**Bolton's hitting form again, but Stoke just won't quit** — this is a clash between a resurgent Wanderers side and a ruthless promotion machine that's basically been flawless lately. 🔥

Bolton have won 2 of their last 5 and showed real bite in that 4-3 thriller at Norwich, but they're also leaky at the back with three defeats in that stretch. Meanwhile, Stoke are on a **4-win, 1-draw run** — utterly clinical and barely conceding. This is a proper acid test for the hosts.

Key storylines:

- **Bolton's attacking flair** (Dong, Rodrigues, Junior) needs to click in a high-tempo game, but they're missing defensive depth without Brunt and Stephenson
- **Stoke's ruthless efficiency** under pressure — Soumaré, Galbraith, and that front four (Graham, Johansson, Gallagher) convert chances with cold precision
- H2H is perfectly balanced at 4-4 in the last 11, so there's nothing to lean on historically

Expected lineups:

- **Bolton Wanderers**: Bonham, Conway, Forino, Davies, Famewo, Sheehan, Erhahon, Junior, Rodrigues, Dong, Dalby
- **Stoke City**: Griffiths, Bocat, Wilmot, Talovierov, Johnson, Galbraith, Soumaré, Cissé, Graham, Johansson, Gallagher

Prediction:

**Stoke City 2-1 Bolton Wanderers**

Stoke's current form is just too hot to ignore, even on the road. Bolton will score but won't quite have the defensive glue to hold on.