On Saturday, Birmingham and Stoke played to a scoreless draw in the Championship. This high-intensity contest had plenty of twists and turns but neither side managed to find success with their chances.
The Blues are in good form after their 1-0 win against Sheffield United last weekend, but they cannot afford to underestimate a Stoke side who also won their opening game of the season.
John Ruddy made a fine save to deny Tyrese Campbell
At the bet365 Stadium, Chelsea FC battled to a goalless draw with Stoke City. Lewis Baker's late penalty gave the Potters a share of the spoils after Scott Hogan and Harlee Dean had cancelled out Marko Arnautovic's first-half double.
Birmingham are on a run of three wins in the Championship and will be looking to extend that against Stoke. A victory could propel Birmingham up the table and into the top half of the league standings.
A draw is a fair result and will give the Blues some momentum going forward. But whether that will be enough to see them through to the end of the season remains to be seen.
John Ruddy made a great save to deny Tyrese Campbell the chance to put the Blues ahead. The keeper reached low to his left and turned away as Campbell aimed for a shot from outside the box.
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Krystian Bielik missed a golden opportunity
Krystian Bielik missed an excellent chance to score for Birmingham and ensure they remained in the bottom three after their 1-0 draw against Middlesbrough at The Riverside. The Poland international was on hand to meet Taylor's free-kick but his header missed by just a whisker.
Stoke City will seek to extend their winning streak against Wigan Athletic when they visit Bet365 Stadium in the Championship on Saturday. After coming from 2-0 down to defeat Blackburn 3-2, Stoke City are hoping to build on that result when they visit DW Stadium.
Recently, The Latics have had a difficult time winning matches and currently sit on the twentieth spot in the league table with only five victories from 17 attempts.
Scott Hogan had the Blues’ best chance of the game
Scott Hogan had the Blues' best opportunity of the game, and it was a spectacular one. After Tahith Chong's superb cross, Hogan had an opportunity to score his first hat-trick since leaving St Andrew's four years ago. However, Hogan missed out on that chance due to an injury.
But his shot lacked the necessary touch, leaving him wide of the mark. While not a disaster, it did serve to demonstrate just how challenging finding an avenue past John Ruddy can be.
Hogan has been on fire this season and is relishing being at the top of a team that supports him. It appears that Hogan has finally found his scoring boots again after some time away from scoring.
No secret exists that former Rochdale youth trainee has had an up and down career, but manager Gareth Eustace has given him the support to make a success of himself at Birmingham City. Manager Eustace has shown his appreciation by ensuring he gets opportunities.
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Jobe Bellingham’s volley was blocked
At various points during this game, it appeared Jobe Bellingham was going to score. He had several good opportunities including one from outside the box that seemed likely.
He also hit a volley which was blocked by Bongokuhle Hlongwane and had another good effort which flew a few yards over the bar.
In the opening half, Blues looked more likely to take advantage of any slip by Burnley's Manny Longelo in the 74th minute. Despite being on top, Burnley took the lead through an own goal in the 74th minute when Ryan Taylor made a costly error.
Goals that hit the woodwork are commonly referred to as volleys, yet they do not count in Heads and Volleys. It would be just as absurd to count them as shots on target if they hit any surface other than woodwork.