It might surprise you to learn that Norwich City are only six points behind their midweek opponents Stoke City in the Premier League table thanks to a surge in form of late.
The Canaries have won back-to-back games without conceding and victory tomorrow would see them record three straight top-flight wins for the first time in over three years.
Stoke
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The hosts are 10th in the table going into matchday 21 and looking to bounce back after a surprise defeat in the 'Tony Pulis Derby' against their former manager's current club West Bromwich Albion 10 days ago.
After wins over Manchester United and Everton shortly after Christmas, expectations were high for the Potters, but they conceded in injury time to lose 2-1 after seemingly grabbing a late equaliser through Jonathan Walters.
Geoff Cameron was sent off moments later - a red card that has since been rescinded - and in the end Stoke succumbed at The Hawthorns.
Since then, Mark Hughes's side have had two cup games, losing the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final 1-0 at home to Liverpool before edging League One side Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Stoke are 15th in the Premier League if only home results counted, although just nine of their 20 games have been at home so far and five of their next eight league games are at the Britannia.
The Potters have done no transfer business so far in January and their main concern seems to be tying up those who have impressed this season with new contracts. Austrian winger Marko Arnautovic is said to be demanding high wages, but Hughes is hopeful that an agreement can be reached.
Recent Premier League form: WDLWWL
Recent form (all competitions): LWWLLW
Norwich
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Only Tottenham Hotspur, with 10, have earned more Premier League points than Norwich (9) in their last four Premier League games.
Wins over Manchester United, Aston Villa and Southampton in the last month have propelled Alex Neil's men up to 15th and six clear of the drop zone.
The last two triumphs over Villa and Southampton both came at home without conceding, meaning that Norwich now have triple the clean sheets that they had at Christmas.
However, the Canaries are yet to keep anyone out away from home in the league this season and they have lost five of their last six games on the road, with the only away points in that time the unexpected win at Old Trafford last month.
Away from the league, Norwich lost at the first hurdle in the FA Cup for the third year running by going down 3-0 at home to a Manchester City side that decided against resting Sergio Aguero.
Transfer-wise, three players have left Norwich so far this month and the latest of those was Lewis Grabban, who returned to former club Bournemouth in an £8m deal yesterday just 18 months after moving in the opposite direction.
Portuguese full-back Ivo Pinto is the only new face at Carrow Road, although the Grabban cash could help fund moves for Everton's Steven Naismith and Dwight Gayle of Crystal Palace.
Recent Premier League form: LDWLWW
Recent form (all competitions): DWLWWL
Team News
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Although Cameron's red card was chalked off by the Football Association, the American is still a slight doubt with an ankle injury.
If he is not fit to play, Hughes is likely to replace him with either Marco van Ginkel or Charlie Adam in probably the only change from Stoke's last league game, with the favoured front four of Xherdan Shaqiri, Ibrahim Afellay, Arnautovic and Bojan Krkic all returning.
As for Norwich, Neil has no fresh injury concerns and could name the same team that started the recent win over Southampton.
New signing Pinto is pushing for his debut, but he is unlikely to start from the off tomorrow night.
Stoke possible starting lineup:
Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Adam; Shaqiri, Afellay, Arnautovic; Bojan
Norwich possible starting lineup:
Rudd; Bennett, Martin, Bassong, Brady; Howson, Tettey, O'Neil, Redmond, Hoolahan; Mbokani
Head To Head
Norwich are unbeaten in three games against Stoke. The last two matches have finished 1-1, with Jack Butland putting in a star display at Carrow Road earlier this season in August to earn a point for the Potters.
In fact, the last eight meetings between these two sides in the league have produced just 11 goals, with no side scoring more than once in a game during this run.
At home, Stoke have lost just one of their last nine league games against Norwich, but that defeat was in their last meeting at the Britannia Stadium in September 2013 when Jonny Howson's first-half strike proved the difference.
We say: Stoke 2-0 Norwich
Norwich are in a good vein of form, but travelling to the Potteries on a Wednesday night could prove difficult, especially as the hosts will have a fit and refreshed Shaqiri, Arnautovic and Bojan.
Pascal Lemesre
