Oxford boss Des Buckingham saluted his players after they saw off Stoke 1-0 thanks to Idris El Mizouni’s strike shortly after half-time.
It has been a perfect start to life at the Kassam Stadium since the U’s returned to the Championship, as they have now won all three home games so far this term.
Norwich and Preston have already been beaten on home turf, and now Stoke were second best against a well-organised and disciplined Oxford outfit.
Buckingham said: “I hope our fans realise that a lot of really hard work has gone in this victory again today.
“It was an overall performance from the team, and this against a very, very good Stoke team.
“I thought the first half was probably evenly-balanced, but in the second half I thought we were really exciting to watch and that’s pleasing for me and our fans.
“We’re putting together a way we want to play – I certainly don’t want any of my players to be robotic in any way.
“Collectively we’ve been impressive again, but I also want the players to showcase themselves as individuals when they can.
“I want them to go out there and play with that freedom and that excitement.
“I suppose that’s the kind of coach I am, rubbing off on them.
“I don’t want us to be a boring team to watch.
“Maybe in the end we should have scored more than just the one goal, but I’m not complaining.
“It’s going to be a squad game this season, and so far we’ve got more right than we’ve got wrong – hopefully that’s going to continue.”
A well-contested first period ended goalless in what was the first meeting of these two for well over two decades.
Mark Harris went closest for the newly-promoted hosts, while the Potters saw Ben Wilmot denied a superb save from Jamie Cumming.
Oxford struck what proved to be the winning blow within three minutes of the restart.
Ruben Rodrigues crossed in low for El Mizouni, and he coolly side-footed home his first U’s goal from just outside the six-yard box.
The Potters struggled to find any way back after that.
Stoke boss Steven Schumacher cut a frustrated figure after the game, and it appears he will be demanding more from his players in the weeks and months to come.
He said: “This is a result that we could end up regretting because I thought it was a big opportunity for us.
“Our performance wasn’t brilliant in the first half, and I said to the lads at half-time that I thought the game was there for us.
“The opposite happened, though, and we concede a poor goal almost immediately after the restart.
“We’ve talked about these cut-back crosses during training this week, so that’s really disappointing from our point of view.
“There are no excuses from us whatsoever, though.
“We try to put a game-plan together during the week and then we try and execute things we’ve worked on.
“We had lots of possession in and around their box, but too many times we were ponderous and wasteful with the ball – we must do better.
“Too many of our players just weren’t on top if their game today – they’ve not performed to the standard everyone expects of them.”
Paxten Aaronson completes blockbuster Colorado RapidsPaxten Aaronson has officially joined the Colorado Rapids from the Bundesliga's Eintracht Frankfurt after a breakout season on loan at UtretchPaxten Aaronson has completed a $7 million move to Colorado, the club announced Thursday afternoon. The USMNT midfielder has penned a five-year contract, and will occupy a designated player spot for the Ra...
Tottenham hit by more heartbreak as Kulusevski out until 2026Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt another setback as Dejan Kulusevski’s knee injury will sideline him until next year.The Swedish international suffered a knee injury last season, and the latest update adds to the challenges facing Thomas Frank’s side, reports The Guardian.0Spurs will also be without James Maddison until earl...
Akanji mulls Man City future amid Galatasaray bidManchester City defender Manuel Akanji is weighing his future after Galatasaray matched the Premier League champions’ 315 million ($20.1m) valuation. The Swiss international faces stiff competition for playing time as Pep Guardola looks to streamline his squad before the transfer window closes.Akanji, who joined City from Dortmund in 2022, now...
Harry Maguire is a key part of the Man Utd squadHarry Maguire believes it would be "silly" to leave Manchester United right now after revealing manager Ruben Amorim has stalled any summer transfer window moves for the defender.The 32-year-old centre-back arrived at Old Trafford from Leicester in an 380 million deal in 2019, signing a six-year contract with an option for a further season.United tri...
Everton defender James Tarkowski and goalkeeper Jordan PickfordundefinedPremier League club Everton have agreed a partnership with Japan's Nagoya Grampus which will see them work together on the development of emerging talent, both teams said on Thursday."There will also be regular collaboration between coaching and performance staff to share knowledge and expertise across both men's and women's f...
Martin boost as Barcelona and Romeu near splitOriol Romeu is set to terminate his contract with Barcelona.The midfielder and management have practically reached an agreement to terminate his contract. Oonly a few minor details remain to be finalised. The signing of the termination agreement will take place shortly, most likely today.Proof that the split is practically a done deal is that Romeu did...
Antony to finally leave Man Utd? Real Betis boss Pellegrini admits he wants him backReal Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed the club want to re-sign Manchester United winger Antony this summer.Antony spent the second half of last season on loan at Betis, racking up 14 goal contributions with the Spanish side who were desperate to keep him before he rejoined United and The Red Devils rev...
[(Kashiwa Reysol) Strength]: 1. Kashiwa Reysol kept scoring in the last 8 games with a consistent offense.2. Kashiwa Reysol kept winning in the last 3 home games. They defeated Shonan Bellmare 2-0 in the last home game, with good performances on both ends.3. Kashiwa Reysol lost only 1 of the last 3 games in AH with a good trend.[(Kashiwa Reysol) Neutral]: 1. Kashiwa Reysol are ranked 5th in the ta...
Holstein Kiel v Borussia Dortmund - BundesligaMonchengladbach have opened discussions to sign USMNT midfielder, who has one year remaining on his Dortmund contractWHAT HAPPENED?Dortmund and USMNT midfielder Gio Reyna could be nearing a long-awaited exit, as Bundesliga rivals Borussia Monchengladbach have opened discussions to secure his signature, according to The Athletic. The disgruntled Reyna h...
Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Premier LeagueEberechi Eze has withdrawn from the Crystal Palace squad for the Conference League clash with Fredrickstad ahead of his transfer to Arsenal.WHAT HAPPENED?Eze was expected to be included in Palace's squad for the club's first-ever match in Europe but boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed his absence. With his Arsenal medical expected in the next 48 hours, he has...
- 1 Liverpool signing Leoni: I want to learn from Van Dijk
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty