Having both spent time in the top six earlier this season, Preston North End and Stoke City will look to rescue their campaigns when they meet at Deepdale on Friday (20:00 GMT).
Stoke put in an impressive display to beat promotion hopefuls Watford 3-1 on the weekend to reignite some embers of hope for their own push, though they are still nine points short of sixth place.
While hosts Preston might have their eyes glancing in a different direction. After winning their first two games of 2026, they have only won once since (against Portsmouth in February) and are now closer to the bottom three than the top six.
Each of the last three league meetings between Preston and Stoke have ended level, including two 0-0s; as many goalless draws as in their previous 18 league games combined.
Stoke haven't lost any of their last five away league games against Preston (W3 D2), which is already their longest ever unbeaten run away to the Lilywhites.
Preston have lost their last four Championship games – they last lost five in a row in the same league campaign in their final five matches of the 2023-24 campaign, under Ryan Lowe.
Since the start of December 2025, only two teams have won fewer points away from home in the Championship than Stoke (8) – West Brom (3) and Sheffield Wednesday (1).
After scoring five goals in seven Championship starts for Preston between October and December 2025, Daniel Jebbison has only netted in one of his last nine (one goal v Swansea).
