By admin 
It was an exciting, dramatic, and disappointing evening under the lights as Stoke City let a two-goal lead slip and drew with Bristol City.
With a superbly executed shot on the swivel, Lewis Koumas had given Stoke the ideal start, and Andrew Moran quickly put the Potters in control by tapping in a Koumas feed after belting into the area.
However, Bristol City never appeared to be overwhelmed by a two-goal deficit, forcing Stoke to defend their box and forcing Viktor Johansson to make more spectacular saves, such as belters to stop George Earthy and Max Bird.
But at the beginning of the second half, Nahki Wells managed to get past the goalie with two goals in two minutes, the first of which was largely avoidable. Both teams had the opportunity to win or lose, and when the final whistle blew, there were cheers and jeers as everyone caught their breath.
In just the first few seconds, Stoke could have taken the lead. Behind the Bristol City defense, Moran released livewire Tom Cannon with a lavish throw down the inside left. Bae Junho pulled back for Eric Bocat to shoot at the near post after Cannon’s pass across went just past Koumas, requiring a deft save from Max O’Leary.
In the second minute, Stoke took the lead, so any disappointment was short-lived. This time, Koumas swept in with a technically superb goal after Bocat’s deep cross from the left was brilliantly headed back by Cannon. He spun to meet a bouncing ball with his left foot.
Bristol City, who had been undefeated in five games, gave it their all, but this was not like the rollover versus Portsmouth at the bet365. In an unrelentingly fast-paced first half, the visitors would pile up 10 corners and 18 shots, while Michael Rose had to block shots from Mark Sykes and Anis Mehmeti.
Thanks to the speed of Koumas and Cannon, as well as the brilliance of Junho and Manhoef, Stoke continued to be a threat on the break, and the score was 2-0 in the fourteenth minute. Luke McNally gave Cannon a bruising tackle, allowing Manhoef to roll past him inside and set up Koumas for a cross-shot that Moran tapped in as he steamed in at the back.
Referee David Webb, who was always in the middle of the action, confused the home crowd by allowing Bristol City to continue after Ben Wilmot was smashed into the ground and Johansson had to touch a Jason Knight shot that went wide. Stoke also had a penalty call denied when Junho flicked a pass from Koumas into the arm of George Tanner.
The goalie, who was usually on guard duty as a sweeper, made an amazing diving stop to deny Max Bird after Manhoef accidentally flicked a corner to the edge of the box. Johansson took off and turned it over the bar with an outstretched arm after Bird grabbed it perfectly and arrowed towards the top right corner.
Koumas used power, ability, and speed to track back and then break, freeing Cannon to shoot from a challenging angle on the left, but O’Leary stopped it. Stoke was ready to defend their box fiercely, but they also appeared to have the potential to increase their score.
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When Gibson leaped to meet a Manhoef corner at the beginning of the second half and blazed a header just over the bar, he nearly added a third. Instead, it was 2-2 in a matter of minutes. Wells was unmarked at the back to select his location after Joe Williams dinked a short corner through a sluggish Stoke defense.
Before it was all square, Williams barely had time to get booked for a naughty lunge on Junho. As his team surged forward, Rose slid in and unintentionally tapped it right, allowing Wells to poke in close after Bird attempted a pass to the left.
To keep it even, Johansson made several stops, including a deft double save that stopped Jason Knight after stopping George Earthy. Junior Tchamadeu leathered a low cross through the six-yard box, but Bristol City appeared to have the best chance of adding to the score. When Manhoef sprinted onto a pass from Moran and Luke McNally attempted to pull him back, he could have been given a penalty. Niall Ennis had an opportunity to have a shot deflected onto the net’s roof after he squared. It is uncommon for full-time employees to receive such boos, relief, and cheers.
The following are the bet365 Stadium player ratings:
Johansson: Active as a sweeper and demonstrating his worth as a goalkeeper in Stoke’s defensive third. The double save in the second half was excellent. 8.5
Whether playing at right-back or on the right of a back three, Wilmot enjoys his defensive responsibilities and puts his body on the line. 6.5
Bocat: Played a part in the opener and may have scored himself, but he still needs to improve defensively. He occasionally displayed quality going forward. 6.
Rose: As he solidifies his starting position, he is willing to protect his box by making tackles and blocks, unintentionally sending the ball to Wells for an equalizer. 6.
Gibson: At the beginning of the second half, Stoke looked to the captain to restore composure when it was desperately needed. 6.
Thompson: In central midfield, his electric yellow boots made him easy to spot. appears to be playing more favorably, yet it was a significant request in a crucial role. 6.5
When Stoke charged forward on the break and roared in for a brutal opportunity at second goal, Moran was right in the middle of it. 7.
Manhoef: Contributed to Stoke’s second goal by grabbing the opportunity and racing inside. Before assuming a central role, he filled in at wing-back and may have won a late penalty. 6.5
Junho: He showed some great talent in a few moments, but Stoke could really use him being more composed in moments like the second half, when he skillfully created space by switching to his left foot before lamping into the stands. 6.5
Koumas: Outstanding. Graft, talent, speed, and occasionally a little strength. Excellent finish for the first goal and a cross-shot for the second. When he was replaced, Stoke supporters cheered and applauded because they wanted him to stay. 8.
Cannon: Always attempting to get behind Bristol City’s defense line, offering additional runs. The tight angle rescued a difficult chance. 6.5
Alternatives
Tchamadeu (for Junho, 64): After a strong run, he situated himself perfectly and smashed a low cross through the six-yard box.
Stevens (for Bocat, 64): To calm Stoke down, he brought some much-needed defensive expertise. 6.5
Ennis (in place of Koumas, 71): Obviously needs to win over Stoke fans. Nice move to set up Tchamadeu’s boxing opportunity. 6.
Vidigal: The final few minutes to try to leave an impression (for Manhoef, 88).
Bonham, Seko, Ennis, Phillips, Sidibe, and Tezgel were not used.
Gavin Ward, a Surrey native, 3
Rating for the match: 8