In a Championship match on 19 August 2023, Stoke City managed to clinch a narrow victory against Watford with a 1-0 scoreline.

Statistical overview reveals a match dominated by the home side, Stoke City. The vital goal was scored in the second half. Following this, Stoke maintained control, despite the four yellow cards they accumulated. This shows effective discipline management as they never conceded a red card despite the high count of yellow cards, hence maintaining their team strength on the field throughout the match.

Stoke’s dominance is further evidenced by their assertive play in terms of ball possession, as is indicated by their impressive seven corner kicks compared to Watford's two. This shows how much Stoke controlled the ball near Watford’s goal area. Stoke's defensive prowess can also be acknowledged, as they did not experience any offside situation. This is a clear indication of Stoke’s maintained discipline in terms of positional play, without breaking into Watford's defences prematurely or unnecessarily.

Contrarily, Watford had a couple of offsides, reflecting a possible combination of impatience, lack of strategic play, and Stoke's effective defensive organisation. The away team also committed fewer fouls than the home team (5 to Stoke's 7), which could indicate a less aggressive approach to the game, combined with Stoke’s assertiveness.

However, it’s also worth noting that Stoke wasn’t without its weaknesses. Stoke should certainly be concerned about the number of yellow cards; four is a relatively high number and in other circumstances, it could have cost them a player and potentially the game. Cutting down on their fouls might help to control this issue in future games.

To sum up, the factors that had the most significant impact on the match outcome were the disciplined control of the ball and territory from Stoke, as indicated by the corner kicks and offsides, as well as the effective discipline management which assured they didn’t drop down to 10 men due to yellow card accumulation. For Watford, a more assertive game approach and refined strategic play might have changed this outcome favourably for them.

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