Key occasions
Just another reminder that Ben Fisher will probably be on-line quickly for a Q&A on all issues Soccer League. Ship him in your questions beneath the road or by way of the e-mail on the prime of the weblog.
Our 12.30pm kick-offs in League One are Peterborough v Luton and Studying v Huddersfield.
Peterborough United v Luton City
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Peterborough have gained simply one among their final 9 league video games in opposition to Luton (D4 L4), a 3-1 dwelling victory in August 2018.
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Peterborough have didn’t win any of their final eight league video games (D3 L5), dropping every of their final three in succession.
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Luton have gained three of their final 5 away league video games (D1 L1), as many as throughout their prior 39 matches on the street mixed (W3 D8 L28).
Studying v Huddersfield City
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Studying have gained every of their final two dwelling league video games in opposition to Huddersfield and will probably be seeking to declare victory in three in succession for the primary time since April 1989.
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Huddersfield have gained three of their final six league video games in opposition to Studying (D1 L2), though they had been winless in each video games final season (D1 L1).
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Huddersfield have misplaced every of their final six away league video games in a row, final dropping extra in succession between February and April 2019 (seven).
Simply over three hours to go till the 12.30pm kick-offs across the grounds. In League Two that’s Notts County v Salford Metropolis and Tranmere Rovers v Shrewsbury City. Let’s crunch some numbers with the assistance of Opta.
Notts County v Salford Metropolis
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Notts County have gained simply one among their final 15 Soccer League video games in opposition to sides from Higher Manchester (D5 L9), dropping their final 5 in succession.
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Salford Metropolis have gained every of their final three Soccer League video games in opposition to Notts County, scoring three objectives in each of their victories final time period.
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Notts County misplaced all of their closing three dwelling matches of the 2024-25 league season and will lose 4 on the bounce at dwelling for the primary time since March 2024 – a run of 5.
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Salford Metropolis are unbeaten when enjoying their first away match of a league season in every of their final three campaigns (W1 D2), all with out conceding a single objective
Tranmere Rovers v Shrewsbury City
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Tranmere have gained 4 of their final six league video games in opposition to Shrewsbury (L2), with every victory throughout that point coming by way of a one-goal margin.
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Shrewsbury have gained two of their final 4 away league video games in opposition to Tranmere (L1), as many victories as throughout their prior 15 visits to Prenton Park within the EFL beforehand mixed (D3 L10).
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Shrewsbury City gained their final league away match, a 2-1 win over Barnsley on MD45 final season, and will win back-to-back league matches on the street for the primary time since February 2023 – a run of three.
Man Metropolis’s Rodri might not be ‘actually match’ till mid-September
Manchester Metropolis’s Rodri, who missed most of final season after rupturing anterior cruciate ligament damage final September, is unlikely to be “actually match” till after this September’s worldwide break, says supervisor Pep Guardiola.
The midfielder’s fitful comeback was interrupted on the Membership World Cup in america when a substitute look on the last-16 stage in opposition to Al-Hilal was curtailed in further time by an unspecified damage. “Rodri is getting higher however he had a giant damage within the final sport in opposition to Al-Hilal,” mentioned Guardiola. “He has skilled higher in the previous few days. Hopefully after the worldwide break, he will probably be actually match.”
Metropolis journey to Wolves on 16 August after which face Tottenham and Brighton earlier than the September break. Guardiola added: “Hopefully in these video games, he can play some minutes, however what’s essential is that he doesn’t have ache as a result of we don’t need Rodri coming again injured. We’ll attempt desperately to keep away from that.” Guardian Sport
See that there’s a bit of debate beneath the road on my use of soccer being again within the preamble. That it by no means went away particularly with Euro 2025, that the league season began final weekend, and so on. All factors I agree with however the saying felt proper to make use of provided that that is our first matchday stay of the season, which I discussed within the first sentence in my preamble. “Soccer … you by no means left us” actually doesn’t have that very same je nais se quois. However I digress, for who am I to not take heed to the lots.
Q&A? Q&A! We have now spoiled you rotten with our very first matchday stay Q&A of the season, if I do say so myself. Our Midlands, south-west England and Wales soccer correspondent Ben Fisher will probably be round later at this time to reply a few of your Soccer League questions. Ship them in beneath the road or by way of e-mail which you could find on the prime of this weblog. Go, go, go!
And, in fact, the remainder of the EFL continues to storm on. It was a great begin for Luton in League One final weekend as Wimbledon’s Ryan Johnson turned one of many first victims of the personal objective this season.
Wimbledon will hope to bounce again in opposition to Lincoln at this time. Additionally in motion: Studying v Huddersfield, Leyton Orient v Wigan.
And in League Two it was a opener to neglect for Plymouth whereas Cardiff and Huddersfield made hay beneath new managers Brian Barry-Murphy and Lee Grant.
Away from the Championship, the second week of the Scottish Premiership makes means with Livingston v Falkirk, St Mirren v Motherwell and Rangers v Dundee. It’s, in fact, too early to name a title winner but when the opening weekend was something to go by …
Leicester – additionally relegated from the top-flight final season – face Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow. Dejphon Chansiri’s reign at Wednesday is going through a boiling level. Protests and a fly-over are deliberate and the chair of the supporters’ belief, Ian Bennett, says the sensation across the membership is ‘despair’. He speaks to Will Unwin and what may very well be a pivotal second for the 158-year-old membership.
So what are the large Championship matches to look out for at this time then? Southampton, who completed backside of final season’s Premier League by fairly are in motion at 12.30pm. They host Wrexham, a small Welsh membership turned the primary group in EFL historical past to be promoted in three straight seasons and have been on fairly a journey since their Hollywood house owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney got here in. Will they make an look tonight?
The 5.30pm kick-off sees Bristol Metropolis tackle Sheffield United. Two sides that made the playoffs final season however couldn’t fairly recover from the road. Which of the 2 will put apart their damage first tonight?
You may see all of at this time’s upcoming fixtures here and keep tuned right here as we deliver you group information and updates as they arrive.
At present 10 extra Championship matches kick-off. Anybody a shoo-in for promotion? Play-off contenders? Kids to look out for? Ben Fisher has you coated.
In final evening’s Championship opener Ipswich, relegated from the Premier League final season, left it late for a 1-1 draw at Birmingham. George Hirst’s 94th minute penalty did was the guests’ solely shot on the right track in a difficult evening for Kieran McKenna’s males. Learn Ben Bloom’s report from St Andrew’s.
Preamble
Good morning and welcome to our very first matchday stay of 2025-26! Right here you will get all the most recent information and updates from me and our correspondents as we countdown to the beginning of the Soccer League season.
We would like you to become involved too so get in contact both beneath the road or by way of e-mail and let me know what your soccer plans are for the day, your hopes and goals for the season (and the way practical they might or might not be) and any private pre-season rituals.
Soccer … we’re so again.
