We’re continuing our series of analytical summaries for the EFL, covering three teams from each of the Championship, League One and League Two. Rather than starting alphabetically we’ve selected clubs at random and identified their top three strengths, weaknesses, goalscorers and creators.
Leeds and Middlesbrough are joint-top of the Championship table after five rounds of fixtures but United have been more impressive so far. New manager Marcelo Bielsa has brought high-tempo tactics to Elland Road and that can give them the edge over the more pragmatic game-plan of Tony Pulis.
Romelu Lukaku’s first-half miss against Tottenham on Monday night continued the Manchester United striker’s frustrating scoring record against the north London side. The Belgium international has netted just one goal in 863 minutes against Spurs in his Premier League career. But what other hoodoos persist in English football? We’ve looked back … Read more
Nottingham Forest have yet to taste defeat in the Championship this season and look in better shape than Birmingham at this early stage. The Blues have failed to score a goal since an opening 2-2 draw with Norwich and that has seen their Trueform ratings slump.
Today we’re launching a series of analytical summaries for the EFL, covering three teams from each of the Championship, League One and League Two. We’ve selected clubs at random and identified their top three strengths, weaknesses, goalscorers and creators.
Swansea and Leeds will both be more than happy with their Championship results so far and we reckon they are hard to split at Liberty Stadium. United are two points better off following three straight wins in this division, but home advantage can help City to hold their own in Wales.
Stoke have not adjusted well to life in the Championship and could still be vulnerable when visiting Preston on Saturday evening. North End are always difficult opponents at Deepdale and have already claimed league and EFL Cup victories on home turf this month.
West Brom have had a challenging start to life back in the Championship but are fancied to show their true worth at Norwich. Picking up just one point from their two opening games wasn’t in the script, but Albion remain among the favourites for a quick return to the Premier League.
Wigan returned to the Championship with an encouraging win over Sheffield Wednesday and can build on that by picking up a point at Aston Villa. The Latics were impressive League One champions last season and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, so this step back up in class should hold no fears.
Leeds and Stoke are two of the favourites to gain promotion to the Premier League this season and a tight tussle is expected in Sunday’s Championship clash. United have brought in high-profile manager Marcelo Bielsa to boost their hopes, while City are seeking to bounce straight back up to the top flight.
Aston Villa have been boosted by attracting new investors and can transfer that feelgood factor to the field of play when visiting Hull on Monday night. Steve Bruce steered the Midlands outfit to the Championship play-off final last term and has been given a vote of confidence to go one better this season.
Frank Lampard’s arrival has created a real buzz about Derby this summer and they can start the new Championship campaign with a win at Reading. The Rams will be looking to build on last season’s sixth-placed finish, whereas the ante-post odds suggest the Royals are facing another relegation battle.
We’ve picked out our Championship betting tips for next season, with Derby 5/1 to secure a Premier League return in Frank Lampard’s first season as a manager, while Rotherham are 11/10 favourites to drop into League One for the second time in three years.
With the World Cup over and attention snapping quickly back to the 2018/19 season, there’s an additional sense of urgency in the transfer market. We’ve cast our eye back to the deals done in the Premier League and EFL last summer, comparing what each signing achieved on the pitch with their total cost to the club – based on reported fees and wages – to see which players represented the best and worst value for money in a range of categories.