- Founded 1863
- Stadium bet365 Stadium
- Manager Mark Robins
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 17
- Goals Conceded 16
- Yellow Cards 21
- Total Red Cards 2
Stoke Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Stoke City have been difficult to read. Mark Robins’ side sit eighth with four wins from eight, but 12 conceded is more than anyone above them and they have used five different shapes in trying to settle. Thirteen goals scored is a respectable return for a side still figuring out its best XI. Below, we take a look at Stoke’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: Viktor Johansson – 67% – Twenty-four saves and two clean sheets from every available minute, and a quite exceptional 13 completed sweeper actions – the most of any goalkeeper in the division by a distance. An error leading to a goal and another leading to a shot are what hold the rating down.
RB: Ben Johnson – 65% – A goal, 37 duels won, 10 interceptions and six completed take-ons from seven starts, with two clean sheets. Johnson has been among the more dependable members of a defence that has changed around him.
RCB: Bosun Lawal – 60% – Four starts and 283 minutes, with five blocked shots the only figure of note. Too small a sample to draw much from, and the centre-back position has been the least settled in the side.
LCB: Luke Graham – 61% – Thirty-four clearances, 37 duels won and 15 aerials from six starts, with 33 progressive passes. Graham has done the defensive basics competently without adding anything in the other direction.
LB: Eric Bocat – 68% – Two goals, two assists and two clear-cut chances created, with a club-leading 12 shots from full-back, eight tackles won and 14 interceptions. Bocat has been Stoke’s most productive defender by a wide margin. One error leading to a goal is the caveat.
RCM: Djibril Soumaré – 60% – Forty-four passes into the final third, eight tackles won and five blocked shots from seven starts. Soumaré offers little going forward and has been beaten one-on-one five times, which is where the 60% comes from.
LCM: Ethan Galbraith – 70% – The engine of the side. Three goals, an assist, 16 chances created, 86 passes into the final third, 35 into the penalty area and 11 completed take-ons, all club-leading figures. Four yellow cards and 14 fouls are the highest in the squad and the price of how much ground he covers.
AM: Jun-Ho Bae – 58% – The lowest rating in the side. Four appearances, three starts and 293 minutes without a single goal involvement or a meaningful creative figure. The No.10 role has been Stoke’s least productive position all season.
RW: Sam Gallagher – 60% – Two goals and an assist from four starts, with 16 aerial duels won, the most of any Stoke attacker. Gallagher has been used as much for his physical presence as his pace, and the numbers reflect a player still adapting to a wide role.
LW: Ben Thomas – 67% – Three starts and already nine chances created and a club-leading 39 passes into the penalty area. Thomas has been the most natural creator in the side on a per-minute basis and looks a straightforward answer to the questions in the final third.
ST: George Hirst – 58% – One goal from five starts and two big chances missed. Hirst has struggled for service and for sharpness, and Stoke’s centre-forward position remains the one Robins most needs to resolve.
Worth a mention: Jack McGlynn has rated at 77% across three appearances, the highest figure at the club.
Stoke’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Justin Devenny
- Free-kicks: Jack McGlynn, Justin Devenny
- Corners: Jack McGlynn, Ethan Galbraith
Jack McGlynn has taken 11 of Stoke’s corners to Ethan Galbraith’s 9. Jack McGlynn has had one of the direct free-kicks. Justin Devenny has converted from the spot.
Stoke FAQs
How have Stoke started the 2026/27 season?
Inconsistently. Stoke are eighth on 13 points from eight games, with four wins and three defeats, and have conceded 12 goals – more than any side above them.
Who is Stoke’s best player this season?
Jack McGlynn rates highest on 77% from three appearances. Across a full run of games it is Ethan Galbraith on 70%, with three goals and 16 chances created.
Where did Stoke finish in the 2025/26 Championship season?
Stoke City finished 17th in the EFL Championship with 55 points last season.
Who is the Stoke manager?
Mark Robins is the head coach of Stoke City. The former Coventry City manager was appointed during the 2024/25 campaign.
Who is the current Stoke captain?
Ben Wilmot serves as the Stoke City team captain, leading the backline alongside senior figures like Ben Gibson and Aaron Cresswell.