Stoke City 0-0 Preston North End: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Stoke City 0-0 Preston North End in the Championship on Friday, 26 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Stoke City and Preston North End played out a goalless draw, finishing 0-0 at the bet365 Stadium. The first half saw Preston pick up an early yellow card for Pol Valentín in the 16th minute, while Stoke had to make an early change when Ben Gibson replaced Aaron Cresswell at the 40-minute mark. Things stayed tight with neither side creating clear chances, reflecting Stoke’s recent struggles where they’ve only won one of their last five league games, including back-to-back away losses before this.

The second half brought more bookings, with Ben Wilmot cautioned for Stoke in the 54th minute and Alistair Edward McCann for Preston shortly after in the 62nd. Preston made a flurry of substitutions around the 67th and 72nd minutes, bringing on Jordan Andrew Thompson, Alfie Devine and Mads Frøkjaer-Jensen to try and spark something, while Stoke introduced Róbert Boženík and Sam Gallagher late on. Despite the efforts, the game ended without goals, fitting Preston’s run of four draws in their last five outings, keeping both teams searching for more cutting edge.

Stoke City edged possession with 58% of the ball compared to Preston North End’s 42%, which showed in their 10 corners against just two for the visitors, suggesting they pushed forward more often. However, Preston looked sharper on the counter with 40 successful dribbles to Stoke’s 16, hinting at their threat in breaking quickly even if they couldn’t turn it into goals. The match got a bit feisty with five yellow cards in total – three for Stoke and two for Preston – but no reds or penalties, and both sides used most of their substitutions, with Stoke making three changes and Preston four to try freshening things up.

The game stayed cagey from the start, with Preston’s Pol Valentín picking up an early yellow card in the 16th minute for a foul. Stoke had to adjust before half-time when Ben Gibson came on for Aaron Cresswell at the 40-minute mark, and the second half saw more cautions as Ben Wilmot was booked for Stoke in the 54th followed by Alistair Edward McCann for Preston in the 62nd. Substitutions aimed to shift the momentum, like Preston bringing on Jordan Andrew Thompson for Alistair Edward McCann at 67 minutes, then Alfie Devine and Mads Frøkjaer-Jensen replacing Daniel Jebbison and Harrison Armstrong at 72 minutes, while Stoke introduced Róbert Boženík for Divin Mubama at 77 minutes and Sam Gallagher for Jun-ho Bae at 86 minutes, but late yellows for Ben Gibson and Róbert Boženík in stoppage time summed up a frustrating, scoreless affair.

Stoke City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, focusing on a solid backline that included Ben Wilmot, with players like Aaron Cresswell starting before his early exit. Ben Gibson slotted in as a key defensive partnership after his substitution, while up front, Divin Mubama and Jun-ho Bae led the attack until Róbert Boženík and Sam Gallagher came on to add fresh legs.

Preston North End set up in a 3-5-2 formation, relying on wing-backs like Pol Valentín and Thierry Small for width, with Alistair Edward McCann anchoring the midfield before his substitution. Daniel Jebbison and Harrison Armstrong started in attack but made way for Alfie Devine and Mads Frøkjaer-Jensen, while Jordan Andrew Thompson and Jamal Piaras Lewis provided options from the bench to maintain their structure.

Viktor Johansson earned Coral’s Man of the Match award for his solid performance in goal for Stoke City, making four crucial saves to keep a clean sheet with zero goals conceded. His two clearances and one punch helped clear danger effectively, proving vital in a game where chances were at a premium and his calmness under pressure stood out.

Recent Championship matches:

• Draw: 0-0 vs Preston North End (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Watford (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Swansea City (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Ipswich Town (A)
• Loss: 0-4 vs Sheffield United (A)

Recent Championship matches:

• Draw: 0-0 vs Stoke City (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Norwich City (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Oxford United (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Coventry City (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Wrexham (H)

Stoke City have just drawn 0-0 at home to Preston North End, leaving them in 10th place on 34 points after a mixed run that includes only one win in their last five league games. They’ll look to bounce back when they face Sheffield United away on 29 December 2025 at 19:45, with the opponents sitting 18th on 26 points, making it a chance for Stoke to climb the table and put some distance from the lower half.

Preston North End have just come away with a 0-0 draw against Stoke City, keeping them in 5th spot on 37 points following a streak of four draws in their last five matches. They face Wrexham next on 29 December 2025 at 19:45, where the visitors are 15th on 28 points, offering Preston a good opportunity to turn those draws into wins and solidify their push for the top spots.

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