potters – who will be able to call upon new signings Bruno Martins Indi and Wilfried Bony – welcome a Tottenham side who haven’t been at their best so far either, but remain unbeaten after two draws either side of their 1-0 home win against Crystal Palace last month.
Mauricio Pochettino managed to bring in three new signings on deadline day, snapping up goalkeeper Pau Lopez, winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and midfielder Moussa Sissoko – and whilst all three may miss out on the starting line-up today, they offer great depth to the Spurs squad.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham will want to see Harry Kane finally find the net this season after a minor drought to open the campaign, whilst Pochettino will generally hope his side improve in attack having only found the net three times so far this term.
Ahead of today’s game, pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks the game will finish 1-1, suggesting that Bony should be a great addition for Stoke, who desperately needed a top striker.
Lawrenson added that he doesn’t think Spurs will match last season’s 4-0 away win over Stoke, and is waiting for them to hit top gear after a quiet start to the campaign.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane warms up
“Stoke are another team who have made a slow start but I am sure will improve,” said Lawrenson. “Getting Bony on loan from Manchester City was a great signing for the Potters because a goalscorer was the thing they lacked last season. Bony likes playing on his own, which suits Stoke, and he will be playing regularly, which makes a big difference. He will be a good acquisition.”
“Tottenham won 4-0 at Stoke in April, but I do not see things being anywhere near as easy this time. I am still waiting for Spurs to really hit their stride this season but they remain hard to beat – so a draw is the most likely outcome,” he added.
What’s your prediction for Stoke v Tottenham?
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