Stoke City

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Stoke City defender Syd Agina has been called into Kenya's senior squad for the first time in his career.

The 18-year-old has been included for friendlies against Palestine and Kyrgyzstan next month as the Harambee Stars prepare for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations which they are co-hosting.

Agina made his first-team debut for Stoke in a 3-3 draw against Ipswich Town in the Championship in March.

He has since made a futher four appearances including three starts as the Potters finished the season in 17th place.

Image source, Shutterstock/Getty Images

Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Stoke City's keeper Viktor Johansson have been named in the Sweden squad for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

The pair have been included along with current number one Kristoffer Nordfeldt in Graham Potter's squad for the tournament which gets under way in 11 June.

Zetterstrom, who has won two caps, played 32 times for the Rams as the club finished eighth, narrowly missing out on a place in the Championship play-offs this season.

Twelve-cap Johansson, who signed a new four-year contract on 1 May, has spent most of 2026 recovering from shoulder surgery but made his return in Stoke's final game of the season against Bristol City.

Sweden secured their World Cup place by beating Ukraine and Poland in the play-offs and will open their campaign against Mexico in Monterrey on Monday, 15 June.

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres and Liverpool forward Alexander Isak are also included, as are Leeds' Gabriel Gudmundsson, Aston Villa defender Victor Lindelof, Brighton's Yasin Ayari, Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Bergvall and Newcastle United winger Anthony Elanga.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

Stoke City's 2-0 defeat at Bristol City was their 18th loss in their past 32 games.

At the end of matchday 14, Stoke were second in the Championship with eight wins and 27 points.

Over the remaining 70% of the season they failed to double that win tally, picked up just 28 more points and compiled a record second only to Sheffield Wednesday as the worst in the league over that period.

Sadly, the first 14 games were the exception that kept the Potters away from relegation, but are Stoke in a better position now than they were this time last year when they'd just finished one place and four points worse off in 18th?

The answer is complicated.

The squad contains sellable assets, not least Sorba Thomas who indicated he'd be open to a move when answering my post match question about whether he'd be at the club in August with the words "no comment".

Stoke could potentially generate income by moving on younger players like Bae Junho, Eric Bocat or Million Manhoef and may also look to jettison some of their older, comparatively highly-paid colleagues.

To do so successfully, they'll need to find suitors willing to take those players and the right deal for all parties, but everyone at the club is probably available at the right price.

They might then have a reasonable amount of money to spend, but the club's recent track record in recruitment is patchy to say the least.

Stoke need more power, athleticism and physicality in their squad but, beyond that, those in coaching and recruitment must develop a clear idea of what they want a Stoke team to be, what they want it to represent, how they want it to play and how they're going to implement that.

Currently, there are vacancies within the coaching staff and that culture, identity or DNA - choose your own cliche - isn't clearly visible.

Manager Mark Robins and sporting director Jon Walters end the season under pressure and decisions will have to be made quickly on a structure and methodology for next season that everyone agrees on.

They cannot afford to end up in a position where big changes once again become inevitable early in a new season.

One major positive is that they now have a summer to spend getting everyone fit after a season badly affected by injuries to key players.

There's a lot of work to be done as a fanbase worn down by bottom-half finishes looks for hope and inspiration.

Stoke City manager Mark Robins has stated his uncertainty over what the future holds for the club after his side's season ended with a 2-0 defeat at Bristol City on Saturday.

Newly re-signed goalkeeper Viktor Johansson's miskicked pass in the opening minute gave Delano Burgzorg and Bristol City a dream start to the match.

The Potters' Junior Tchamadeu did hit the crossbar in the first half with an impressive half-volley effort, but that was the best Stoke got to equalising before Sam Bell consolidated the hosts' three points at Ashton Gate on the 88th minute.

"I think we were the better team," said Robins to BBC Radio Stoke after the game. "I thought we played well. We gave a goal away, a real soft goal away, in minute one and then we ended up trying to chase the game for the rest of it because we had to try and make the run-in.

"We're in next week, we'll have meetings no doubt, and we'll speak with the hierarchy and see what happens from there.

"A lot of things are up in the air, not least the financial rules for the league and things like that. I think that will certainly have a bearing on what we eventually do or can do.

"But in the meantime, we'll just get on and do what we can at this point."

There is nothing riding on this game (12:30 BST) other than both teams trying to send their fans into the summer with something to smile about.

Bristol City can no longer secure a top-10 finish while Stoke, having spent the first-half of the season challenging for a play-off place will end the campaign in the bottom half of the table.

• Bristol City won this exact fixture last season 2-0, but have not won back-to-back home league games against Stoke since March 1959.

• Stoke have won three of their past five league meetings with Bristol City (D1 L1), more than their previous nine beforehand (W2 D1 L6).

• Bristol City have only won their final league game in one of the past 10 seasons (D3 L6), winning 2-0 at QPR in 2022-23.

• Stoke City have only lost their final league game in one of the past 14 seasons (W8 D5), losing 2-0 at Watford in 2022-23.

• Stoke are guaranteed to have a bottom-half finish in the Championship for an eighth consecutive season – since 2018-19, they are one of eight ever-present Championship teams and they have the fewest points of those eight (448).

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

At the end of the final home game of the season, Stoke's players were sent out to do a lap of appreciation, honouring the fans, and were faced with row upon row of empty red seats.

The supporters have stuck with their team admirably this season, but over the last few weeks patience that was wearing thin has been worn through.

The performance against Portsmouth was abject, lacking enthusiasm, energy, desire and resolve from more than a handful of players in red and white.

After the game manager Mark Robins said players would be "cut loose."

Damningly, he added that Stoke "need to move people on who are mercenary, don't want to train and don't want to work hard."

Robins reiterated again that the club has a lot of work to do and fans are again staring down a summer during which one failed project will be torn down and another one put in place, all in the space of three or four months.

He has repeatedly said that greater physicality will be a priority and promised significant change and a focus on players with the right mindset to compete.

Everyone associated to Stoke will hope it's ninth time lucky for a club stuck in Championship purgatory.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke BBC Radio Stoke after Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Portsmouth.

"It was a really slow performance from both teams and we were poor," he said.

"From start to finish we lacked energy, lacked enthusiasm and know-how. It was a really poor way to end the season [at home].

"There were times where we think we are running and working hard, but there is not enough in that team to win football matches consistently at the level.

"It was one of those lacklustre performances that you get on a really warm day, but to finish the season you've got to go and run.

"Honestly, we talk about things and its rhetoric then and it doesn't mean anything. I'm disappointed, clearly."

Image source, Opta

Stoke will seek to halt their slide down the Championship table when Portsmouth visit on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Potters occupied the second automatic promotion place in late November but have slipped down to 17th, picking up just three wins in their past 18 games.

The four sides immediately above them remain within three points, however.

Portsmouth's survival was ensured on Tuesday night, despite a 5-1 defeat at Coventry, as Oxford's defeat to Wrexham left the Blues safe with two games remaining.

• Stoke City have won four of their past five league meetings with Portsmouth (L1), just one fewer than their previous 20 prior (W5 D8 L7).

• Portsmouth are winless in seven league visits to Stoke (D2 L5) since a 2-0 triumph in February 1995 under Terry Fenwick.

• Stoke have only won their final home league game in two of the past nine seasons (D2 L5), beating Brentford 1-0 in 2019-20 and Bristol City 4-0 in 2023-24.

• Portsmouth have only won their final away game in one of their past eight second tier seasons (D2 L5), beating Bradford City 5-0 in 2002-03.

• Stoke have lost their past two Championship matches; only once this season have they lost three on the spin, doing so from November to December.

Mark Elliot
BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Another game closer to the end of the season and another defeat which gave Stoke City a close look at the most popular recipe for success in the Championship.

Take a consistent goalkeeper, add outfield players with strength, athleticism, power and reliability on the ball and garnish with a couple of individuals with match-winning quality who can offer something different and you're almost there.

Mix into a shape that gets players forward in numbers whilst retaining defensive solidity, bake for 46 games and you will be there or thereabouts.

Coventry, Millwall, Middlesbrough and Wrexham are all in the top six, none has the financial advantage of parachute payments and each team has most if not all of the characteristics listed above.

Stoke are missing the physicality, athleticism and reliability in possession and at times over the past few weeks some players in red and white have also lacked a bit of desire.

To be competitive at the top end of the division next season, they will need to add plenty of all of that to a squad about to undergo another significant transformation.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke after his side's 3-1 defeat to Millwall:

"Two mistakes. They started off quite brightly as you'd expect – they're going for the top two.

"We were OK and then we contrived to beat ourselves.

"They haven't done anything to hurt us. We must be the only team in the division that gives away goals now.

"Before we were hard to beat, we were hard to score against and it's just changed around.

"But from my perspective we made changes, we got a little bit of a foothold, we got a goal back, we looked like we could go on and grab something."

Image source, Opta

Millwall will seek to keep up the pace in the automatic promotion race as they head to Stoke on Tuesday night (19:45 BST).

The Lions returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over QPR on Saturday and could return to second place, three points ahead of Ipswich, if Alex Neil can continue his fine winning record against his former club.

The Tractor Boys, who visit Charlton on Wednesday, would however have two games in hand on Millwall and a vastly superior goal difference.

The Potters are already safe and though they have picked up just a point from their past three games, Mark Robins' side are unbeaten in six at the Bet365, earning 12 points and scoring 13 goals.

• Stoke have won just one of their past 14 league games against Millwall (D5 L8), a 2-0 home win in March 2022. The Potters have failed to score in 10 of these 14 games.

• Millwall have won five of their past seven league games against Stoke (D2), conceding just one goal in these seven matches.

• Stoke are unbeaten in home league games since the start of February (W3 D3); they last recorded a longer unbeaten run in their final seven home league matches in 2018-19 (W1 D6).

• Millwall are unbeaten in their past seven away league games (W5 D2), their longest run since April 2018 (run of nine), while their 37 points on the road this season is their most since 2015-16 in the third tier (39).

• Former Stoke manager Alex Neil has won six of his past seven league games against the Potters (L1), including both while in charge of Millwall.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator

Image source, Getty Images

After another defeat at Wrexham, Mark Robins set out exactly what he wants from the summer transfer window and players who come in will need to have the physicality and reliability to compete in the Championship over a full season.

He said he, the club's ownership and recruitment team have a lot of work to do to create a squad full of players with those characteristics, in addition to the quality required to improve on a season during which they've struggled in front of goal.

Stoke finished the game with two wingers at full-back and an attacking full-back at centre-half, partnered by an 18-year-old making his professional debut.

They also finished the game with more injuries to defenders to contend with at the end of a season defined by injuries to key players all over the pitch.

Wrexham scored two goals in two minutes, one straight from a corner and one after a mistake from Aaron Cresswell.

Both goals were poor from a Stoke perspective but the Potters had chances of their own and plenty of the game.

In the end, poor decision-making or execution in the final third, and an inability to match Wrexham's strength, dismissed any hopes of a comeback.

Those are the themes of the season and exactly the issues that will need resolving over the summer.

Boss Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke following his side's 2-0 Championship defeat by Wrexham.

"In general we weren't in any danger, we looked like we were okay from back to front but we make the wrong decision, either the wrong touch or we try to take people on.

"The supporters are frustrated, I'm frustrated and there's plenty of work for us to do in the summer.

"Two moments in a game from a corner and some inexplicable circumstances is the disappointment of today but that was coming because we didn't win tackles or duels and the ball was turned over too many times."

"It was a really poor performance in terms of chances created and trying to take them, plus the two goals we gave away were just hideous."

Stoke are 17th in the table and at home to second-placed Millwall on Tuesday evening.

Image source, Opta

Stoke City will hope to officially confirm their status as a Championship club for another season when they visit Wrexham on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 BST).

The Potters are 11 points clear of the relegation zone with four games to play and need a win to guarantee survival - or for either Blackburn to lose or Oxford to fail to win.

The Red Dragons are looking for a victory to keep them in the hunt for a play-off place as they start the weekend four points behind sixth-placed Hull City.

• Wrexham have lost 12 of their 13 league games against Stoke, with a 3-1 away win in February 1999 the only exception.

• Stoke have won all six of their away league games against Wrexham, with this their first visit since November 2001. It's the joint-best 100% away win rate one side has against another in English Football League history (Northampton also 6/6 at Dagenham & Redbridge).

• Wrexham have lost their past two league games, and could lose three in a row for the first time since February 2024 when they were in League Two.

• Stoke are on a five-game losing run away from home in the Championship, and have not lost six consecutive away league games since between January and March 2013, when they were in the Premier League.

• Josh Windass has netted 12 league goals for Wrexham this season, just one shy of equalling his most in a single Championship campaign (13 in 44 games for Sheffield Wednesday in 2024-25).