Sunday 15 May 2016 18:37, UK
Stats, quotes and expert opinion on Stoke's 2015/16 Premier League season as they secured another top-half finish.
Finishing position: 9th (=)
Total points: 51 (-3)
FA Cup: Fourth round
Capital One Cup: Semi-final
Top scorer: Marko Arnautovic (11)
WhoScored Top Rating: Marko Arnautovic (7.06)
Season review
There was a lot of buzz about Stoke going into the campaign with Glen Johnson and Ibrahim Afellay seen as shrewd signings and Xherdan Shaqiri regarded as a real coup. But it seemed to take time for the team to gel and the Potters didn't register their first win until late September - a 2-1 home victory over newly-promoted Bournemouth.
That proved the catalyst for an improved run of form and late 2015 brought high-profile wins over Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United at the Britannia Stadium. All three were beaten to nil with Marko Arnautovic scoring in all three games, including a brace against City.
It wasn't just the home form either. Everton were beaten in dramatic circumstances at Goodison Park in a 4-3 win - Arnautovic again the hero with a stoppage-time penalty after Shaqiri had scored one of the goals of the season in looping the ball over Tim Howard. The three points ensured Stoke ended the year just six points adrift of third-placed Tottenham.
But progression to the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup seemed to distract from the team's Premier League form and Mark Hughes' men were denied their trip to Wembley when they lost in a penalty shootout to Liverpool at Anfield. Peter Crouch and Marc Muniesa both missed from the spot.
Three back-to-back defeats followed and Stoke went on to conceded four goals in three consecutive games in April. It was a flat end to a campaign that had promised so much - with a knee injury to Afellay adding to the disappointment. Even so, a third consecutive top-10 finish for the first time since the days of Sir Stanley Matthews is an achievement in itself.
Quotes of the season
"It is the perfect move for me. Everything about it fits and for me, it is the perfect decision." - Xherdan Shaqiri on signing for Stoke in August
"I think the reaction of us all is pure disappointment because on the night we were by far the better team. They have been incredibly fortunate." - Mark Hughes on Stoke's penalty shootout defeat to Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final in January
"It's been more of the same from the game against Tottenham. The last three games have been extremely poor." - Mark Hughes after a 4-0 defeat to Man City in April
Stats of the season
Stoke's Premier League points tally of 51 is their second best ever - three points fewer than they managed last season.
All five of Mame Biram Diouf's Premier League goals in 2015/16 were headers.
Marko Arnautovic had a hand in 17 goals for Stoke in the Premier League (11 goals, six assists), eight more than any other player.
Matt Le Tissier's view
I would have said this was about par for what you'd expect from them. They might have wanted to kick on a bit more and will have had aspirations of topping last season's ninth-placed finish but I'd say they're about where they should be.
