We’ve studied the different game states by adding up how much time each club has spent winning, drawing and losing in league matches this season. We’ve also identified which player is their club’s lucky charm and looked at how much goals scored in the last minute of each match affect the final outcome.
Aston Villa remain something of an enigma but are still rated a value bet to beat Birmingham in Sunday’s big Midlands derby. Dean Smith’s side were outstanding when thrashing Derby 4-0 in the Championship last weekend and will take some stopping if in the same mood at St Andrew’s.
The last two Steel City derbies have ended in stalemate and we’re going for another draw when Sheffield Wednesday host Sheffield United. Both sides have been in fine form of late, with the Owls unbeaten in seven Championship matches and the Blades going six games without defeat.
Middlesbrough could do with a win at Blackburn to boost their Championship promotion prospects and may be meeting Rovers at just the right time. The Lancashire outfit have done well since returning to this level but a sequence of three straight defeats suggests they are starting to run out of steam.
Norwich and Ipswich are at opposite ends of the Championship table this season but the formbook can often be thrown out of the window for local derbies. Four of the last five games between these East Anglia rivals have ended in stalemate and this clash could be closer than many expect.
Preston do not have a good record against Derby but look well placed to buck that trend after a couple of cracking Championship victories. The Rams prevailed 2-0 at Pride Park back in August and have won at Deepdale for the past three seasons, but will face a red-hot North End outfit this Friday.
West Brom are going through a little rocky patch but the Trueform rating they received for a 4-0 win at Rotherham shows they have the scope to outclass Bolton. Wanderers have lost 12 of their last 17 Championship matches and are odds-on to be relegated, so the Baggies can get back on track.
Norwich need a win to get their automatic promotion bid back on track and are tipped to shade a tight tussle with Birmingham in the Championship. The Canaries have slipped out of the top two on goal difference after four league games without a victory, but haven’t been playing badly.
Millwall should be full of confidence following a run of four straight victories and can continue their resurgence by seeing off Blackburn. The Lions are looking to pull further clear of the Championship relegation zone and face a Rovers team which has been struggling on the road recently.
With the turn of the year coinciding almost perfectly with the halfway point of the domestic season, we wanted to hand out some half term awards to the clubs and players who have put in the most encouraging performances so far. We’ve crunched the numbers across the Premier League and EFL – up to 31st December 2018 – to reward those who have caught our eye.
As the Golden Boot race is starting to take shape, we take a look back at the last 10 seasons to see what the key ingredients are for picking up this prize. Previous winners Mo Salah, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero are all prominent again in the Premier League, but will a new hero emerge this term?
Brentford took a while to get over the departure of Dean Smith but now entertain Middlesbrough after showing much more promise of late. The Bees beat Millwall in their last Championship home game and have also impressed in defeat a couple of times on the road recently.
West Brom emerged from a mini slump in emphatic fashion when beating Leeds 4-1 and are fancied to follow up with another victory at Ipswich. The Tractor Boys have shown some encouraging signs since the arrival of Paul Lambert but this is a tough test for the Championship basement dwellers.
Black Friday has quickly become a landmark on the consumer calendar and it would be fascinating to see it introduced for football transfers. We’ve taken a look at the best value signings made by football clubs in the last five seasons, to see who has been getting the top deals.