Stoke City v Preston North End: EFL Championship preview

Stoke City host Preston North End in the EFL Championship on matchday 13, with kick-off on 31 October 2026 at 12:30. The two sides arrive some distance apart in the table.

League position

Stoke City are 9th with 20 points from 12 matches. They have recorded 6 wins, 2 draws and 4 defeats, scoring 18 goals and conceding 16.

Preston North End are 24th with 5 points from their 12 matches. Their record shows 1 win, 2 draws and 9 defeats, with 10 goals scored and 25 conceded.

Recent form

Stoke City have taken 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat from their last 5 matches. Their most recent outing was a 0-0 draw at home to Bristol City. Before that they won 1-0 away at Derby County, and prior to that they lost 2-3 at home to Middlesbrough. Earlier still came 2-1 victories away at Bolton Wanderers and at home to Sheffield United.

Preston North End are without a win in their last 5 matches, with 2 draws and 3 defeats. Most recently they drew 1-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion. Before that came a 1-4 defeat away at Wrexham, preceded by a 0-4 loss away at Birmingham City and a 0-1 home defeat by Millwall. The earliest of the five was a 2-2 draw away at Queens Park Rangers.

Previous meetings

The most recent meeting between the clubs, on 20 March 2026, ended Preston North End 3-1 Stoke City. Before that, on 26 December 2025, Stoke City and Preston North End drew 0-0.

Players to watch

Ethan Galbraith is Stoke City’s top scorer in the EFL Championship this season with 3 goals. For Preston North End, Callum Lang leads the way, also with 3 goals.