Preston North End kick off 2023 with a trip to the bet365 Stadium to take on Alex Neil’s Stoke City.
Match Information
Venue: bet365 Stadium
Date: Monday 2nd January, 3pm kick-off
Competition: Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 26/46)
Kit: Away kit – available in-store and online!
Ticket Information
Tickets for this fixture will remain on sale until 12.30pm on New Year’s Eve, and Stoke City have confirmed there will be no option to pay on the day.
Tickets can also be collected from Deepdale until 1pm on 31st December, while any which haven’t been picked up can be collected from turnstile 55 at the bet365 Stadium on the day of the game.
Coach travel is also available from Deepdale and Leyland, with a departure time of 12 noon from both locations.
How To Follow The Game
Supporters worldwide can watch this game on iFollow PNE, with match passes available for £10.
Audio commentary is also available, with Jonathan Breeze and David Buchanan on the mic, and you can buy an audio match pass or monthly pass by clicking here.
We will also be providing the usual coverage before, during, and after the game across our social media channels and here on PNE.Com.
In The Dressing Room
Ryan Lowe is hopeful he may be able to call upon Andrew Hughes, with the defender now back in training following a spell on the sidelines.
The manager also explained that Robbie Brady is on the road to recovery, however his return has been delayed due to an illness last week.
Sean Maguire and Troy Parrott will both miss out, with the latter expected to return in January, but he will be assessed by Tottenham Hotspur’s medical team before being made available for selection.
A Look At Our Hosts
Sat 17th in the table currently, the Potters are one of several sides in the division who will be hoping to make a push for the top six during the second half of the season.
Managed by former PNE boss Alex Neil, Stoke are searching for greater consistency in their results having not achieved back-to-back victories since October.
They're also looking to improve on their performances at the bet365 Stadium in the coming months, given they have taken 12 points from their 12 matches at home so far this term.
Going Head To Head
Games played: 110
PNE wins: 49
Draws: 24
Stoke City wins: 37
Last victory: Stoke City 1-2 PNE, 3rd January 2022
One To Watch
Having scored and assisted more goals than anyone in the team so far this term, it's hard to look past midfielder Lewis Baker as Stoke's key player.
The former Chelsea man enjoyed a fantastic second half to last season with the Potters following his January arrival, scoring eight and assisting two.
So far this season, the tally is five and four respectively, and with an eye for a long-range stunner, PNE will need to make sure they don't give the 27-year-old any sight of goal.
Match Officials
Leigh Doughty will take charge of a PNE fixture for only the third time in his career on Monday.
Doughty, now in his third season of refereeing in the Championship, officiated North End’s defeats to Cardiff City and Fulham in the 2021/22 campaign.
This season, he has shown 74 yellow cards and four reds in his 17 matches as the main official, and on Monday he will be assisted by Adam Crysell and Robert Hyde, with Thomas Kirk on fourth official duties.