Stoke City v Southampton: mid-table meeting with play-off picture in focus | OneFootball

Stoke City host Southampton in the Championship on Saturday, 31 January 2026 in Stoke-on-Trent, with both clubs looking to build momentum towards the play-off places.

Stoke City are 10th on 42 points, with Southampton 15th on 37. Recent league meetings have been close: Stoke won away in August 2025, while the 2023/24 fixtures saw one away win apiece.

Stoke City's January featured league wins at Hull and Norwich before a home draw with QPR, a narrow loss to Middlesbrough and a point at Birmingham. The Saints beat Sheffield United, drew at Portsmouth and edged past Doncaster in the FA Cup after defeats to Middlesbrough and Hull.

Stoke City list injuries to Ben Gibson, Lewis Baker, Sam Gallagher, Ben Wilmot, Robert Bozenik and goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu and Viktor Johansson, with Junior Tchamadeu and Divin Mubama also sidelined. Léo Scienza is out for Southampton.

Stoke City's defensive record, with 26 conceded in 29 and 11 clean sheets, plus a high crossing output, could suit service to Sorba Thomas, who has nine league goals and six assists. Saints tend to keep the ball, averaging 57% possession, and lean on Adam Armstrong's 11 league goals with support from Finn Azaz's seven goals and five assists, though they have conceded as many as they have scored.

A home win would take Stoke City to 45 points and could nudge them closer to the top six. The Saints would reach 40 with victory and may climb the table, putting more daylight between themselves and the bottom half.