Good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us as we bring you live coverage of Stoke City's Premier League clash with visitors Middlesbrough at the bet365 Stadium.

Both of these sides have endured indifferent form of late and come into this fixture having lost last weekend. Stoke are sitting in the middle of the table, whereas Boro are lingering just above the dreaded relegation zone.

It's likely that Aitor Karanka and Boro will be the more worried side today. They are yet to win a league game this season and have not recorded three Premier League points since December of last year. The visitors have won only four times this season too.

Despite their lack of victories, however, Middlesbrough have not spent any time in the relegation zone so far this season and some sort of positive outcome today might just spur them on as we head into the final stages of the season.

One major sticking point for Boro this campaign has been a lack of goals. As it stands, Karanka's men have notched just 19 times this season and that tally stands as the lowest in the league at the moment. Middlesbrough also hold a league-low record of having completed just 24 per cent of their passes in the attacking third of the pitch.

Added to that, the Teesiders have failed to score in their last three league matches. That stat reads rather ominous...

As for today's hosts, Stoke have been up and down all campaign. Last weekend's thrashing at Tottenham will likely be a low point of their season, although Stoke are still unbeaten in seven league games at home.

Time for some team news now...

STOKE CITY STARTING XI: Grant; Johnson, Shawcross, M. Indi, Pieters; Whelan, Cameron; Arnautovic, Allen, Ramadan; Crouch

STOKE CITY SUBSTITUTES: Given; Bardsley, Berahino, Afellay, Adam, Diouf, Walters

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBSTITUTES: Valdes, Fabio, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, De Roon, Clayton, Leadbitter, Traore, Ramirez, Gestede

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBSTITUTES Guzan, Bernardo, Barragan, Guedioura, Forshaw, Stuani, Negredo

So the major news for Stoke sees Glen Johnson return at right-back, while Hughes has kept his faith in lone striker Peter Crouch. Saido Berahino is yet to earn his first league start as he remains on the bench today.

As for the away side, George Friend returns from injury too and Antonio Barragan has come back to reclaim a place on the bench. The away side will be looking to a creative three of Adama Traore, Gaston Ramirez and Rudy Gestede as they go in search of what could be a crucial three points on the road.

Looking back at previous fixtures between these two sides, Stoke have won just two out of their last seven and have scored just once in each game. Middlesbrough have earned three victories in those matches, although the visiting side today have won just once in their last 13 away games against the Potters.

That away record has caused real problems for Boro this season too. They have not won in their last nine league games and have just one win in 26 away matches in the Premier League.

Some of this season's least encouraging statistics are also held by Karanka's side. Boro have attempted the fewest attempts on goal of any side this campaign. History also shows that for the last four seasons, the lowest scoring Premier League team has been relegated.

Stoke fans will be disappointed by last week's loss to Spurs, but the Potters do have some promising home form to look back on in recent weeks. The club's current run at home has been their best since that memorable stretch of 17 matches without defeat between February and December 2012.

Karanka will obviously be worried about a lack of wins this season, but the fact that his side have yet to be pulled into the bottom three will give his side hope. They clearly made improvements against West Bromwich Albion and Everton recently, but the defeat to Crystal Palace last Saturday will have left Boro starting to worry slightly.

The lack of goals for his side has clearly been a problematic issue for Karanka. Here's what he has had to say in the build-up to this clash, according to BBC Sport:

"When you can't do anymore to work harder and try to improve, you can't do more. I think we're doing a lot of things, we took a step forward in the games against West Brom and Everton and played well, but last week we had to change everything in the last minute. We have to keep working and I said after the game the only way to survive is to work harder every day."

Stoke frontman Peter Crouch has enjoyed a rejuvenated period in the last couple of months and he retains his place this afternoon. The introduction of Berahino has also given Hughes extra options going forward and that could make a real difference going into the final games of the campaign.

Here's a few pictures of some of the Stoke squad arriving at the 365 a little earlier this afternoon:

📸 The Potters have arrived at the bet365 Stadium team news for this afternoon's game with @Boro coming up shortly #SCFC pic.twitter.com/uFFg01ZyrW — Stoke City FC (@stokecity) March 4, 2017

Hughes has been clear in the build-up to this match that his side might just have to be patient when going up against Boro. Here's what he recently told reporters: "Middlesbrough don't give too many opportunities, and they can frustrate you. They normally only lose matches by the odd goal."

It's been a while since these two teams last faced each other in Stoke. The last time the sides met here was back in March 2009, when the Potters earned a slender 1-0 win thanks to a solitary Ryan Shawcross goal.

Jon Walters might just have a part to play in this game having made the bench despite being injured recently. Hughes will look at this bench and see a group of players that have the ability to come on and change the course of a game. You could argue that's not quite the case for travelling Middlesbrough.

As you can see from this social media post, the weather isn't too bad in Stoke at the moment. There are even rumours that the ground was bathed in sunlight a little earlier...

⚽️ Punch, catch! Lee Grant warms up in front of the Boothen End #SCFC pic.twitter.com/mhpxclmJEg — Stoke City FC (@stokecity) March 4, 2017

PREDICTION! We've got just under ten minutes until kickoff now and it is time for me to make a prediction. It's very hard to see past Stoke here, especially given Boro's poor scoring recored this term. The visitors do have the quality to pose a threat, but you look at Stoke's bench and they clearly have the squad capable of earning three points. I'm going for a narrow 1-0 win for the hosts, which could put Middlesbrough in real trouble during the business end of the season.

The ground is filling up nicely as we head towards the start of proceedings. This place can be a fortress at times and the crowd certainly do play a big part at the 365. Stoke will be aiming to build on that impressive home record with three points today.

The players are gathered in the tunnel and will be coming out shortly. Just a couple of minutes to go!

So here they come, Stoke dressed in typical red and white stripes, while Boro feature in navy. Can the visitors get something vital from this contest? They're level on points with 18th-placed Crystal Palace, with goal difference keeping them out of the drop-zone.

KICKOFF! Here we go, the visitors get us moving kicking from right to left. Stoke win the ball back straight away and push forward to earn a free-kick off the challenge of Friend.

The hosts get their first chance to give Crouch some service inside the box from the set-piece, but Boro are well-organised and are able to clear at the first attempt.

Impressive work already from Arnautovic, who skips past Friend to send a teasing ball into the box. The officials bring back play for a foul on the winger, leaving Whelan with the chance to deliver. Friend does some good recovering work, though, heading away at the front post.

ALMOST! Stoke are very, very luck here... A ball is lumped forward from the back more in hope than anything else, but Shawcross steps up at the wrong moment to allow Gestede through one-on-one with the keeper, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside against the striker.

Allen is already starting to have an influence in this Stoke midfield as he aims to keep the game ticking over in the middle of pitch. He'll be crucial in setting up the hosts' forward moves this afternoon.

SUBSTITUTION: An early blow for Boro who are having to replace full-back Ayala who appears to have pulled a muscle somewhere. He'll be replaced by Bernardo.

Clever work now from Friend who is able to feed Traore down the left channel. The winger sends a ball towards the far post for Gestede, whose knock-down is cleared at the vital moment by Shawcross in the middle of the Stoke box.

Neither side has really been able to exert any form of control as things stands, both appear a little shaky as they aim to gain a foothold in the contest.

Boro won't mind how things have panned out so far. Things have been heavily congested in the middle of pitch, meaning that the pace of Traore could be pivotal on the counter for the visitors.

CLOSE! What a team effort that would have been. Stoke produce some brilliant play on the edge of the Boro box as Crouch and Allen combine to find Arnautovic, who then lashes a ball into the box for Sobhi. The winger adjusts his body perfectly, but can only send his effort against the crossbar.

The visitors get the chance to return something of their own as Traore breaks into space down the left. The winger has players to aim for inside the area, but his cross is wayward and Stoke are able to clear with ease.

The visitors get the chance to return something of their own as Traore breaks into space down the left. The winger has players to aim for inside the area, but his cross is wayward and Stoke are able to clear with ease.

This is panning out to be a rather scrappy affair, with poor passes abound. Boro fail to clear their lines and present Allen with the chance to shoot on the edge of the area, although the midfielder loses his footing before pulling the trigger.

This is exactly what Boro will be aiming for... Traore is the creator again as he snatches the ball in the middle of the park before racing away on the counter. Shawcross can do very little but bring him down as he receives a yellow card. The free kick is a poor one, however, allowing Stoke to clear their lines.

Allen shows another glimpse of how he can changes games in the middle. After a scrappy passage of play, the playmaker dinks a lovely pass over the top for the run of Arnautovic, who is eventually hounded out by some strong defensive work from Friend.

De Roon does really well to break from midfield and gain a sight on goal. It looks as though he might get the chance to pull the trigger, only for Cameron to steal the ball back at the crucial moment on the edge of the box.

Who will bring some spark to this industrious affair? At the moment it's looking like Allen, but neither side have really been able to assert themselves thus far. It's been a bit of a poor game in all honesty.

And just as I say that, Stoke deliver a real piece of quality to give themselves the lead and it all comes through Marko Arnautovic. A ball is sent high into the air, leaving the Stoke man to bring the ball down between two defenders before rounding the keeper and smashing into an empty net. Pure inspiration from the Austrian to earn his fifth goal of the season.

That should give Boro a huge mountain to climb in order to salvage something from this match, especially when you consider that Karanka's men have not scored in their last three league games!

This is perhaps a perfect example of why the visitors are struggling... they barely treated the opponents goal. The visitors finally register their first attempt on target after 35 minutes, with Bernardo's header from a Leadbitter free kick sailing straight into the arms of keeper Grant.

The opener seems to have taken the shackles off Stoke a bit and they're starting to move the ball with a bit more confidence in the closing moments of the first half. Some neat work from Ramadan down the right almost proves dividends, but Friend gets across to cover.

That renewed confidence sees Stoke win a corner off Friend, leaving Whelan to send a cross into the box. Arnautovic is given the job of blocking Valdes on his line as Martins Indi wins the ball in the air. As the knock-down is made, Arnautovic leaves his post to turn the ball cleverly behind him and beyond the Boro stopper.

That second goal could be absolutely pivotal in the outcome of this context, Boro have it all to do now and scoring one clearly wouldn't be enough.

We're going to have two minutes of additional time in the first half...

Well that contest certainly sprang into life after a rather tepid start. Stoke beavered away despite not being able to gain control and two moments of inspiration have turned this game for them. Arnautovic has simply been brilliant here and his two goals have almost given Boro an impossible task given their recent goalscoring record.

What can Boro do to salvage something from this? Gestede has looked far too isolated so far and Traore has seemingly posed the only real threat to Stoke's defence. Things will likely be more tricky in the second period too given that the visitors will now need to go in search of a route back into this game.

KICKOFF! Stoke get us moving again in the second half, three points here could potentially move them into ninth place today...

Ramirez was very quiet in the first period and he has since been replaced by Cristhian Stuani as Boro go in search of the impossible here in Stoke.

Friend gets some space down the left flank, but he is unable to provide the required quality to find a teammate inside the box with his whipped cross. That's pretty much summed up for the story for Karanka and company this afternoon.

CLOSE! More brilliant work from Arnie sees the Stoke winger get beyond his full-back. Ramadan is waiting to tap home in the centre of the Boro box, but the cross is a poor one and the visitors somehow escape unscathed.

Proceedings have started in pretty much the same fashion as the first half ended. Stoke appear in total control at the moment and Boro looked like they can do very little about it.

Arnautovic is still causing all sorts of problems. De Roon is the last man and he has to pick up the pace to ward off some clever pressing from Stoke's Austrian winger, leaving Boro to concede a needless corner. The ball in finds Martins Indi, but the defender is unable to send his header towards goal.

Terrific stuff from Allen who partners perfectly with Arnautovic. The Welshman almost gets beyond his marker inside the area, but Boro recover in the nick of time. Thankfully for the visitors, Whelan's corner is a poor one and Karanka's men are handed a reprieve.

ALMOST! Boro think that they've ended the goal drought as he turns home from a Leadbitter free-kick, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside. Sign of the times for the away side...

Arnautovic is down on the deck at the moment and he's looking a little shaken at the moment. He might just be coming off here, with this injury looking a bit dubious at the moment. He'll be replaced by Mame Biram Diouf.

One goal from Boro could change the complexion of this match very quickly, but it's very hard to see where that is going to come from. The away side have created nothing going forward this afternoon and on this display those making the journey back to Teeside tonight will likely be very worried about a looming battle with relegation.

The visitors are becoming evermore stretched and Stoke will be hoping to add a third to the scoresheet before the final whistle. This time Diouf sends a clever ball in for Allen, who just can't adjust his body in time to turn the ball past Valdes down low.

Hughes makes another change as Berahino comes on in place of Crouch up top. This contest has arguably been dead and buried since the half-time whistle. Stoke have been very professional, but Boro have shown very little at all especially when having to desperately chase an important game like this one.

With just under 10 minutes to go, can Boro establish some sort of impetus for the remainder of their campaign? They might not get something out of this, but they really need to show something going forward if they're going to stand a chance of staying up come the spring.

For one of the only times this afternoon Stoke appear a little shaky in defence, with Shawcross unable to clear his lines. His poor clearance falls to substitute Guedioura, who can only bend an equally poor effort high and wide of Grant's goal.

Stoke are forced to make their final substitution as Martins Indi hobbles off injured. Cameron slots in at centre-back, with Affelay coming on in place of his injured teammate. Stoke are absolutely cruising here, despite that bad piece of injury news.

We're going to have five minutes of additional time at the bet365 Stadium. You could probably times that by 10 and the visitors still wouldn't have a chance of salvaging something, that's how poor they have been today.

CLOSE! Could and should be three for the hosts, really... Ramadan does brilliantly again to tear through the Boro defence and feed Afellay, but the substitute is unable to find a way past an on-rushing Valdes.

Like we said, this game was essentially over after that second goal went in and Boro fans have every right to be very concerned now. Karanka's side looked lacklustre despite making five changes today and you cannot really look past the strange absence of Negrado today. As for Stoke, they've now extended their home run to eight games unbeaten and they will be very happy with their afternoon's work. That's going to be all from me today, thanks for joining us.