Reaction from the bet365 Stadium as Stoke City beat Oxford United in the Championship
22:09, 25 Feb 2026Updated 23:09, 25 Feb 2026
Lamine Cisse celebrate his goal for Stoke against Oxford.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Stoke City’s band of wingers combined to help the team to a much-needed win over Oxford United.
Million Manhoef set up Lamine Cisse for the first goal at the bet365 Stadium and Sorba Thomas set up Jesurun Rak-Sakyi for the second to secure Mark Robins a hard-earned first victory in the league since January 4 – and first league win at home since mid-December.
Relegation-fighting Oxford made them work hard for it and Ciaron Brown had smashed one in to make the scores level at half-time while Will Lankshear hit the bar with a flick before the Potters finished the job.
There was a sense of relief as Stoke saw this one out and they rise back to 13th, seven points off the play-off places with 12 to go if anyone is still daring to dream.
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Robins had made five changes to his starting XI, including picking four wingers – or players who have spent most of their seasons so far on the wing – in Thomas, Manhoef, Rak-Sakyi and Cisse. Steven Nzonzi and Tomas Rigo returned in midfield while Maksym Talovierov was back in at centre-half, with Ben Wilmot at right-back. Manhoef started at number 10.
Stoke gradually started building up possession in the opening stages but got their first real chance on the counter from an Oxford corner – and it was a big chance for Rak-Sakyi.
Tommy Simkin seized the ball and span a brilliant long pass up the pitch for Manhoef to run behind the defence. He was being caught as he brought it under control running into the box so square it left to Rak-Sakyi, free in a one on one to blast at Jamie Cumming.
Eric Bocat and Cameron Branagan traded long range pops while pedantic referee James Linington was racking up the free-kick count.
Manhoef played in Thomas to bend a shot past the far post from the inside left while Rak-Sakyi cut a pass back for Manhoef to bend a shot past the far post from the inside right.
Talovierov tried his luck from 30 yards when he had space but that rebounded and sent the visitors on a counter-attack, with Stanley Mills running into a free half before pulling a shot wide. Nice link-up play between Rigo and Bocat teed up Cisse to spin and hammer a shot from the edge of the box that was too close to the keeper.
Stoke found their breakthrough on the counter. Will Vaulks’ long throw was headed out by Talovierov and helped on by Rigo to release Manhoef to carry over the half-way line and time his pass to set free Cisse, who was sprinting through the middle and into a one-on-one. There was a decent amount of work still to do but Cisse kept a cool head and passed it into the corner to score his first Championship goal.
It felt like, and it should have been, a vital first goal – but Oxford scored their first goal in 481 minutes to go in level at half-time. Stoke lost their shape when the visitors played a short corner and Thomas played Stanley Mills onside when the ball was chipped into the box. Mills squared for free man Brown to crack in on the volley from close range.
Oxford were a whisker away from leading early in the second half when Branagan’s free-kick was clipped by the heel of Lankshear into the bar before ricocheting off Thomas and wide. Linington somehow gave a goal-kick. Stoke fans were still bemused by Linington’s decision to give Branagan a free-kick in the Oxford area for running into Cisse.
Stoke made the let off count by reclaiming the lead. Talovierov fed Thomas down the left to run at the full-back and dip a cross to the back post, where Rak-Sakyi ducked and headed deftly across Cumming and into the far corner.
Oxford were desperate for another equaliser and Phillips had to make a vital block to stop Nik Prelec after some twisting and turning in the area.
At the other end, Cisse leapt to meet a deep corner and looped a header over Cumming but cleared by Vaulks on the post. Bocat slipped a shot wide when he ran onto a square pass from Bae Junho on the edge of the box.
The erratic Linington managed to get his head on the ball to stop a Stoke breakaway and set up an Oxford counter. He waved play and furiously told off Stoke players who tried to appeal.
Thomas might have sealed it when he ran onto an excellent through ball from Manhoef but his shot was saved – and Tatsuki Seko’s subsequent superb slide tackle to stop an Oxford counter probably got the biggest cheer of the night.
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Here are the player ratings from the bet365 Stadium:
Simkin: Chose his moments to come to try to claim crosses as the rain lashed down. Brilliant long pass to release Manhoef in first half. 6.5
Wilmot: Filled in at right-back but was in the right place to win a few important headers. Interesting battle with Emakhu in second-half. 7
Bocat: Some skill and pace going forwards mixed with a little bit of nervous energy in his defensive work. Shot just wide in second half. 7
Talovierov: Useful presence at centre-half although a bit rusty at times. Sliced a couple of clearances and clumsy in a couple of tackles. 6.5
Phillips: Threw himself into everything defensively and won some important duels. 7
Nzonzi: A really high pass completion rate as Stoke dominated possession. 7
Rigo: Always looked to pass forwards and to players who could make something happen. 7
Manhoef: Not everything came off at number 10 but he looked like he knew what it took to score a goal. Nicely timed pass to release Cisse. Great on the break. 7.5
Rak-Sakyi: Should have buried early one-on-one but got his first goal with a deft header across the keeper. 7
Thomas: Dozy defending kept Mills onside for Oxford equaliser but he kept running at his man and cross set up the vital second. Sent in 26 crosses. 7
Cisse: Sprinted through and kept a cool head to score his first Championship goal. Looks more like scoring. Referee was determined not to give him any fouls. Standing ovation. 8
Substitutes
Junho (for Rak-Sakyi, 70): A lively cameo as he got on the ball and tried to feed it into dangerous areas. 7.5
Seko (for Rigo, 78): A brilliant slide tackle to stop an Oxford break in injury time. 8
Smit (for Cisse, 90): Gave Cisse a chance to get an ovation. N/A
Not used: Fielding, Pearson, Gibson, Agina, Otegbayo, Kelly.
Referee: James Linington (Isle of Wight) 1.5
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