Follow live coverage as Stoke City face Bristol 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 5 - 1 Bristol City FC
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:55Match ends, Stoke City 5, Bristol City 1.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:54Second Half ends, Stoke City 5, Bristol City 1.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:54Attempt saved. Emil Riis (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rob Dickie with a headed pass.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:53Tatsuki Seko (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:53Olly Thomas (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:51Foul by Ross McCrorie (Bristol City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:50Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:50Attempt missed. Zak Vyner (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:49Attempt blocked. Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Olly Thomas.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:49Foul by Bae Jun-Ho (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:49Foul by Tomás Rigo (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:48Attempt blocked. Bae Jun-Ho (Stoke City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lewis Baker.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:42Goal! Stoke City 5, Bristol City 1. Mark Sykes (Bristol City) header from a difficult angle on the left to the top right corner. Assisted by Yu Hirakawa with a cross following a corner.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:42Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Tomás Rigo.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:42Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Ashley Phillips.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:42Foul by Ashley Phillips (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:42Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Haydon Roberts.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:38Delay in match because of an injury Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:38Substitution, Bristol City. Olly Thomas replaces Sinclair Armstrong.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:38Adam Randell (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:37Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:34Substitution, Stoke City. Tomás Rigo replaces Sorba Thomas.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:39Attempt saved. Lamine Cissé (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:48Attempt saved. Lamine Cissé (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Radek Vítek (Bristol City). Assisted by Sorba Thomas.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:33Foul by Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:34Foul by Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:34Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Neto Borges.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:34Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Radek Vítek.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:31Attempt saved. Sorba Thomas (Stoke City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner by Radek Vítek (Bristol City). Assisted by Junior Tchamadeu.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:30Substitution, Bristol City. Yu Hirakawa replaces Anis Mehmeti.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:29Goal! Stoke City 5, Bristol City 0. Divin Mubama (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Lamine Cissé.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:29Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:29Delay in match because of an injury Viktor Johansson (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:28Attempt missed. Anis Mehmeti (Bristol City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:28Attempt missed. Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the right.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:27Foul by Lamine Cissé (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:26Attempt saved. Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Viktor Johansson (Stoke City). Assisted by Adam Randell.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:26Lamine Cissé (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:26Divin Mubama (Stoke City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:26Substitution, Stoke City. Tatsuki Seko replaces Ben Pearson.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:26Substitution, Stoke City. Lamine Cissé replaces Million Manhoef.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:15Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Ben Pearson.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:14Attempt saved. Ross McCrorie (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Viktor Johansson (Stoke City). Assisted by Mark Sykes with a cross.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:14Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:14Delay in match because of an injury Ben Wilmot (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:19Attempt blocked. Mark Sykes (Bristol City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Zak Vyner.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:10Foul by Ben Pearson (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:10Foul by Lewis Baker (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:14Attempt missed. Anis Mehmeti (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Emil Riis.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:14Substitution, Bristol City. Ross McCrorie replaces Scott Twine.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:14Substitution, Bristol City. Haydon Roberts replaces Rob Atkinson because of an injury.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:08Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:08Delay in match because of an injury Rob Atkinson (Bristol City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:07Goal! Stoke City 4, Bristol City 0. Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Million Manhoef.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:07Ashley Phillips (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:04Second Half begins Stoke City 3, Bristol City 0.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
16:09Substitution, Bristol City. Ross McCrorie replaces Scott Twine.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:49First Half ends, Stoke City 3, Bristol City 0.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:49Foul by Lewis Baker (Stoke City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:48Ben Pearson (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:48Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:48Aaron Cresswell (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:48Mark Sykes (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:43Attempt blocked. Million Manhoef (Stoke City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Junior Tchamadeu.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:43Anis Mehmeti (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:41Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Mark Sykes.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:40Attempt missed. Bae Jun-Ho (Stoke City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Sorba Thomas following a corner.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:40Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Radek Vítek.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:40Attempt saved. Sorba Thomas (Stoke City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Radek Vítek (Bristol City). Assisted by Divin Mubama with a headed pass.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:38Foul by Rob Dickie (Bristol City).
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:38Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:37Viktor Johansson (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:36Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Bae Jun-Ho.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:37Attempt blocked. Mark Sykes (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Rob Atkinson.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:36Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Viktor Johansson.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:36Attempt saved. Anis Mehmeti (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Viktor Johansson (Stoke City). Assisted by Scott Twine.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:31Attempt blocked. Divin Mubama (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Million Manhoef.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:30Ben Pearson (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:29Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Viktor Johansson.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:30Attempt missed. Adam Randell (Bristol City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Neto Borges with a cross.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:29Goal! Stoke City 3, Bristol City 0. Million Manhoef (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Divin Mubama.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:29Divin Mubama (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:25Goal! Stoke City 2, Bristol City 0. Divin Mubama (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:19Attempt missed. Divin Mubama (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:21Offside, Stoke City. Divin Mubama is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:16Attempt missed. Lewis Baker (Stoke City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Junior Tchamadeu.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:16Attempt missed. Rob Dickie (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Neto Borges with a cross following a corner.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:14Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Ashley Phillips.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:15Attempt blocked. Rob Dickie (Bristol City) header from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Anis Mehmeti with a cross.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:14Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Lewis Baker.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:13Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Divin Mubama.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:13Attempt blocked. George Tanner (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Scott Twine.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:13Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Ben Wilmot.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:13Attempt blocked. Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Scott Twine.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:09Attempt missed. Aaron Cresswell (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Million Manhoef.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:08Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:08Attempt saved. Zak Vyner (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Viktor Johansson (Stoke City). Assisted by Neto Borges.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:06Goal! Stoke City 1, Bristol City 0. Divin Mubama (Stoke City) left footed shot from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Junior Tchamadeu with a cross.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:04Offside, Bristol City. Anis Mehmeti is caught offside.
Stoke City vs Bristol City
15:01First Half begins.
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
