Stoke City host Brentford at bet365 Stadium in the fourth round of the EFL Cup with both teams seeking a distraction from their stuttering league form. Both sides have struggled defensively in recent weeks and Wednesday’s clash is likely to produce goals.
Stoke City accounted for the exit of a Premier League team in the previous round as they claimed a 3-1 victory over Watford. Nick Powell opened the scoring early in the contest and they had to wait till late in the second half before Sam Clucas and Josh Tymon sealed the win.
Sitting ninth in the Championship, Stoke City have struggled to find their best form in recent weeks. They have lost their last three matches and head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 2-1 victory over Millwall in a Championship fixture on Saturday.
Manager Michael O’Neil has had to chop and change at the back lately due to injuries and that has affected Stoke City’s defensive discipline. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last five matches and have conceded five times in the last three.
Brentford were rampant in the previous round of the EFL Cup where they claimed a 7-0 victory over Oldham. Marcus Forss scored four goals while Yoane Wissa also netted a brace in a comfortable victory.
Thomas Frank’s men have caught the eye on their return to the Premier League as they currently sit just outside the top half of the table. However, they have claimed just one win from their last four matches and were beaten 2-1 at home by Leicester City in a Premier League fixture on Saturday.
Brentford have had similar problems with Stoke City as they also struggle to keep things tight at the back. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four matches, conceding seven goals in that run.
How the bookies view it
Brentford have the edge among the bookies at 7/5 with Unibet while a victory for Stoke City is priced at 21/10 with bet365. A draw is set at odds of 27/11 with SBK.
Head to head
Stoke City have a 12-8 advantage with six draws from 26 previous matches against Brentford. Both teams won at home in their Championship meeting last season with Stoke winning 3-2 at the bet365 Stadium while Brentford triumphed 2-1 in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch
Jacob Brown should start in attack for Stoke City and has scored three goals this season. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 3/1 with bet365.
Marcus Forss is likely be given a run out on Wednesday after netting four goals in the previous round against Oldham. The Finnish striker is priced at 21/10 by Vbet to score anytime.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 4.5 goals the last time Stoke City faced Brentford at bet365 Stadium and a similar outcome is priced at 6/1 with SBK. William Hill is offering 2/1 for over 3.5 goals while over 2.5 goals is priced at 15/16 by SBK.
Both teams found the net after the break in the last meeting at the bet365 Stadium and can be backed to score in the second half at 7/2 with Paddy Power.
This EFL Cup match between Stoke City and Brentford will be played on Oct 27, 2021 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Stoke City vs Brentford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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