Stoke City have a problem but Mark Robins will be delighted with it | OneFootball

Ben Wilmot and Bosun Lawal have secured the starting berths as Stoke City centre-backs, creating a nice problem to have for manager Mark Robins.

Ben Wilmot and Bosun Lawal have emerged as Mark Robins' preferred centre-back duo in the early stages of this season, leaving the likes of Maksym Talovierov, Ashley Phillips, and Ben Gibson left waiting for an opening.

It was a nail-biting end to the 2024/25 campaign for Stoke, having seen their fate come down to the final day of the season, whether they would be playing League One or Championship football next season.

A lot had to go wrong for the Potters to be relegated on the final day, and fortunately for Stoke fans, a goalless draw away to Derby County meant they had survived for another season, this one closer than any other.

According to FotMob, Stoke conceded the second-most expected goals (xG) in the Championship last season, behind only Plymouth Argyle, with goalkeeper Viktor Johansson's heroics the main reason they don't find themselves playing in the third tier right now.

Ahead of this season, there was a sense of optimism around the club that manager Robins was the person to turn the club's fortunes around, and although it is early days, the Potters have undergone their best start to a league season in 27 years, winning four of their opening five games.

At the heart of their defence are the duo of Wilmot and Lawal, who have struck up an excellent partnership in the early stages of this campaign, culminating with the joint-best defensive record in the league alongside top-of-the-table Middlesbrough.

Though their form has come with a slight caveat - a selection headache that Robins will be glad to have.

Ben Wilmot's and Bosun Lawal's form has created an excellent problem for Mark Robins to deal with

Wilmot has been entrusted with the captain's armband so far this season, with club captain Gibson out of the side. The 25-year-old is the club's longest-serving player at this stage, having joined the Potters back in the summer of 2021, and has been good value in the early stages.

His defensive partner, Lawal, spent the majority of last season out injured, having joined the club from Scottish side Celtic last summer, and is almost like a new signing, having appeared to little before this campaign.

Stoke bolstered their defensive options over the summer, bringing in Maksym Talovierov from Plymouth Argyle for a reported £1.7 million, six months after the Pilgrims broke their transfer record to sign the Ukrainian, and sealed the return of Ashley Phillips on a season-long loan from Spurs.

However, the incoming pair have seen their game time limited to mainly League Cup action, with Wilmot and Lawal starting all six of Stoke's games at centre back thus far.

With the Potters having been knocked out of the competition at the hands of Bradford City, this has left little playing time for both Talovierov and Phillips, something which Robins must remedy in due course to appease everyone.

Neither will be pleased to warm the bench, as won't Gibson, and Robins must find a way to satisfy everyone's playing time demands without disrupting his side's momentum. A good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.

Stoke City's defensive strength in depth offers Mark Robins a solid foundation for the season

Having undergone an excellent start to the campaign, which has included victories over the likes of Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Birmingham City, the Potters sit second in the Championship table, despite last weekend's defeat at QPR.

Stoke were active in the market this summer to refresh the squad, seeing eight players leave permanently and three on loan, including the sales of Wouter Burger to TSG Hoffenheim and academy prospect Sol Sidibe to PSV.

These sales have facilitated the permanent arrivals of the likes of Tomas Rigo, Lamine Cisse, Sorba Thomas and Talovierov, who were all brought in for fees, whilst Aaron Cresswell, Robert Bozenik and the returning Steven Nzonzi all joined for free. Loan deals for Phillips, Jamie Donley and Divin Mubama from Premier League clubs have further strengthened the Potters' option.

Since relegation from the Premier League in 2018, the club has not finished higher than 14th in any of their seven seasons back in the second tier, with Stoke fans hoping that they will finally be able to finish at least in the top half in their eighth consecutive campaign in the Championship.

If Stoke are to have a strong campaign and seriously challenge for a play-off spot, it will be their defensive base, which will have to remain solid to provide them with the best possible chance. The depth of quality we've now seen in the area will naturally help with that.

In their next match against Norwich City, the likes of Ante Crnac, Josh Sargent and Matej Jurasek will all have to be kept quiet if the Potters are to maintain their strong defensive record and walk away with anything from the match.