Wrexham AFC man can cause damage to Stoke City strong point - it could lead to a big win | OneFootball

Kieffer Moore's hulking presence could unsettle the Championship's top defensive unit.

Nine matches into the Championship campaign, it feels like Wrexham are often exclusively depending on their Welsh striker to carry them to victory.

While he’s suffered his share of knocks early on, Kieffer Moore has delivered, scoring four goals in the league and five across all competitions. The Red Dragons are 18th in the table heading into this weekend, but without Moore’s exploits, they could be a lot lower.

Coming up against a defensive unit as sharp as Stoke City on Saturday, Phil Parkinson will need his top attacking threat’s strength and aerial presence to be at it's very best to get back in the win column.

Stoke City boast one of the strongest Championship back lines

Under Mark Robins, Stoke City have come a long way early into the new campaign. Counting interim boss Ryan Shawcross, he was the fourth manager in charge of this team last season, and for now, he feels like the right one to lead them forward.

Defensive solidity has been at the forefront of his team’s early success, with the Potters sitting fifth in the table, conceding the joint-fewest goals in the league alongside Middlesbrough (six). Additionally, they have allowed the fewest goals per game in this competition, according to FotMob (0.7).

Wrexham have the second-most big chances missed per FotMob (17), so it goes without saying that Moore and company have to be clinical in front of goal if they are to collect a rare triumph against Stoke City.

Plenty of Wrexham’s newcomers have been impactful this season, but Moore has been the difference-maker in the attacking third. He’s one of the few players on the team who is putting away his opportunities with a certain amount of consistency, boasting an expected goals of 2.80.

It isn’t just his quality in front of goal that’s been vital for Wrexham thus far. When in possession, he’s difficult to knock off the ball, while his strength draws a lot of attention from opposing defenders. He’s a towering presence in the air, heading home the winner against Millwall for their first victory of the new campaign.

Former Welsh striker Iwan Roberts told BBC Wales that Moore has been the complete package: “It’s not just the goals that he’s scored, his overall performances, he’s been a handful and a real threat. He’s been pivotal in Wrexham’s performances this season.”

Remarkably, for all the attention he gets and all the clutching and grabbing he faces from opposing defenders regularly, only one penalty has been awarded this season for a foul on Moore. This weekend, though, Moore will have to be at his very best against a side who have owned Wrexham through the years and have plenty of strength defensively.

Kieffer Moore can cause damage to Stoke City’s strong point

Phil Parkinson has asked a lot of Kieffer Moore this season, and he’ll need him more than ever this weekend. That’s because the 33-year-old will be facing a stingy backline with physical centre-backs that also excel in the air.

Ben Wilmot is one of those defenders Moore will likely have to contend with. The Stevenage-born player is positionally sound, with a strong range of passing and a great instinctual defender. In the past, he was a liability in the air, but he’s grown by leaps and bounds on that front this season, winning 75.5% of his aerial duels.

Alongside him over the past couple of games in the centre-back role has been Ashley Phillips. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has made his presence felt since being introduced into the starting lineup following the injury to Bosun Lawal. Phillips has won 81.8% of his duels in the air, while his pace and power have enabled him to be an ideal partner for Wilmot, who had strong continuity with Lawal, a towering presence in his own right.

Moore will have his work cut out to get the better of the Stoke central defenders. On the other hand, the Welshman has had some success against the Wilmot/Phillips pairing. He faced them twice in the Championship last season, with both matches ending in 2-0 victories for his Sheffield United side. The Wales striker netted in the Blades’ matchday 12 triumph versus the Potters last year. He also had a goal and an assist in a memorable visit to Bet365 Stadium in 2021. Moore helped bring Cardiff City back from 3-0 down, netting the equaliser with fewer than 20 minutes remaining.

All three of Cardiff’s goalscorers on that day were Welsh internationals, with the others being Rubin Colwill and Mark Harris. Moore’s heroics cancelled out a brace scored by a future Wrexham legend, Steven Fletcher.

In his seven Championship matches against Stoke, Moore has only been on the losing end once, when the Potters edged Wigan Athletic 2-1 in 2019.

In the Football League, Wrexham have lost 11 of their 12 games versus Stoke City, but a strong performance by Moore on Saturday could give the Red Dragons a rare win against the Potters and bury a lot of bad memories for Wrexham’s supporters.