There was a palpable tension emanating from the stands and the pitch during the last 10 minutes or so of a win that keeps the season interesting for a little while longer for Stoke. In truth, Stoke were well worth the win against Oxford United, created plenty and scored two well worked goals in a game full of positives for manager Mark Robins. Lamine Cisse worked relentlessly and deserved his goal while Jesurun Rak-Sakyi got his first for the club and earned valuable minutes as he builds his match fitness. One defensive lapse for the Oxford goal aside, they were good and fun to watch. With several players reportedly nearing a return from injury too, that tension and anxiety will hopefully begin to dissipate.

Source: BBC February 26, 2026 12:33 UTC