Stoke City's improved form has solidified into a genuine promotion push after a 2-1 comeback victory over Sheffield United at the bet365 Stadium. The win on Saturday extends their unbeaten run in the Championship to five matches and lifts them to seventh place on 13 points, just four points behind leaders Swansea.
Mark Robins's side had to respond after Kalvin Phillips gave the visitors the lead just after half-time. The equaliser arrived in the 78th minute when Jack McGlynn finished from a Junior Tchamadeu assist. The turnaround was completed eight minutes later, with Sam Gallagher heading in a cross from Ethan Galbraith, who now has three goals this season.
Injury concerns remain
The victory came despite continued absences in defence. Aaron Cresswell, Eric Junior Bocat, Sam Gallagher and Svante Ingelsson all missed the match through injury. Their availability for the upcoming trip to Bolton on 10 October remains uncertain, a situation fans can monitor on the club's injuries page.
This result marks a significant reversal from last season, when Sheffield United won both league meetings, including a 4-0 victory at Bramall Lane. The current momentum is built on a foundation of four wins and a draw from the last five games, a sequence that includes away wins at Watford and Cardiff. Stoke's underlying numbers show a team averaging 45% possession with a pass accuracy just over 80%, suggesting a pragmatic but effective approach.
Sheffield United, managed by Chris Wilder, were without Tahith Chong, Harrison Burrows, Liam Kitching and Sam McCallum. They remain in the lower half of the table on nine points. Stoke's next challenge is an away fixture at Bolton, a game that presents another opportunity to climb the standings. The squad's current form and resilience, demonstrated in this comeback, provides a strong platform for the weeks ahead.
The original report is at onefootball.com
Mark Robins hailed Sam Gallagher's winning goal as one of the best he has ever seen. The Stoke City manager told reporters the 86th-minute volley demonstrated "sheer brute force and quality" from the striker, who has worked to return from injury. The victory extends Stoke's unbeaten run to five matches, a sequence of four wins and a draw. The club's form is now WWDWW from their last five Championship fixtures.
A Stoke City fan has claimed Sam Gallagher's winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Sheffield United was offside. The supporter, named Selina, told reporters the decisive 86th-minute header was 'harsh and funny that it was offside'. The win, which came via goals from Jack McGlynn and Gallagher, extends Stoke's unbeaten run to five matches, a sequence of four wins and a draw. The club now sits seventh in the Championship with 13 points from eight games.
