Stoke City 2-1 Swansea City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Stoke City 2-1 Swansea City in the Championship on Saturday, 13 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Stoke City beat Swansea City 2-1 at home. The game started evenly, but Stoke took the lead just before half-time when Ben Pearson scored in the 42nd minute, though he picked up a yellow card shortly after in the 44th. Swansea had more of the ball early on, but Stoke’s recent home win over Charlton Athletic seemed to give them confidence to hold firm.

In the second half, Sorba Thomas extended Stoke’s lead in the 60th minute with a goal assisted by Jun-ho Bae, putting them in control despite Swansea’s possession dominance. The visitors pulled one back through Zan Vipotnik in the 77th minute, assisted by Melker Widell, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Coming off three straight league losses before this, Stoke will take the points, while Swansea’s back-to-back wins prior to this defeat showed they had momentum but couldn’t capitalise away from home.

Swansea controlled the ball with 59% possession compared to Stoke’s 41%, suggesting they dictated much of the play, but Stoke made the most of their chances on the counter. Corners were close at 7-6 in Swansea’s favour, yet Stoke edged successful dribbles 50-40, indicating they were more effective in breaking lines when they had the ball. Both sides picked up plenty of yellow cards – three for Stoke and four for Swansea – pointing to a scrappy encounter, with no reds or second yellows to shift the balance, and each team recording one assist overall.

Stoke stuck to three substitutions, bringing on Sam Gallagher for Róbert Boženík at 72 minutes, Steven N’Zonzi for Ben Pearson at 82 minutes, and Bosun Lawal for Tatsuki Seko at 83 minutes, which helped them see out the win. Swansea made five changes, starting with Josh Key for Marko Stamenic at 58 minutes, Zeidane Inoussa for Ronald at 59 minutes, then Melker Widell for Ji-sung Eom and Malick Yalcouyé for Liam Cullen both at 71 minutes, and finally Adam Idah for Gonçalo Franco at 83 minutes, but these tweaks couldn’t overturn the deficit. No penalties or injury-time goals were noted, keeping the focus on open-play efforts.

The match turned on Stoke’s first-half goal from Ben Pearson in the 42nd minute, giving them a lead to defend, though he was booked two minutes later in the 44th for a yellow card. Sorba Thomas, who had already seen yellow in the 27th, doubled the advantage in the 60th minute with an assist from Jun-ho Bae, proving decisive despite Swansea’s pressure. Swansea’s Zan Vipotnik responded in the 77th minute, assisted by substitute Melker Widell, but late yellows for Stoke’s Junior Tchamadeu in the 85th and Swansea’s Melker Widell in stoppage time added tension without changing the outcome.

Swansea’s early yellows for Liam Cullen in the 17th, Marko Stamenic in the 53rd, and Gonçalo Franco in the 55th disrupted their rhythm, leading to substitutions like Josh Key replacing Marko Stamenic at 58 minutes and Zeidane Inoussa coming on for Ronald at 59 minutes. Stoke’s changes, such as Sam Gallagher replacing Róbert Boženík at 72 minutes, helped maintain their edge in a game with no red cards or penalties to swing it further.

Stoke City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ben Pearson anchoring midfield and contributing a key goal before Steven N’Zonzi replaced him late on. Sorba Thomas was influential on the wing, scoring and picking up a yellow, while Jun-ho Bae provided the assist for the second goal. Junior Tchamadeu offered defensive solidity but earned a late booking, and partnerships like Tatsuki Seko in midfield, before Bosun Lawal came on, helped control the game’s tempo.

Swansea City set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, relying on midfielders like Gonçalo Franco, who was booked before Adam Idah replaced him, and Marko Stamenic, substituted for Josh Key after his yellow. Zan Vipotnik led the line with a late goal, assisted by Melker Widell who came on for Ji-sung Eom, while Liam Cullen’s early yellow saw him make way for Malick Yalcouyé. Ronald provided width before Zeidane Inoussa took over, adding energy to their attacking partnerships.

Sorba Thomas is Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match after a standout performance that included one goal, zero assists, zero big chances created, and two key passes. His strike in the 60th minute proved crucial in securing the win for Stoke, and despite an early yellow card, he remained a constant threat on the flank. Thomas’s contributions highlighted his importance in turning possession into real danger.

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Swansea City (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Ipswich Town (A)
• Loss: 0-4 vs Sheffield United (A)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Hull City (H)
• Win: 3-0 vs Charlton Athletic (H)

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Stoke City (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Portsmouth (H)
• Win: 2-0 vs Oxford United (H)
• Loss: 2-3 vs West Bromwich Albion (A)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Derby County (H)

Stoke City have just beaten Swansea City 2-1 at home, a result that boosts them to seventh place on 33 points after snapping a run of three straight league losses. They now face Watford on 2025-12-20 at 15:00, with the visitors sitting 13th on 29 points and coming off mixed form. A win could solidify Stoke’s push for the top six, pulling them further from mid-table congestion.

Swansea City have just lost 2-1 away to Stoke City, leaving them 19th on 23 points after a defeat that ends their streak of two consecutive league wins. Their next test is against Wrexham on 2025-12-19 at 20:00, with the opponents in 14th on 28 points and looking to climb. Picking up points here is vital for Swansea to distance themselves from the relegation zone and build on their recent home successes.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.