Stoke 2-0 Burnley: Three things we learnt

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Hughes rewarded for keeping the faith

There were plenty of raised eyebrows around the Bet365 Stadium when the team sheet showed that Mark Hughes had elected to select the same starting eleven that were victorious at Watford last weekend.

This meant that Welsh midfielder Joe Allen, who has been one of Stoke’s star players so far this season, had to be content with a place on the bench after he sat out the previous fixture due to a one game suspension.

The former Liverpool midfielder has scored four goals this campaign but saw his place in the starting eleven taken by young Frenchman Giannelli Imbula.

Glenn Whelan, Bojan Krkic and Wilfried Bony also filled up the remainder of the bench meaning that the home side were starting the contest without a host of their usual stars.

However, Hughes’ decision was vindicated as his chosen eleven earned a well-deserved victory over Burnley and the amount of quality that The Potters can call upon from the bench can only be a good sign.

Featured Image: All Rights Reserved Nick Toogood (Nick Toogood)