Glenn Whelan is hoping Stoke can get a rare result at high-flying Manchester City in the Premier League on Wednesday, to help them improve on last season's ninth-place finish.
Stoke, who are ninth in the table and five points behind eighth-placed West Brom, were beaten 4-1 at home by City in August, and have won just one of their eight trips to the Etihad Stadium.
'It's not just about finishing in ninth place again,' Whelan, who spent three years at Manchester City's academy, told the Stoke's official website.
'The manager set targets for us all at the start of the season.