Stoke’s Ashley Williams is dismissed for a second yellow card

Wigan Athletic produced an emphatic 3-0 away victory at Stoke City but it could so easily have been many more.

Paul Cook’s newly promoted Latics dominated the high-spending Potters on their home soil.

The visitors went ahead after 27 minutes through a slick move involving Nick Powell and Gavin Massey which was superbly finished by Will Grigg.

It was not long before they went 2-0 up as Massey’s persistence allowed him to break through the Stoke backline and produce a confident finish through Jack Butland’s legs.

Stoke looked shellshocked and Latics might have gone further ahead before the interval but they did increase their lead on 57 minutes when Grigg converted from the penalty spot after Powell was brought down by Joe Allen.

Latics were outstanding throughout and produced some scintillating attacking play while the Potters looked disjointed and lacked any creativity.

By the latter stages of the game Latics were toying with their opponents controlling possession and continuing to create chances.

Stoke’s Ashley Williams was fortunate to escape a straight red card after head butting Powell in the stomach after he had been barged into an advertising hoarding by the Latics midfielder.

But the on-loan Everton defender’s torrid night came to an end on 78 minutes when he was given a second yellow card for a foul on Windass.

Gary Rowett’s Stoke are amongst the promotion favourites and have spent big money over the summer on Benik Afobe £12m, Tom Ince £10m, Oghenekaro Etebo £6.5m, Sam Clucas £6m and James McClean £5m. But on this performance it is Paul Cook’s conservatively assembled squad which looks the more likely to be challenging at the top of the table.