Viktor will be fuming, but he has plenty of credit in the City bank

STOKE City slipped to a 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion to end their winning start to the season.

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They will be kicking themselves about the goal they shipped and moments they didn’t take up the other end, although there were others that Albion might have done more with too.

Here are the talking points from the bet365 Stadium heading into deadline day and the international break.

STOKE LOSE 100 PER CENT RECORD

This was a different and more difficult kind of challenge Stoke. If Sorba Thomas and Million Manhoef benefited from space to hit Southampton on the break, they were tightly marked against a well-organised West Brom side.

The most successful teams in the Championship are able to find ways to beat the various styles but even then they have to be ruthless because they still might only be able to forge one or two genuine openings.

Stoke did have moments, they could have had a penalty, Divin Mubama hit the post and Thomas was able to swing in a couple of good crosses, Bae Junho went close with a chest and volley - but West Brom also had chances to kill it off at the other end.

It was a hard and hard-fought game and Stoke came down on the wrong side of fine lines. It doesn’t make it any less frustrating but they have shown in the last four weeks that they have a side that can give teams across this division a game.

KEEPING FAITH WITH SAME SIDE