Match Preview: Stoke City vs Everton – Friendlies Clubs

Everton's Pre-Season Puzzle Faces Stoke City Challenge

Everton’s pre-season preparation has been a mixed bag, offering both glimpses of attacking fluency and periods of frustrating sterility. Fresh off a dominant 4-0 win against Dundee followed by a goalless stalemate against Bolton, the Toffees now face Stoke City in a friendly that serves as another critical step in their build-up to the new campaign. Historically, this fixture has often gone Everton's way, usually with narrow margins. While the stakes are minimal, both sides will use this encounter to fine-tune tactical approaches and assess squad depth against a Football League opponent.

Match Details

• Competition: Friendlies Clubs
• Venue: None, None
• Kick-off: Tuesday, 28 July 2026 • 19:45 UK Time
• Referee: None

Current Form

Stoke City arrive having registered a loss and a draw in their limited pre-season updates. With no specific results available beyond a recent 'LD' sequence, their current rhythm remains somewhat opaque. These initial outings for Stoke suggest a focus on fundamental conditioning and establishing defensive shape, typical for a team preparing for a gruelling league campaign.

Everton’s recent run paints a more detailed picture. Following two consecutive Premier League defeats to Tottenham (0-1) and Sunderland (1-3) which concluded last season, they salvaged a draw against Crystal Palace (2-2). Their friendlies have started with contrasting outcomes: a convincing 4-0 victory over Dundee showcased an ability to create and finish chances, while the subsequent 0-0 draw against Bolton suggests struggles against a compact defence. The Bolton result particularly highlights a potential dependency on specific tactical setups or personnel to break down a low block, a challenge they have frequently encountered.

Team News

No major injuries have been reported for either side, indicating that both managers will have a largely full complement of players to choose from. For Everton, this allows for strategic squad rotation, vital for managing minutes load during pre-season. We can expect to see a blend of established figures like Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski, alongside key midfielders such as James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who will aim to dictate play and build understanding. Up front, the likes of Beto and Dwight McNeil will be looking to sharpen their attacking instincts, potentially alongside younger talents like Tom Dibling or Tyrique George, who could be given opportunities in the wide channels or in behind a tired defence.

Stoke City's manager will similarly utilise their available squad to assess fitness and tactical adherence. Given the lack of specific player data, their approach will likely involve evaluating positional play and pressing triggers across various combinations of players, looking for promising partnerships and assessing individual readiness for the upcoming competitive season.

Head to Head

The historical head-to-head record between these two sides heavily favours Everton. Across their last five meetings, the Toffees have secured four victories and one draw, with Stoke City failing to register a win since 2017. A consistent theme running through these encounters has been their low-scoring nature, with results like 1-0, 2-1, and 1-1 being common. This pattern suggests that Everton have typically found a way to grind out results against Stoke, often through solid defensive organisation and clinical finishing in tight contests, rather than free-flowing attacking displays.

Tactical Breakdown