Surprise pacesetters & resurgent runs - five things to watch in the EFL
Surprise pacesetters & resurgent runs - five things to watch in the EFL
Ben Ashton - BBC Sport EnglandFri, September 4, 2026 at 1:07 PM UTC
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It felt like forever... but the transfer window has finally closed and we can fully focus on matters on the pitch.
Well, for another four months at least until the January window opens on New Year's Day.
There are already some fascinating stories unfolding across the English Football League (EFL), even at this early stage of the 2026-27 season.
We have picked out five things to look out for in this weekend's fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two.
The surprise pacesetters
Charlton were the last Championship team to lose their 100% winning start to the season
Be honest… who had Swansea, QPR and Charlton down to be unbeaten and the top three in the Championship table after four games?
The Addicks are enjoying their best start to a second-tier season for 34 years - and their best in any division since 2011-12 when they went on to win League One.
Nathan Jones' side's perfect opening was halted by a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion last time out and their next test is a trip to Stoke City, who picked up their first win in midweek.
Meanwhile, the Hoops have made their strongest start to a campaign since 2013-14 when they also had 10 points at this stage.
They won eight of their opening 10 games on that occasion and went on to finish fourth before going up via the play-offs - that was also the last time they won promotion to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough are the visitors to Loftus Road on Saturday in what, on paper, will be QPR's toughest game so far.
Whether Charlton and QPR can keep up their fine work remains to be seen.
It's also a huge weekend for Swansea...
Derby day weekend in the Championship
Swansea host Wrexham on Saturday (20:00 BST) and while it may not be a derby in the traditional sense, with more than 100 miles separating the two Welsh cities, there is a rivalry growing since the Red Dragons were promoted to the Championship in 2025.
Wrexham go into the game off the back of a 3-0 win at Millwall on Wednesday, while Swansea beat Watford, 24 hours earlier.
Elsewhere, we very much have two genuine local derbies to look forward to with Preston North End taking on Blackburn Rovers on Saturday lunchtime (12:30) before Birmingham City and Wolves round off the weekend in the West Midlands on Sunday (12:00).
Blackburn claimed the Lancashire bragging rights last season, winning both encounters, and are unbeaten in their past five games against the Lilywhites (W3 D2).
Paul Heckingbottom's side have endured a miserable start to the new campaign with four straight defeats and remain the only team yet to pick up a point, while Rovers have five points from four matches.
When Wolves travel to St Andrew's to face Birmingham, it will be the first meeting between the two sides for eight years.
Wolves did the double over Blues in 2017-18, winning the away fixture 1-0 and securing a 2-0 victory at Molineux on the way to promotion - something they will hope to repeat again this season.
Much has changed since then of course and Birmingham will hope to keep their unbeaten start, albeit with three draws, intact.
The distraction derby?
West Ham's win over Wolves on Tuesday was just their second in eight league games, spanning across the end of last season and start of the new campaign
West Ham United's return to the Championship for the first time in 14 years hasn't gone exactly to plan.
But the Hammers did pick up their first win of the league season on Tuesday - and against a potential promotion rival no less as they beat Wolves 4-2.
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Matters off the pitch have been bubbling under the surface at the London Stadium though.
On Thursday, Daniel Kretinsky increased his stake in the club to 46%, effectively freezing out former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley, who had hoped to invest in the club.
Derby County have had similar ownership issues to contend with in recent weeks with after Saudi Arabia government official Turki Alalshikh abandoned his proposed takeover.
And also similarly to the Irons, the Rams picked up their first win of the season in midweek, beating Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park.
Both teams will now hope to put off-field distractions to one side and focus on trying to string a run of good form together, starting on Saturday (15:00).
Owls and Posh meet for first time since that game
Only three players remain from Sheffield Wednesday's famous comeback win against Peterborough in 2023 - and they all play for the Owls
It is often dubbed as the greatest comeback in EFL history. It is a defeat Peterborough United fans do not want to remember. It is a victory Sheffield Wednesday fans will never forget.
We are of course talking about the Owls' famous recovery from 4-0 down in the League One play-off semi-final in May 2023 to claw their way back to 5-5 on aggregate in the second leg at Hillsborough before winning on penalties.
On Saturday at 12:30, the two clubs will meet for the first time since that remarkable night.
None of Peterborough's current crop of players featured in that match, so they do not bear the scars, even if the fans still do.
But three Sheffield Wednesday players who earned hero status that evening - Reece James, Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan - could be involved.
Wednesday have enjoyed a strong start to the season in the third tier to move up to second with three wins and a loss, while the Posh are 18th with just one victory so far (D1 L2).
Can resurgent Rovers keep their foot on the gas?
What a transformation Bristol Rovers have undergone since Steve Evans took over as manager in December 2025.
When the 63-year-old walked through the door at the Memorial Stadium nine months ago, the Gas were on a dismal run of 10 straight defeats and in the League Two relegation zone.
But Evans steered the club away from danger to comfortably avoid dropping out of the EFL and secured a 14th-place finish.
Rovers have won 14 of their past 18 league games under Evans, picking up more points (41) than any other side in the division in that time, and have lost just twice on that run.
One of those defeats came in a topsy-turvy season-opener at York City when they went down 3-2 but they have recovered with three straight victories to top the table early on, with promotion the ultimate aim.
"The position in the table doesn't really matter at this stage," Evans told BBC Radio Bristol.
"It's easily said when you're sitting up there, but the reality is you'd rather be first than anywhere else.
"And that's come off the back of three really good performances, improvements needed in a lot of areas, but over the piece, we're delighted with those three games."
This weekend, the Gas welcome Rotherham United - a club with which Evans enjoyed immense success by winning back-to-back promotions from League Two to the Championship between 2012 and 2014.
"I think the first years I had at Rotherham were really special," he added.
"I always will have a love for that football club inside me but that's where it stops. My job on Saturday is to try and beat them.
"My love in my life is Bristol Rovers and I'm endeared to this club and I've not won enough games to speak in the same terms of what I did at Rotherham but that's the objective."
Source: “AOL Sports”
