Follow live coverage as Stoke City face Birmingham City in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Relegation from the top flight last term means Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will newly-promoted Birmingham City and Wrexham, with a host of hopefuls eyeing up the £200m jackpot that comes with promotion to the top flight. At the other end of the table, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City hope to stay up amid crises.
Follow updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Stoke City FC 1 - 0 Birmingham City FC
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
17:00Match ends, Stoke City 1, Birmingham City 0.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Second Half ends, Stoke City 1, Birmingham City 0.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
17:00Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Foul by Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Substitution, Stoke City. Eric-Junior Bocat replaces Aaron Cresswell.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Substitution, Stoke City. Lamine Cissé replaces Million Manhoef.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
17:00Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Aaron Cresswell.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
17:00Attempt missed. Marc Leonard (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Lewis Koumas with a headed pass.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Substitution, Birmingham City. Marc Leonard replaces Phil Neumann.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Sorba Thomas (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Substitution, Stoke City. Tatsuki Seko replaces Ben Pearson because of an injury.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Ben Pearson (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Substitution, Birmingham City. Kyogo Furuhashi replaces Jay Stansfield.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Attempt missed. Bosun Lawal (Stoke City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Lewis Baker with a cross following a corner.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Phil Neumann.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:59Foul by Phil Neumann (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:50Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:46Delay in match (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:45Attempt missed. Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Lewis Koumas with a cross.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:42Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:39Offside, Birmingham City. Marvin Ducksch is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:39Substitution, Stoke City. Bae Jun-Ho replaces Tomás Rigo.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:36Foul by Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:30Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Tomás Rigo.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Junior Tchamadeu.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Offside, Stoke City. Sorba Thomas is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Attempt blocked. Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jay Stansfield.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Offside, Stoke City. Million Manhoef is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Offside, Stoke City. Lewis Baker is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Substitution, Birmingham City. Lewis Koumas replaces Patrick Roberts.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Substitution, Birmingham City. Bright Osayi-Samuel replaces Ethan Laird.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Substitution, Birmingham City. Marvin Ducksch replaces Tommy Doyle.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:27Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:18Delay in match because of an injury Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:17Attempt missed. Bosun Lawal (Stoke City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aaron Cresswell with a cross following a corner.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:17Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Ethan Laird.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:16Attempt blocked. Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Patrick Roberts.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:16Offside, Stoke City. Aaron Cresswell is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:16Foul by Patrick Roberts (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:16Attempt missed. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Tommy Doyle.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:16Foul by Demarai Gray (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:15Patrick Roberts (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:08Patrick Roberts (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
16:07Second Half begins Stoke City 1, Birmingham City 0.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:50First Half ends, Stoke City 1, Birmingham City 0.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:48Foul by Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:47Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:46Alex Cochrane (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:46Attempt blocked. Ben Wilmot (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:45Attempt blocked. Lewis Baker (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sorba Thomas with a cross.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:42Foul by Alex Cochrane (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:41Attempt blocked. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ethan Laird.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:41Alex Cochrane (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:40Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:38Delay in match because of an injury Viktor Johansson (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:37Handball by Patrick Roberts (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:37Attempt blocked. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ethan Laird.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:34Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:31Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Phil Neumann.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:31Bosun Lawal (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:30Offside, Stoke City. Sorba Thomas is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:28Foul by Sorba Thomas (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:26Sorba Thomas (Stoke City) hits the right post with a right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right. Assisted by Viktor Johansson.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Goal! Stoke City 1, Birmingham City 0. Bosun Lawal (Stoke City) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Aaron Cresswell with a cross following a corner.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Ryan Allsop.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Attempt saved. Divin Mubama (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Ryan Allsop (Birmingham City). Assisted by Million Manhoef with a cross.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Offside, Stoke City. Divin Mubama is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Foul by Divin Mubama (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Foul by Patrick Roberts (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:24Attempt saved. Bosun Lawal (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal by Ryan Allsop (Birmingham City).
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:23Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Christoph Klarer.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:03Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
15:01First Half begins.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Stoke City vs Birmingham City
13:00Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.
We will have all the latest scores, goals and updates plus analysis and reaction throughout the game here. This season we're bringing you live coverage from every match in the Premier League, WSL, Championship, Carabao Cup and FA Cup from the third round onwards - as well as the best from the Champions League and beyond in Europe.
