EFL expert Gab Sutton has assessed this weekend's action across the Championship, League One and League Two to assemble an 11/1 five-fold.
Gab Sutton's EFL Weekend Accumulator
- Southampton to beat Bristol City @ 4/6
- Blackpool to beat Bromley @ 8/11
- Sheffield Wednesday to beat Wigan @ 3/5
- Barnet to beat Accrington Stanley @3/5
- Walsall to beat Rochdale @ 7/10
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Southampton to beat Bristol City @ 4/6
Southampton have been impeccable at home so far this season, beating Stoke, Millwall and Swansea at St Mary’s with 11 goals scored and two of those games coming up against the divisional leaders.
When it comes to the Saints, it’s hard to get away from the importance of retaining key loanees Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin at either end of the field on a permanent basis, and retaining the core of a squad that only lost one game, an FA Cup semi-final to Manchester City, from January onwards last season.
If this were played at Ashton Gate, I might give Michael Skubala more of a chance of doing a job on Southampton, as an excellent pressing coach with some really good out-of-possession ideas.
It’s played on the south coast, though, and I think Tonda Eckert’s side will be a lot stronger than the Burnley side City did a job on at Turf Moor last weekend.
Blackpool to beat Bromley @ 8/11
Monday’s hosting of Wimbledon felt like the window for Bromley to bounce back from their 7-2 drubbing at Sheffield Wednesday, and 5-0 mauling at the hands of Leyton Orient, but Andy Woodman’s side were unable to do that in a 2-0 defeat.
As such, it’s difficult to see quite where the Ravens go from here, as they look to integrate some 16 new players in an attempt to elevate the standard of the squad to League One, perhaps in doing so compromising some of the synergy of the group.
Blackpool look well-placed to take advantage of those challenges, with Ian Evatt’s side having found the net in each of their competitive games this season, including a 4-0 thumping of Peterborough in their last home game.
Retaining Karoy Anderson on a permanent basis was a must for the Seasiders, and left-back Finley Munroe could prove a quality addition on loan, after his stellar stint at Swindon in the first half of last season.
Sheffield Wednesday to beat Wigan @ 3/5
For a club in total rebuild, from top to bottom, Sheffield Wednesday have hit the ground running surprisingly quickly in League One, and Henrik Pedersen has been rewarded for that, and arguably his loyalty during more arduous times, with a new contract.
The Owls have a really strong midfield. When you think that they’ve got star loanees Jaden Heskey and Kieran Morrison from Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, stalwart Barry Bannan, the creative Callum Slattery and the tenacious Billy Mitchell – naturally, some good players will be left out so they have the means to change games that aren’t going their way.
I think that depth could prove key against Wigan, who got their first win of the season last midweek, beating MK Dons 3-1, but then lost 4-0 to Stockport the following Saturday – it’s one step forward, two steps back for Gary Caldwell’s side.
I do think there’s tweaks Caldwell can make, and he has the likes of Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen and Fraser Murray to bring in, but when you’re bottom of the table in League One, Hillsborough’s probably not your preferred destination.
Barnet to beat Accrington Stanley @ 3/5
It was relief for Accrington Stanley last weekend, when a second brace of the season from Charlie Caton helped them to their first win of the campaign, a 3-2 home victory over Crawley.
John Doolan needs Caton’s early-season form to be more than a flash in the pan, and he needs late loan moves for Aidan Borland and Charlie Warren to come off.
I don’t quite see enough just yet to suggest the Reds can compete with the best teams in the league, certainly not at 11v11, and I think they’ll have a tough time at The Hive.
Since winning their first two league games 3-1, the Bees have drawn three in succession, having led in each of them: they’re a highly creative team, with threats from across the park, and I think the visitors will find it hard to keep them at bay.
Walsall to beat Rochdale @ 7/10
Walsall continued their unbeaten start to the season with a goalless draw at Exeter last Saturday, meaning Lee Grant’s side have kept three clean sheets in their first five league games.
They’ve shown they can do it without anchor man Sven Sprangler starting, which is an encouraging sign given how important the former Newport man had shaped up to be in the early games, in his partnership with box-to-box midfielder Isaac Moore.
I like that the Saddlers have recruited exciting, up-and-coming players but, crucially, they were able to get recruitment wheels rolling nice and early this summer, which has helped with preparation, whereas Rochdale have been hamstrung by delays caused by multiple people leaving for Stockport, with boss Jim McNulty.
Replacement Ian Watson has had a tough time of things so far, and I can’t see Dale’s fortunes changing in the Black Country.
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