36 games, 72 teams, 4 stats per game. Welcome to this weekend’s edition of Key EFL Stats where we go through four key statistics for each game being played in the Championship, League One and League Two. Join me as we dive into our games for this weekend.
EFL Championship –
EFL Stats: Coventry v Burnley –
· Burnley have the better of the head to head record with the Clarets claiming 4 wins from the two side’s fixtures whilst Coventry have only picked up 1 in their previous affairs.
· Burnley have 28 clean sheets this season – the most of any team in the Championship and 7 ahead of Leeds’s 21.
· Coventry will win 5 home games in a row for the first time this campaign with a win in this match.
· The Sky Blues have scored 1.4 goals per game this season – the fourth highest of any team across the division.
EFL Stats: Luton v Leeds –
· Luton are yet to pick up a win against Leeds in the 21st century with the away side picking up 3 wins whilst the two sides have shared the points on 1 occasion.
· United’s Joel Piroe has 15 goals whilst assisting on 6 occasions this season – the joint highest of any player in the 2nd tier.
· The division’s highest and lowest scorers meet in this fixture with Leeds’s 78 being the most whilst Luton’s 35 comes out as the worst.
· The Hatters’ home form is 17th best in the division with 27 points whilst the White’s away form ranks 3rd best with 32 points across the 19 games they have played.
EFL Stats: West Brom v Sunderland –
· The home side have gained 9 wins over their encounters with Sunderland since 2010 whilst the Black Cats have picked up 4 wins.
· West Brom are currently the lowest scorers in the top 8 with 48 goals scored whilst Sunderland has the best goal scoring record of the playoff teams with 56 goals.
· Albion have won 1 in their last 5 games whilst Sunderland have picked up 4 wins in 5 games – giving the Black Cats the advantage in form.
· Sunderland have conceded the joint most penalties in the division with 5 whilst West Brom have conceded 1 – the joint lowest in the Championship.
EFL Stats: Bristol City v Watford –
· Bristol City have the worst of the head to head record with Watford picking up 5 wins in comparison to the Robin’s 3.
· Anis Mehmeti has 13 goal contributions including 12 goals and will hope to add to this in the match.
· The home side are looking to go 6 games unbeaten at home for the 3rd time this season.
· The away side haven’t scored in their last two games and have scored 2 goals in their last 5 games.
EFL Stats: Millwall v Portsmouth –
· Millwall have an excellent head to head record winning 3 in the two sides’ 5 meetings in the Championship since 2010.
· Millwall’s current league position is their best on this date since 2 years ago on the 4th of April 2023.
· With a win this weekend, Portsmouth would have won 3 out of their last 5 – a run that has helped them move out of a relegation battle temporarily.
· The away side’s current position of 17th is just worse than the 16th they achieved in the 2010/11 season.
EFL Stats: Oxford United v Sheffield United –
· Oxford have yet to win against Sheffield United this season with United looking to complete a league double over the home side.
· The Blades’ away record is the best of the division – picking up 40 points on their travels over 19 games.
· Oxford’s home form (where they have picked up 32 of their 42 points) has been a large contributor in their fight for survival.
· The away side hold an impressive defensive record – conceding just 0.7 goals per game.
EFL Stats: Plymouth Argyle v Norwich City –
· Norwich holds the advantage in head to head record holding 2 wins whilst Plymouth holds 1.
· This fixture has averaged 6 goals per game in the last two seasons with Norwich’s biggest win of the season coming in the return fixture.
· The home side’s record of 5 red cards is the 3rd worst in the division.
· The Canaries hold 2 of the 3 top goals scorers in the division with Sainz and Sargent who have scored 17 and 13 respectively.
EFL Stats: Preston North End v Stoke City –
· With 6 wins, North End dominate the head to head record whilst Stoke have won on 3 occasions.
· Both teams are low scorers carrying the 21st and 17th most goals scored respectively.
· Preston are looking to bounce back following two straight losses whilst Stoke are looking to build on their 3-1 win over Queens Park Rangers.
· Preston haven’t scored in their last two affairs whilst Stoke have scored 6 times in 5 matches.
EFL Stats: Queens Park Rangers v Cardiff City –
· QPR have the better head to head record winning 11 of 19 affairs with Cardiff winning just 4 out of these 19.
· Cardiff could go three unbeaten if they avoid defeat whilst QPR look to bounce back following their 3-1 loss at Stoke City.
· Cardiff have conceded 63 goals this season – the 2nd worst in the division – whilst QPR have scored 45 – the 12th best in the league.
· Jimmy Dunne and Perry Ng could both pick up 2 game suspensions if they see yellow in the game with both players on 9 yellow cards going into the affair.
EFL Stats: Sheffield Wednesday v Hull City –
· The head to head record between the two is quite even with Hull picking up 6 wins compared to Wednesday’s 5 in the 16 times they have met.
· Wednesday look to win for the first time in 3 whilst Hull also look to do the same.
· With 2 red cards each during the season, they rank 12th and 14th respectively.
· Hull – on 41 points – could be in trouble of relegation if they lose this whilst the Owls need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
EFL Stats: Swansea City v Derby County –
· Swansea have picked up 3 wins in the 11 affairs between the two sides whilst Derby have picked up 4.
· Both sides have conceded less than others around them with the two sides conceding 51 goals each. This makes them the joint 3rd best defence in the bottom 10.
· County are looking to win 4 in a row for the first time this season whilst the Swans are looking to win for the first time in 4.
· With Ebou Adams and Marcus Harness on 9 yellow cards each, these two players are at risk of a two game suspension should they pick up another yellow during the encounter.
League One –
EFL Stats: Reading v Wycombe Wanderers –
· In the league, the two sides are even both winning once whilst sharing the points on one occasion.
· Wycombe’s 65 goals compared to Reading’s 55 leaves Wycombe on both a high goal scored total and a higher goal difference.
· Richard Kone has picked up 18 goals this season – the most of any in the division.
· Reading will look to get back to winning ways after a 3-0 loss at Blackpool on Tuesday night whilst Wycombe will look to make it 4 unbeaten in the league.
EFL Stats: Wrexham v Burton Albion –
· In their head to head encounters, both sides have picked up 1 win apiece.
· The home side will make it 5 unbeaten if they avoid defeat whilst the away side are looking to win consecutive games.
· Wrexham’s total of 56 goals scored is the 2nd lowest in the top 6 whilst Burton’s total of 41 goals scored is 2nd highest in the bottom 4.
· George Dobson could face a 2 match suspension should he pick up another yellow card in the match.
EFL Stats: Birmingham City v Barnsley –
· The home side have picked up 7 wins in the 17 encounters between the two sides whilst Barnsley have picked up 6.
· The Blues will remain undefeated for 21 games if they avoid defeat against the away side.
· Barnsley haven’t won in 6 and have scored just 4 during this timeframe whilst Birmingham have won 4 out of 5 with 10 goals coming in this timeframe.
· Jay Stansfield has picked up 17 goals this season – the 2nd highest of anyone in the third tier whilst Davis Keillor Dunn has picked up 14 respectively.
EFL Stats: Bolton Wanderers v Bristol Rovers –
· Bolton have the better head to head record with 4 wins compared to Bristol Rovers’ 2.
· The Gas could complete a league double over the Wanderers if they were to win having won 3-2 in the reverse fixture.
· The home side are looking to win consecutive games whilst the away side are looking to win their first in 5 – the last of which came against their opponents for this encounter.
· Bolton’s total of 4.3 shots on target per match puts them 10th best whilst Rovers’ total of 3.1 puts them 21st best.
EFL Stats: Charlton Athletic v Lincoln City –
· The away side have picked up 4 wins in their encounters with Charlton whilst the home side have picked up 2 wins in their encounters.
· Charlton’s total of 55 goals is the lowest of the top 6 whilst Lincoln’s total of 54 goals is the 2nd best of the bottom 13.
· The Imps have picked up 21 points on their travels whilst the Addicks are ranked 3rd best on home form having picked up 44 points at the Valley.
· Conor Coventry and Ben House could face suspensions if they pick up yellows in this encounter with the two players having 9 yellow cards apiece.
EFL Stats: Exeter City v Stockport County –
· The two sides have only met once with the away side winning 2-0 in the reserve fixture in December.
· With 14 clean sheets, the Grecians rank 8th best whilst the away side have picked up 16 clean sheets placing them at 6th best.
· With 8 goals apiece, Issac Olaofe and Kyle Wootton rank 2nd best for Stockport taking over from Louie Barry – who was recalled in January.
· Stockport will have won 3 in a row if they are successful this weekend whilst Exeter would have won consecutive games should they be successful.
EFL Stats: Huddersfield Town v Mansfield Town –
· Having only met once, Huddersfield holds the advantage in head to head record with the Terriers winning the reverse fixture 2-1.
· The home side are looking to improve their form – which has seen them win just 1 in 5. In contrast, the away side are looking to make it 3 wins in 5.
· With 52 goals, Huddersfield hold the worst goal scoring rate of the top 12.
· Will Evans and Lee Gregory have been large contributors for Mansfield having contributed 12 and 10 goals respectively.
EFL Stats: Leyton Orient v Wigan Athletic –
· The two sides share an even head to head record having both won once and drawn once between them in their 3 encounters.
· Both sides are looking to bounce back following defeats to Burton and Bolton respectively in their Tuesday night fixtures.
· With 16 clean sheets, Orient rank 4th best. In comparison, Wigan rank 7th best with 14.
· Oliver Norburn could see suspension should he pick up yellow in the fixture with the midfielder picking up 9 yellow cards in his 22 games so far this season.
EFL Stats: Peterborough United v Northampton Town –
· The home side have won 10 of the 13 encounters held by the two sides with the away side winning just 2 of these.
· Peterborough are looking to build on their 4-3 win against Crawley on Tuesday whilst Northampton look to improve from their 2-0 loss to Rotherham on the same night.
· Peterborough’s record of 61 goals scored is the best in the bottom 14.
· With 11 goals each, Malik Morthersille and Kwame Poku are Posh’s top scorers whilst Cameron McGeehan comes out on top for the Shoe Army with 9 scored.
EFL Stats: Rotherham United v Blackpool –
· Blackpool haven’t won against Rotherham with 5 wins for Rotherham and 4 draws being the result of their 9 encounters.
· With 4.7 shots on target, the away side rank 3rd best in the third tier whilst the home side rank 9th best with 4.4.
· Blackpool will win 4 in a row if successful in the match whilst Rotherham will have won 2 in a row should they be successful.
· With 11 and 10, Ashley Fletcher and Sam Nombe are the top scorers for the two sides.
EFL Stats: Shrewsbury Town v Cambridge United –
· With a quite equal head to head record, Shrewsbury have won 3 of the 11 times they have met whilst Cambridge have won 4 times.
· With this encounter being between 24th and 23rd, a win for either side is needed if either of the two are going to fight for survival.
· The away side’s goal difference of -26 ranks 3rd worst whilst the home side’s goal difference of -31 stands as the worst in the division.
· With 9 yellow cards, Malvind Benning could pick up suspension should he gain another card.
EFL Stats: Stevenage v Crawley Town –
· In the 21 times the two sides have met, Stevenage have come out on top 9 times with Crawley being successful on 6 occasions.
· With 16 clean sheets, the home side ranks 4th for clean sheets in the division. In contrast, Town are ranked 19th with 8 clean sheets.
· Stevenage are looking to win their first in 6 whilst Crawley are looking to win for the 3rd time in 5 matches.
· With 7, Kamari Doyle has created the most big chances for the away side.
League Two –
EFL Stats: Cheltenham Town v Doncaster Rovers –
· Doncaster have the better of the head to head record winning on 3 occasions during the 5 times that the sides have met whilst Cheltenham have won once.
· The home side look to win for the first time in 5 whilst the away side look to build on a 2-2 draw against Walsall on Tuesday night.
· With 1.5 and 1.2 goals conceded respectively per match, the two sides rank 20th and 10th in the goal conceded per match table.
· With 89 big chances, Rovers are ranked 3rd best whilst Cheltenham’s 58 puts them at 21st best.
EFL Stats: Walsall v Port Vale –
· Walsall have the majority of wins in the head to head record picking up 10 wins in contrast to Vale’s 5.
· The Saddlers could complete a league double over the Valiants should they win with a 1-0 win for Sadler’s side in December in the reverse fixture.
· The home side are the highest scorers in the division with 70 goals scored whilst the away side’s 51 goals scored is the worst in the top 7.
· Jayden Stockley and Jamille Matt have picked up 9 and 12 goals respectively establishing them as the leading goal scorers in their teams – alongside Tolaj for Vale.
EFL Stats: Tranmere Rovers v Chesterfield –
· Having met on 6 previous occasions, the two sides have both won on 3 occasions.
· Tranmere look to bounce back from a defeat to Harrogate on Tuesday whilst Chesterfield look to make it three wins in a row after wins against Carlisle and Barrow.
· Armando Dobra and Omari Patrick lead the way for top goal scorers in their respective teams having scored 9 and 8 times.
· Tranmere’s total of 32 goals scored is the second lowest in the division whilst Chesterfield’s total of 61 goals scored is joint second highest in the division.
EFL Stats: AFC Wimbledon v Harrogate Town –
· Harrogate are yet to win against the home side with the Dons picking up 3 wins in the 5 occasions they have faced off.
· The home side look to win their first in 4 whilst the away side look to make it consecutive wins following their victory over Tranmere Rovers.
· With 86 yellow cards, the Dons rank at 8th worse whilst Harrogate’s 67 put them at 22nd worse.
· Having kept 18 clean sheets, the home side are ranked at number 1 for clean sheets with the away side ranked in 14th with 11 clean sheets.
EFL Stats: Bradford City v Crewe Alexandra –
· Crewe have the better of the head to head record having won 7 times in the 17 meetings between the sides. In contrast, Bradford have won on 6 of these occasions.
· Crewe’s total of 47 goals scored is the worst inside the top 12.
· Bradford’s home form has seen them pick up 48 points including 15 wins whilst Crewe’s away form has seen them pick up 28 points including 6 wins and 10 draws.
· Each team has scored 4 goals in their last 5 affairs.
EFL Stats: Bromley v Accrington Stanley –
· Having only met once, Bromley lead the way in terms of head to head record with a 2-1 win over the Stanley in the reverse fixture.
· The home side look to win their first in 6 whilst the away side look to win their first in 5.
· Stanley ranks 1st for yellow cards in the division with 118. Alongside this, Liam Coyle will face suspension if he picks up a yellow card in the affair as the midfielder has already picked up 9 yellow cards.
· Michael Cheek has scored 19 goals this season – the most of any player in the fourth tier. He has also assisted on 7 occasions.
EFL Stats: Carlisle United v Newport County –
· Newport has the better head to head record having won 9 of the 19 fixtures between the two sides including the reverse win which was a 1-0 win for the Exiles. In contrast, Carlisle have won 5 of these 19 fixtures.
· The Cumbrians look to pick up a first win in four games whilst the Wales based side look to build on a 1-1 draw with Bromley in midweek.
· Having scored on 31 occasions, the home side are ranked at the bottom of the table for goals scored averaging just 0.8 per game. In contrast, with the away side netting on 49 occasions, the Exiles rank 14 on the goals scored table averaging 1.2 goals per game.
· Sam Levelle ranks highest for goals for Carlisle with 4 whilst Bobby Kamwa ranks highest for Newport with 8 goals scored.
EFL Stats: Colchester United v Notts County –
· County has the much better head to head record picking up 12 wins in the 19 times the teams have met. In contrast, Colchester have picked up just 4 wins in that 19 game timespan.
· Both sides are defensively solid with the home side ranking sixth on the goals conceded table with 40 whilst the away side rank joint fourth with 39 conceded.
· Danny Cowley’s side have scored 48 times during the season ranking them at 15th best with an average of 1.2 goals per game whilst Stuart Maynard’s side have scored 61 goals during their season so far equating to an average of 1.5 goals per game.
· Lyle Taylor and Alassana Jatta rank top of their team’s scoring charts with 10 and 17 respectively.
EFL Stats: Fleetwood Town v Swindon Town –
· The away side have a slightly better head to head record with 4 wins over the home side compared to the 2 that the Cods have picked up over the Robins.
· Swindon could complete a league double over the home side with a win having won the reverse fixture in December 3-1.
· Fleetwood are looking to win 3 in a row for the first time this season whilst Swindon are looking for consecutive wins following their dramatic win over Wimbledon in midweek.
· With 57 goals scored each, the two sides rank joint 5th for goals scored during the season with an average of 1.4 goals per game.
EFL Stats: Grimsby Town v Morecambe –
· The two sides share an even record against each other both picking up 5 wins whilst drawing on 4 occasions.
· Danny Rose has scored 12 goals during this season – the most of any Grimsby player. Similarly, Lee Angol leads the way for the Shrimps having picked up 7 goals during the campaign.
· Having picked up 3 and 5 red cards during the season, the home and away side rank 11th and 6th respectively for red cards given.
· Morecambe are looking to win 3 in a row with this encounter whilst Grimsby are looking to avoid 3 defeats in a row.
EFL Stats: MK Dons v Barrow –
· MK Dons have never won against Barrow with the Bluebirds picking up 2 wins whilst the two sides have drawn on 1 occasion.
· MK Dons’ 51 goals are the most of the bottom six whilst Barrow’s 44 goals is the 5th worst of the bottom 12.
· With 11 goals, Alex Gilbey ranks as the top goal scorer for MK Dons whilst Emile Acquah ranks top for Barrow with 5.
· The home side are looking to rebuild coming off the back of a 3-0 defeat away at Notts County whilst Barrow are looking to build on a 1-1 picked up at home to Salford.
EFL Stats: Salford City v Gillingham –
· Salford have only ever won once against Gillingham with the away side picking up 4 wins whilst the two sides have never drawn.
· Salford have picked up 30 points at home including 9 wins which has put them as 14th best at home whilst Gillingham have picked up 17 points on their travels including 3 wins which places them in 18th place for away form.
· Kelly N’Mai could pick up suspension with a yellow card with the left wing back picking up 9 yellow cards during the season so far.
· The Gills have kept 14 clean sheets this season ranking them at 6th best whilst Salford have picked up 13 clean sheets ranking them at 9th best.
Conclusion –
An exciting game week awaits us in the EFL with promotion contenders and relegation battlers locking horns in the all-important run-in. One thing that is for sure is that there will be plenty of twists and turns to come in all 36 matches across the weekend. Do you have a score prediction or a view on my article? Comment below – I love hearing your view!
