It's been a topsy-turvy couple of weeks for Stoke City, who will be hoping to get back to winning ways as they prepare to take on Birmingham City this weekend.

The Potters are struggling for consistency at the bottom end of the Championship table. They lost 2-0 and 3-o to Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic respectively, before defeating Barnsley 4-0 at the weekend.

All the hard work they produced over Barnsley, though, was undone after losing 5-0 to league leaders Leeds United last night, where Michael O'Neill's side were completely outclassed by the Whites.

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There is no time for Stoke to feel sorry for themselves, though, and on Sunday, they take on Birmingham City at the bet365 Stadium, with Blues' Championship status not yet secure by any means.

Birmingham come into this encounter managerless following Pep Clotet's departure, after losing 3-1 to Swansea City in midweek.

Blues haven't picked up a win since the season's restart and have lost their last three games on the bounce, and sit only four points clear of the relegation zone with four matches remaining.

Three points is a must for both sides this weekend, then, so what does David Prutton think? The Sky Sports pundit has predicted a 2-0 home win for Stoke.

He said: "Stoke were thumped badly by Leeds on Thursday night, but as Michael O'Neill said afterwards that isn't the type of game that will define whether they stay up. At this stage they do need to bounce back quickly, though.

"Birmingham will be without Pep Clotet following his departure, but their last few performances have suggested they were treading water until the end of the season. They need to keep going so they don't drop any further, but I can't see them getting anything on Sunday."

The Verdict

This is a must-win game for both sides, and both sides are embarking on a dismal run of form of late.

Stoke have shown signs of promise, especially in the win over Barnsley at the weekend, but they have been dire in defeats to Wigan, Boro and Leeds.

They cannot afford to lose this weekend, and I do think they have the players who can turn things around on the day.