Mark Hughes believes Stoke City will have to find a way to beat an "outstanding" goalkeeper in Fraser Forster on Wednesday evening to avoid defeat at home to Southampton.
📝ICYMI | Mark Hughes delivers his #SCFC team news ahead of tomorrow's @premierleague game with @SouthamptonFC ➡️ https://t.co/D74UFyrBM9 pic.twitter.com/16bPhqXmlP
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) December 13, 2016
"Defensively they've had good solid players who understand the league and they're very hard to break down," Hughes told stokecity.com in previewing his 400th Premier League match as a manager.
"Forster is an outstanding keeper and that combination with the good defensive line is good. It's very difficult to go into the Premier League to stop teams having chances and having a top class goalkeeper like him is clearly a benefit to them."
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— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 13, 2016
Watch the full interview with Claude Puel as #SaintsFC prepare to take on #SCFC in the #PL: https://t.co/gQ1xxWIHSL
Of goalkeepers to have played 50+ Premier League matches, Forster has the joint-second best average of goals conceded per match (0.84). Jens Lehmann is level with Forster, while only Petr Cech (0.75) has a better ratio.