Match report

Stoke City and Preston Draw Goalless in Championship Clash

Stoke City
Stoke City
0–0
FT
Preston
Preston
Dec 26, 2025

Stoke City managed to hold off the determined efforts of Preston in a hard-fought match that ended in a scoreless stalemate. Both teams demonstrated strong defensive lines, with Stoke's Ben Wilmot and Preston's Paul Valentin and Alistair McCann receiving yellow cards for their respective fouls.

Key Facts

  • • Final Score: Stoke City 0–0 Preston (Championship)
  • • Paul Valentin (Preston) was shown a yellow card in the 16th minute.
  • • Ben Wilmot (Stoke City) received a yellow card at the 54th minute.
  • • Alistair McCann (Preston) got his yellow card in the 62nd minute, just before being substituted off for Jack Thompson.

Lineups

Stoke City

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 1 V. Johansson (G)
  • 18 B. Lawal
  • 26 A. Phillips (D)
  • 16 B. Wilmot (D)
  • 3 A. Cresswell (D)
  • 12 T. Seko (M)
  • 4 B. Pearson (M)
  • 42 M. Manhoef (M)
  • 10 J. Bae (M)
  • 7 S. Thomas (M)
  • 9 D. Mubama (F)

Substitutes

  • 13 J. Bonham
  • 40 M. Talovierov
  • 23 B. Gibson
  • 15 S. N'Zonzi
  • 19 T. Rigo
  • 14 J. Donley
  • 29 L. Cisse
  • 20 S. Gallagher
  • 11 R. Bozenik

Preston

Formation: 3-5-2

Starting XI

  • 1 D. Iversen (G)
  • 42 O. Offiah (D)
  • 14 J. Storey (D)
  • 16 A. Hughes (D)
  • 2 P. Valentin (M)
  • 5 H. Armstrong (M)
  • 4 B. Whiteman (M)
  • 8 A. McCann (M)
  • 26 T. Small (M)
  • 24 M. Smith (F)
  • 9 D. Jebbison (F)

Substitutes

  • 12 J. Walton
  • 6 L. Lindsay
  • 18 J. Lewis
  • 44 B. Potts
  • 15 J. Thompson
  • 35 N. Mawene
  • 21 A. Devine
  • 10 M. Frokjaer-Jensen
  • 7 W. Keane

Timeline

  1. Preston
    16' Preston Card · Yellow Card
    P. Valentin

    Foul

  2. Stoke City
    40' Stoke City subst · Substitution 1
    Off: A. Cresswell · On: B. Gibson
  3. Stoke City
    54' Stoke City Card · Yellow Card
    Ben Wilmot

    Foul

  4. Preston
    62' Preston Card · Yellow Card
    Alistair McCann

    Foul

  5. Preston
    67' Preston subst · Substitution 1
    Off: Alistair McCann · On: J. Thompson
  6. Preston
    72' Preston subst · Substitution 2
    Off: D. Jebbison · On: A. Devine
  7. Preston
    72' Preston subst · Substitution 3
    Off: H. Armstrong · On: M. Frokjaer-Jensen
  8. Stoke City
    77' Stoke City subst · Substitution 2
    Off: D. Mubama · On: R. Bozenik
  9. Preston
    84' Preston subst · Substitution 4
    Off: T. Small · On: J. Lewis
  10. Stoke City
    86' Stoke City subst · Substitution 3
    Off: J. Bae · On: S. Gallagher
  11. Stoke City
    90'+1 Stoke City Card · Yellow Card
    B. Gibson

    Foul

Match Stats

Stat Stoke City Preston
Fouls 8 12
Pass Accuracy 83% 75%
Offsides 1 2
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 14 8
Corners 10 2
Total Passes 426 313
Yellow Cards 4 2
Blocked Shots 5 2
Shots on Target 3 4
xG 1.06 0.59
Shots off Target 6 2
Possession 58% 42%
Goals Prevented 0 0
Accurate Passes 353 235
Shots Inside Box 8 4
Saves 4 3
Shots Outside Box 6 4

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Stoke City introduced B. Gibson as a substitute for A. Cresswell at the 40th minute, which helped stabilize their midfield.
  • ▸ Preston made multiple substitutions towards the end of the match to maintain momentum, including J. Thompson and D. Jebbison coming on in the 67th and 72nd minutes respectively.