Stoke City will take on Birmingham City at the bet365 Stadium this Saturday with the away side still looking for a league win within the past month and their first under Tony Mowbray.
Mowbray came to the helm following the dismal managerial stint of Wayne Rooney that saw the former Derby County boss win only three of the 15 games in charge. Since then, the ex-Sunderland boss has gone on to draw with Hull City in the FA Cup third round before registering a 2-2 draw with Swansea City in the last league game, as Siriki Dembele scored in the first half before Jordan James netted an equaliser in the dying embers of the game.
A 1-1 draw with Hull in the FA Cup forced a replay during the week that once again saw Birmingham score late on through Koji Miyoshi, as Jay Stansfield also got back amongst the goals that game. This win has set up a third round FA Cup tie with Leicester City next weekend, while it has also meant three games on no losses for Birmingham under Mowbray after losing a bunch of matches under Rooney's guidance.
Nevertheless, a lot of work still needs to be done, as the past few months under the former Manchester United captain has thrown Birmingham into 20th and within only seven points of the relegation zone after previously being within touching distance of the playoff spots.
Things are not much better for Stoke, however, with the Potters only above Birmingham by three points and with just one more win (8) on the board from 27 games.
Stoke went on to beat Rotherham United in the last Championship outing, and after drawing with Ipswich Town, Watford, Millwall, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion, alongside a win over Birmingham, it now means seven games unbeaten in the league for them.