We're not even a third of the way through the 2026/27 League One season and yet there's been plenty of compelling action in the third tier.
Huddersfield Town lead the way in League One on 29 points, three clear of Stockport County and Oxford United, who have flourished under the tutelage of rookie boss Aaron Ramsey.
Hot on their tails is a resurgent Luton Town, who have won four of their last five to climb into the play-off places following a difficult start to the campaign.
At the bottom end of the table, Bromley prop up the standings and find themselves in the bottom four alongside Barnsley, Peterborough United and Wigan Athletic, but there are several teams loitering precariously above the relegation zone.
Keeping a watchful eye on all of the drama in League One is EFL expert Gab Sutton, who has constructed his Team of the Season from the opening three months of the season.
GK: Jon McCracken (Bradford City)
There’s other goalkeepers in League One who have made more saves this season than Jon McCracken, but the Scot has made some big contributions at crucial moments, and nine clean sheets in 12 games is absolutely off the scale.
RB: Udoka Godwin-Malife (Reading)
I’ve always been a big admirer of Godwin-Malife, going back to his time at Forest Green, because he’s such a strong athlete, and a top one-v-one defender, so that shot at a good League One team is richly deserved. Has struck up a fantastic relationship with Kyreece Lisbie.
CB: Aden Baldwin (Bradford City)
Baldwin takes just as much credit for Bradford’s extraordinary defensive record as McCracken, in how the defence works to limit chances and shooting opportunities for the opposition. The former Notts County man is a really intelligent defender, he’s great in recovery, and he can spot trouble a mile off.
CB: Carl Piergianni (Stevenage)
I think Stevenage’s new contract for Carl Piergianni is fantastic news.
He might fly under the radar in recruitment documents elsewhere due to age, but I actually think he can continue to thrive at this level until he’s 40 because he looks after himself so well, he’s an incredible professional, and almost like a manager on the pitch with the way he leads. A true cultural architect.
LB: Arley Kay (Barnsley)
One of the positive things about Daniel Stendel coming in as head coach this summer, combined with a slow summer of recruitment, is that youth get a chance.
Arley Kay hadn’t kicked a senior ball for Barnsley previously, but the Academy Player of the Year has immediately made himself one of the first names on the teamsheet – a bright, young defender.
CM: Oliver Norwood (Stockport County)
I always felt Oli Norwood would be one to benefit from the change in style under Jimmy McNulty at Stockport this season, because more touches of the ball for the veteran in midfield could only be a good thing.
His physical attributes have dipped slightly, so he’s often dropped a bit deeper to ensure time on the ball, but the way he orchestrates play remains miles above this level.
CM: Louis Page (Leicester City)
There’s a reason why great Premier League clubs, plus Manchester United, have been sniffing around Louis Page, and it’s because he’s a prodigious talent.
Russell Martin has sometimes used him as a #6, to accommodate other forward-thinking midfielders, but I much prefer him as an #8: either way, he’s been Leicester’s best player this season and has stood out significantly even when it hasn’t gone well for the team.
RW: Ben Knight (Cambridge United)
I love how Ben Knight glides in from the right hand side to create, around the edge of the box, or curl shots with that left peg.
The 24-year-old was on the books at Manchester City as a youngster but, after an injury-hit start to his senior career, couldn’t quite kick on from that initially: he seems to be making up for lost time at the Abbey, after starring in their promotion-winning season, and could be on his way to the Championship one way or another.
AM: Derensili Sanches Fernandes (Huddersfield Town)
Sanches Fernandes has been arguably the best player in League One this season, notching seven goals and six assists: nobody in the division has got close to those numbers in combined columns.
The Dutchman has picked up straight away, his relationship with right-back Ilias Bronkhorst from Excelsior, and has brought so much flair and quality to the flank.
LW: Kasey Palmer (Luton Town)
The signing of Jamie Donley has seen Kasey Palmer shift to a wider role this season, having been part of the midfield trio with Walsh and Clark at the back end of last season.
The dynamics have been slightly different, and his passing has had to be a bit quicker in a team less built around him, but he’s adapted superbly to his credit and produced some fantastic deliveries.
ST: Aaron Collins (MK Dons)
The Welshman has significantly outperformed his xG of 8.32 by scoring 13 goals for MK Dons this season, and contributing to their late autumn turnaround in form.
Collins spent significant portions of the promotion season on the sidelines, but this year he’s helped them stabilize after a tough start and been worth his weight in gold. Pick me, Craig!
Manager: Aaron Ramsey (Oxford United)
Sticking with the theme of Welshmen excelling, Aaron Ramsey is doing a tremendous job at Oxford.
I wasn’t sure at the time of appointment whether he’d gained enough coaching experience for the job, and whether the off-field uncertainty at the Kassam Stadium would make it a difficult environment for a rookie.
But Ramsey has proven me wrong, and has the Yellows flying high in third, level with the automatic spots with a game in hand. My only worry for Oxford now, in this regard, would be if Brian Barry-Murphy gets poached from Cardiff, because I think they’d then come knocking…
