Stoke City and the arguments of Championship underlying data amid flying run

Stoke City have risen to sixth place in the Championship under manager Mark Robins after winning six of their last eight games. Despite this positive run of form, debate has emerged over the club's underlying statistics and expected goals (xG) metrics, with some analysts questioning whether their current success is sustainable over the course of the season.

PODCAST analyst George Elek highlighted Stoke's recent 1-0 victory against Derby County, noting that Opta registered an xG of 1.14 to 0.59 in Derby's favor. Elek argued that while Stoke's underlying numbers appear poor, the team frequently defends leads and benefits significantly from the elite shot-stopping ability of goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.