EFL 4/1 Acca – Gab Sutton

If the Championship season began after mid-November’s international weekend, Sheffield United would be top of the league with 22 points from 10 games, and Charlton would be second bottom, ahead only of Sheffield Wednesday, with six points from the same number played.

So, although the real standings put the Blades in lower midtable, with just three more points than their hosts, in terms of form, and where these teams are really at right now, the picture is very different.

Chris Wilder’s side have won seven of their last 10 games, scoring a whopping 25 goals in the process, while their hosts have lost seven of their last 10, finding the net just nine times.

The visitors are in-form, and playing well right now, and have a great chance of getting the result that could put them within six points of the Play-Off spots, depending on other results.

It’s been a streaky season so far for Rotherham: six defeats in nine to start the season, then nine unbeaten including a three-game winning run, with three consecutive draws to finish, and now six straight defeats.

In normal circumstances, the Millers might be just above the drop zone averaging one point per game, but with this year’s high points bar for survival, Matt Hamshaw’s side find themselves five points adrift of safety.

Hosts Stockport, meanwhile, moved themselves within six points of the automatic promotion spots thanks to Kyle Wootton’s dramatic, injury-time winner against Huddersfield, and now the task for Dave Challinor’s side is to find consistency.

They’re hoping the recall of flying wing-back Jid Okeke, after a promising half-season at Walsall, and the loan signing of forward Josh Stokes from Bristol City, can serve that ambition.

Barrow have been extremely reliant on goalkeeper Wyll Stanway this season, with the former Chester stopper having made the second-most saves per 90 this season, out of goalkeepers who have started 20+ games.

If the Bluebirds have lost half their games, averaging 1PPG, with Stanway being arguably the best ‘keeper in the league, one does wonder where they’d be if he was to go from being a 10/10 performer to an eight or nine.

Conversely, hosts Crewe are frustrated to have dropped silly points at home this season, with late equalizers from the bottom two, Newport and Harrogate at Gresty Road, denying Lee Bell’s side the extra four points that would put them in the top seven.

It shows how close they are, though, and in Mickey Demetriou, Max Sanders and Tommi O’Reilly, they have three of the best players in the league.