Stoke City welcomed struggling West Bromwich Albion this afternoon looking to record consecutive Premier League victories for the first time this season.
Baggies boss Alan Irvine was under increasing scrutiny following a run of one win in eight games which has seen them drop to within two points of the drop zone.
He would have been pleased with his side's first-half performance at the Britannia Stadium, but West Brom fell behind six minutes into the second period as Mame Biram Diouf scored his first in nine games.
The striker also bagged Stoke's second on 66 minutes, courtesy of a huge slice of fortune as Marko Arnautovic's wayward shot struck him on the leg and wrong-footed Ben Foster on its way into the net.
The result leaves Albion 16th in the table, while Stoke climb into the top half after back-to-back wins.
Read Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below to discover how the action unfolded.
Afternoon, all. The games come around thick and fast at this time of year and we are bringing you detailed coverage of all of today's Premier League games, including Stoke vs. West Brom.
Perhaps not the most glamorous of the December 28 fixtures, but very important nonetheless, especially for Alan Irvine as he tries to relieve some of the pressure surrounding his Albion future.
The summer appointment admitted after the 3-1 defeat to Man City that he fears for his job, following a run of only one win in eight games which has seen them slip to 15th in the table.
Mark Hughes's position at Stoke is certainly more secure, not least because of their excellent record against the Premier League's top teams, which continued against Everton on Boxing Day.
Their 1-0 win, courtesy of a Bojan penalty, was the fourth time this season that the Potters have beaten one of last season's top six and it took them above the Toffees to 11th in the standings.
In the aftermath of that result, Hughes was full of praise for Stoke's former Barcelona starlet and how he has adapted to the English game, having scored a goal and assisted three more in recent weeks.
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Let's see if Bojan is in the Potters side this afternoon with a look at the teams...
STOKE: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters; Nzonzi, Whelan; Diouf, Bojan, Arnautovic; Crouch
SUBS: Butland; Huth, Wilson, Adam, Walters, Assaidi, Shenton
WBA: Foster; Wisdom, Lescott, McAuley, Baird; Gardner, Morrison, Brunt, Dorrans; Sessegnon, Ideye
SUBS: Myhill, Gamboa, Dawson, Yacob, Mulumbu, Varela, Berahino
Hughes largely resists the temptation to shuffle his pack for Stoke's second game in 48 hours. There is just one change, with Peter Crouch replacing Jonathan Walters in the attacking quartet.
Mame Biram Diouf is shifted out to the wing. Elsewhere, Marc Muniesa is preferred to Marc Wilson in defence. Victor Moses, Phil Bardsley, Steve Sidwell and former Baggie Peter Odemwingie are injured.
For the visitors, seven-goal top scorer Saido Berahino is back on the bench having started for the first time in four. Record signing Brown Ideye, who somewhat fortuitously opened his Premier League account with the consolation against the Citizens, is chosen to lead the Albion line.
There are three other changes made by Irvine for their trip to the Potteries. Graham Dorrans has passed a fitness test, while Chris Brunt also returns from injury in midfield. Chris Baird starts at left-back.
Youssouf Mulumbu, so often a key player for Albion in recent seasons, again finds himself on the fringes. Porto loanee Silvestre Varela is dropped to the bench and Sebastien Pocognoli rested.
Just under 20 minutes until kickoff in Staffordshire, where Roger East is our referee...
Berahino's benching will confuse Baggies fans again. The striker is nine games without a goal, but is still their most likely scorer. It is not like anyone else has been banging them in in the meantime.
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There is definitely a sense that something is not quite right between Berahino and the club. He has been touted for a January exit and perhaps links to Spurs and Liverpool have turned his head.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Stoke have lost only one of their last 15 meetings with West Brom in all competitions - a 2-1 defeat in 2012 in which Graham Dorrans scored a 90th-minute winner.
UPDATE: Eden Hazard's first away goal since January has pulled Chelsea level at half time against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium, where Saido Mane had earlier give the hosts the lead. Earlier, Spurs and Manchester United took a point apiece from a stalemate at White Hart Lane.
ONE TO WATCH: With Berahino not included, much of West Brom's attacking responsibility will fall on Stephane Sessegnon. The Benin international can be almost unplayable on his day, but does not have them often enough. Who performs best out of him and Bojan could be decisive.
PREDICTION: Inconsistency has been Stoke's problem this season, having yet to register successive wins this campaign. But they should be buoyed by the win over Everton and I fancy they will have too much for a struggling Baggies side. I'll plump for a 2-0 home win.
KICKOFF: The action is underway at the Britannia, with both teams in their traditional stripes.
CHANCE! Good early chance for Albion, and it comes from a Stoke set piece. The ball is cleared and pumped forward towards Ideye, who gets in behind Muniesa. His first touch is good and takes him into the area, but he lashes wildly over the crossbar with his left foot.
PENALTY SHOUT! Stoke want a penalty after Whelan goes down in the box. Bojan's smart switch of play finds Arnautovic. His cutback reaches the feet of Whelan, who has the ball punched from him by Craig Gardner and throws himself to ground. That should have been a booking for diving.
That was Stoke's first real venture forward, but they soon have another as Gareth McAuley's headed clearance loops straight in the air. Whelan is running onto it and, after the ball bounces, tries to force a header towards goal. Ben Foster, who made a couple of mistakes in the defeat to City, scrambles across to gather after a fumble. It was almost impossible for Whelan to generate sufficient power there.
This has been a bright start from Albion. They have had plenty of territory and Ideye's movement up top is causing Stoke problems. Nobody follows his run in behind again, and he lays the ball back to Sessegnon, who runs at Cameron but is well tackled and the American clears.
SHOT! A couple of clever feints from Brunt 30 yards out allow him to create room for a shot which is blocked. The loose ball falls to Sessegnon, who cuts inside and fires into the body of Begovic.
CLOSE! Bojan comes within inches of the opening goal. Muniesa brings the ball out from the back and exchanges passes with his fellow Camp Nou alumni. A lucky bounce falls to Stoke's playmaker and he tries to pick out the bottom corner from 25 yards, but his dragged shot narrowly misses the post!
SAVE! West Brom counter quickly and Sessegnon plays Ideye through into the left channel. Begovic is out quickly and blocks from a tight angle. Another clever run from the striker, but the finish lacking.
Prior to that Baggies chance, Bojan had shown a couple of examples of marvellous close control on the edge of the box. Both times, though, Albion had several bodies around him to prevent a shot.
Stoke are enjoying a good five-minute spell. McAuley had to be out quickly to block a long-range thrash from N'Zonzi, whose through ball to Bojan was just a bit heavy and forced him wide a minute or so later. Foster for his angles right to claim the cross, but the Spaniard is popping up everywhere.
UPDATE: We have our first goal of the 3.00pm kickoffs, and it has come at the home of the champions. David Silva has given Man City the lead against Burnley, who had arguably had the better of play.
West Brom give the ball away in midfield and Stoke eventually work it left to Pieters. He crosses to nobody at the back post, where Baird calmly chests back to Foster to collect. A wasted chance.
SHOT! Lovely build-up play from the visitors and a clever first-time layoff from Gardner sets up Morrison for a 25-yard volley. It is struck sweetly, but straight at Begovic who does well to hold on.
It is the turn of Baggies fans to shout for a penalty, but Roger East waves play on and rightly so. Ideye had been released down the right channel and drove into the area before tripping over his own feet.
There has been some aesthetic attacking play from both sides, clever, quick passing in good areas, but so far there is a definite absence of ruthlessness or composure in the final third.
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More evidence of my point below comes through Sessegnon, who drifts inside from his left-flank home to receive a layoff from Brunt, only to drag a shot from the edge of the box several yards wide.
Stoke take their turn to try from distance, with Whelan's powerful low drive forcing Foster to dive to his left and smother. Whelan is not afraid to try his luck - having had a couple of strikes blocked also.
UPDATE: Potentially a huge goal in the Premier League, with Leicester having gone ahead at Hull through Riyad Mahrez. Arsenal also lead London rivals West Ham thanks to a Santi Cazorla penalty, while Man City are two up against Burnley - look out for Fernandinho's screamer on MOTD.
Excellent defending by McAuley to twice climb above Crouch at the back post, which is no mean feat. Stoke haven't hit their target man much, but Albion have negated the threat well when they have.
Stoke are on the front foot as we approach the break. Cameron's cross to the near stick is turned behind by Joleon Lescott. The Potters have a corner and Shawcross joins Crouch in the box.
SHOT! Cameron's poor touch sees him robbed of possession in his own half. The ball is shifted inside to Gardner, who strikes across his shot only to slice a few yards wide of the post.
HALF-TIME: STOKE 0-0 WEST BROM
An evenly-contested first half at the Britannia Stadium ends without a goal. Bojan came very close for the hosts, while Brown Ideye has squandered a couple of decent chances for the Baggies.
UPDATE: Here are the latest Premier League scores: Southampton 1-1 Chelsea; Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland; Hull 0-1 Leicester; Man City 2-0 Burnley; QPR 0-0 Crystal Palace; West Ham 0-2 Arsenal.
STATS: The numbers show quite accurately how Albion probably edged that first period. The Potters did have 58% of the ball, but West Brom had more shots, nine to Stoke's five, and on target, three to Stoke's one. This game will probably be decided by just the one goal. Who will get it?
An encouraging stat for those who wish to be entertained in the second half. Stoke have not had a 0-0 draw throughout 2014. Will they close the year with one or will either side grab a goal?
KICKOFF: The action has resumed in Staffordshire, with both sides unchanged from the start...
Cameron hangs a cross up to the back post, where Crouch isolates himself against McAuley. He gets above the Irish centre-back, but can only direct his tame header away from goal and behind.
GOAL! STOKE 1-0 WEST BROM (MAME BIRAM DIOUF)
Stoke take the lead six minutes into the second half courtesy of Mame Biram Diouf! Bojan picks the ball up on the halfway line and shows great vision to spot the run of Pieters from left-back. Wisdom does nowhere near enough to stop the cross, which is well aimed at Diouf. The subtlest bit of movement from the striker shakes off his marker and he shoots from 12 yards, via a slight deflection, past Foster for his first goal in nine games! A kick in the teeth for Albion considering their first-half display.
Albion waste a really promising opportunity as Stoke play Gardner just onside to receive Morrison's pass. Gardner knows Ideye is in the middle, but does not get his attempted square pass right and Begovic is well positioned to intercept at his near post. They have not had the quality inside the box.
Stoke go straight up the other end and threaten as Pieters fizzes a cross towards the near-post run of Crouch, but the forward is outnumbered and Albion bundle the ball away from immediate danger.
The Baggies break and shift the ball left to Sessegnon, whose curling right-footed shot finishes several yards wide of Begovic's far stick. The offside flag is raised anyway. Sloppy from the playmaker.
CHANCE! Bojan's delicate through ball inside McAuley releases Diouf to the left byline. His cross is perfect for Arnautovic to attack, but the Austrian is not brave enough up against Baird at the back post. That will not please a manager who would have buried that chance in his playing days.
RESULT: Southampton have held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at St Mary's. That gives Man City the opportunity to cut the gap at the top of the table, although they have seen their advantage halved by George Boyd's goal for Burnley. Elsewhere, West Ham have also pulled one back against Arsenal.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Three changes to tell you about in total. The big news is that Berahino is on for the visitors, who also call on Varela off the bench. Sessegnon and Morrison are sacrificed. Meanwhile, Stoke bring on Walters for Crouch and shift Diouf into his favoured central role.
WOODWORK! Huge chance for West Brom! Stoke fail to clear a set piece and Gardner hooks the ball back towards goal. Begovic spills it, with McAuley fastest to react to the rebound, only to poke against the post from six yards. Had it fallen to anyone else, Albion may be level.
GOAL! STOKE 2-0 WEST BROM (MAME BIRAM DIOUF)
How football can be so cruel. Having come so close at the other end only moments ago, a massive slice of fortune sees Stoke go two ahead. Bojan is again the source of the chance as he travels with the ball before feeding Arnautovic. He takes aim from 20 yards, but his shot appears to be going several yards wide before it takes a significant deflection off Diouf and wrong foots Foster on its way in.
Irvine will be even more upset because his substitutions had an immediate impact. Both Berahino and Varela had been buzzing around the box and it was from a counter which Stoke doubled their lead.
BOOKING: Allow me to catch you up on the first booking of the match, which occurred a few minutes ago. Brunt's frustrated got the better of him and he went through Diouf and picked up a yellow.
The visitors are understandably deflated, but are continuing to commit plenty of bodies forward. They no longer have anyone sitting in midfield, though, and appear vulnerable to the counter-attack.
BOOKING: Baird takes both man and ball over on the West Brom left. Arnautovic's rolling around probably plays a part in him becoming the second Baggies man cautioned in quick succession.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Another change for either side. Irvine swaps Dorrans for Mulumbu, while Bojan is spared the final 15 or so minutes. Alarmingly, the Spaniard goes straight down the tunnel after fist bumping Charlie Adam. He has been nursing a back injury of late.
It is easy to see Stoke nicking another on the break. Diouf sends Arnautovic clear, but the offside flag is raised just as the Austrian winger fires wide with an uncontrolled flash across Foster's net.
UPDATE: Burnley have produced a memorable comeback at the Etihad Stadium and are now level with Man City at 2-2 - Ashley Barnes with the equaliser! Arsenal and Leicester are hanging on to slender leads, while Villa vs. Sunderland and QPR vs. Palace are both still deadlocked.
Diouf has his eyes on a hat-trick but unselfishly tees up Arnautovic after collecting Walters' knockdown. The Austrian's shot ends up where his shot in the build-up to the second goal was going - well wide.
Brunt's free kick is headed away by Wilson as Albion and Irvine watch on in disappointment. They needed to respond to the second goal quickly to prompt a comeback, but they could conjure little.
We will have THREE minutes of stoppage time at a now very wet Britannia Stadium...
FULL-TIME: STOKE 2-0 WEST BROM
Diouf's double downs Albion and cranks up the pressure on Alan Irvine as the Baggies fall to 16th. A second straight win sees the Potters climb into the top half, behind Liverpool only on goal difference.
Irvine will be cursing his luck however, having seen his side have the better of the first period and then strike the post when one down in the second. The manner of Diouf's second will only heighten his annoyance, with Arnautovic's wayward shot deflecting off the striker and past Ben Foster.
RESULTS: Other full-time Premier League results: Southampton 1-1 Chelsea; Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland; Hull 0-1 Leicester; Man City 2-2 Burnley; QPR 0-0 Crystal Palace; West Ham 1-2 Arsenal.
That's it from me for now. Sports Mole will soon have analysis and reaction from all the Premier League games, and in the meantime you can stay with us for live coverage of Newcastle vs. Everton, which is currently level at 1-1. Thanks for joining us today. Happy holidays.
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
