Stoke loses again as pressure mounts on Hughes

Posted September 18, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Stoke City's Wilfriend Bony, left, and Crystal Palace's James McArthur battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (Steve Paston/PA via AP) The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Stoke's woes continued Sunday as it lost its fourth straight Premier League match, beaten 4-1 by Crystal Palace.

Last-placed Stoke was 2-0 down within 11 minutes at Selhurst Park.

James Tomkins' header in the 9th minute, followed by a goal from Scott Dann two minutes later, allowed the hosts to take control of the match early on.

Stoke created very little in the form of chances and trailed hopelessly in the second half after Palace again struck twice in a short period. James McArthur made it 3-0 in the 71st and Andros Townsend added a fourth in the 75th.

Stoke got a consolation in second-half injury time through Marko Arnautovic but it was yet another poor performance as manager Mark Hughes comes under mounting pressure.

Stoke has just 1 point from 5 matches after a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough in its opening game on Aug. 13.

Southampton has 5 points from 5 matches.

Crystal Palace's James McArthur, center left, celebrates scoring his side's third goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match against Stoke City at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (Steve Paston/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, right, and Stoke City's Bruno Martins Indi battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (Steve Paston/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Stoke City's Marko Arnautovic, left, and Crystal Palace's Martin Kelly battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (Steve Paston/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.