Stoke City travel to Ewood Park on Tuesday night aiming for a fourth straight away league victory, a feat they last achieved over two decades ago. The 108th meeting between these historic rivals sees a Stoke side in seventh place on 23 points looking to close a five-point gap to leaders Middlesbrough. Their season record stands at seven wins, two draws, and four losses from their thirteen matches, with a goal difference of plus four having scored twenty and conceded sixteen. Their recent form shows three wins, a draw, and a loss from their last five, a sequence that includes a 2-0 home win over Preston North End last Friday. That result, secured with goals from Ben Wilmot and Jack McGlynn, provides a solid platform for the trip to Lancashire. This result on Saturday 31 October followed a goalless draw with Bristol City and a 1-0 win at Derby on Saturday 17 October, though it was preceded by a 3-2 home defeat to Middlesbrough. The Potters have been defeated only once in their last eleven league visits to Blackburn, a 3-1 loss in February 2024. Both league meetings last season ended in 1-1 draws, including the most recent encounter in April. Blackburn, currently 13th, have won their last three home games against Stoke but are without a win in their last four matches against them overall. Their most recent outing was a heavy 4-0 defeat to Swansea City. Stoke's recent away resurgence, following a 12-game winless streak on the road, has propelled them into the play-off conversation. Another win would match a run from November and December 2005. Andri Gudjohnsen will be looking to continue his scoring form, having netted in his last three home matches. The full fixtures list shows this as a key test before the international break. The match kicks off at 19:45 GMT.
The original report is at bbc.co.uk
