We run down our top 10 best performing teams from England's top four tiers. Number of games played are taken into consideration, as are domestic cups, with European cups and the EFL Trophy excluded as not all teams participate in either. Point percentage is used to compare teams' season long performances, mitigating different leagues and number of games played.
 

10th, Peterborough («9)

Last 5: LWWWW Point Percentage: 55% League Cup: First Round FA Cup: Third Round

First last week, tenth this, as Peterborough’s six game winning run comes to an end against Fleetwood. Still well on course to end up in at least the play-offs, it’s the kind of slip-up that in the past has started a trend. Like Sunderland and Portsmouth below in the League One table, if Posh can show the defeat is just a one-off then they’ll convince us it’s not the start of another poor run, and the promotion push can continue.

🌹 Playmaker doffs its caps to the players who have had League One fans swooning this season.

⚽️ Goals: Ivan Toney
🅰️ Assists: Liam Feeney
🧤 Clean Sheets: Christy Pym
✅ Wins: Daniel Iversen
⏱ Minutes Played: Neal Eardley
🔄 Goals as a Sub: Offrande Zanzala pic.twitter.com/Klc7zhgDUg

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) February 14, 2020

9th, Portsmouth («7)

Last 5: WLWWW Point Percentage: 58% League Cup: Third Round FA Cup: IN

©Getty / Charlie Crowhurst

Portsmouth’s nine game winning run may have come to an end on Tuesday against Coventry, but they balance out their week with a 2-0 home win over Shrewsbury to keep their play-off push intact. 

The goal conceded in the 1-0 defeat to Coventry is the only effort Pompey have let in during their past five as they continue to look play-off ready with the duo of Ronan Curtis and John Marquis blasting them there, the latter scoring in Saturday’s victory.

8th, Coventry (Re-Entry)

Last 5: WWWDW Point Percentage: 63% League Cup: Second Round FA Cup: Fourth Round

Back to the summit of the league, joint on points with Rotherham despite playing a game less, Coventry’s climb to second has been steadily impressive, capped off with a simple 2-0 away at Southend at the weekend making it two wins in a week after halting Portsmouth’s nine game winning run. 

With just one defeat in 18, Coventry could well finish in a league top two for the first time since 1967.

📈 Unbeaten in the league in 2020 (top four tiers):

PL: Arsenal, Liverpool*
Ch: -
L1: Coventry, Gillingham
L2: -

* unbeaten in 2019/20.#AFC #LFC #PUSB #Gills pic.twitter.com/FEIqinnWW3

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) February 12, 2020

7th, Port Vale (Re-Entry)

Last 5: WWWDW Point Percentage: 52% League Cup: First Round FA Cup: Third Round

©Getty / MI News

Port Vale’s League Two play-off push hit a huge stumbling block to start 2020 with four losses in seven games, but things have taken a swift turn with some of the best form in England capped off by a massively impressive 3-0 win over promotion rivals Colchester thanks to a Mark Cullen double. 

Two wins this week move Port Vale up to sixth, and even though the quintet above really don’t look like budging, their rivals to round out the top seven continue to falter, meaning the Valiants are looking like a decent bet to enter the play-offs.

6th, Tottenham (»2)

Last 5: WWWDW Point Percentage: 51% League Cup: Second Round FA Cup: IN

©Getty / Martin Rickett - EMPICS

With two late winners in their last two, there’s plenty of adjectives to describe José Mourinho’s Premier League return, but boring isn’t one of them.

Aston Villa were left heartbroken by Son Heung-min’s 94th minute winner for a 3-2 victory yesterday, but it once again showed Daniel Levy’s high risk Mourinho strategy is going to be far from boring as we enter the business end of the season. 

Chelsea are up next in the league as Spurs close in on the top four, but Wednesday’s tie with Leipzig is where the true intrigue lies, as Mourinho faces the new big thing in coaching, Julien Naglesmann. The outcome of this tie could well show Mourinho up as out of date, or declare that his faltering management career is far from over.

5th, Birmingham (New Entry)

Last 5: DWWDW Point Percentage: 44% League Cup: First Round FA Cup: IN

The expectation was that Birmingham’s 10 game unbeaten run would more than likely come to an end against Brentford at the weekend, but a 1-1 draw at home to that standard of competition shows this run from the Blues is far from a fluke. 

Still short of the top half, sitting 14th, 13 points clear of the relegation zone, the signs are good in the Championship, on top of qualifying for the fifth round in the FA Cup.

Luke Jutkiewicz’s early equaliser at the weekend continues his fine run, aided by the arrival of Scott Hogan who has three four while 16-year-old Jude Bellingham is attracting scouts from all over, it’s fair to say the signs are showing that Birmingham could end the season very strongly indeed.

🍼Most goal contributions for teenagers (top 4 tiers, league; 2019/20):

9⭐️: J. Aitchison (5G, 4A)
6⭐️: J. Bellingham (4G, 2A)
5⭐️: A. Morley (3G, 2A)
5⭐️: K. Poku (3G, 2A)
5⭐️: J. Bogle (1G, 4A)
5⭐️: C. Hudson-Odoi (1G, 4A)#BCFC@BCFC #WeAreFGR pic.twitter.com/evMGw3JEhB

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) February 13, 2020

4th, Liverpool («1)

Last 5: WWWWD Point Percentage: 97% League Cup: Quarter Finals FA Cup: IN

It’s now an astonishing 103 points from a possible 105 for Liverpool in the Premier League, who now only need a maximum of five wins from 18 games for Premier League glory. A 1-0 win over bottom placed Norwich is hardly headline making, but some have posed the question what happens when Liverpool do eventually falter? Most likely in the Champions League, will they be unprepared?

The weekend’s win once again showed the level of control Jurgen Klopp’s side have discovered, and when an extra gear is needed, it’s quickly found. Norwich may have just been a training game for an out of sorts Atlético Madrid this week, and although Diego Simeone’s defensive outfit are the type Liverpool traditionally struggle with, it’s hard to imagine this side not finding even more ways to close out controlled victories as they continue to rack up wins and trophies.

❤ Jurgen Klopp won't be short of admirers this Valentine's Day after working wonders at Liverpool - where he seems set to end 30 years of league heartbreak.#LFC's Premier League finishes under Klopp:

2015/16: 8⃣TH
2016/17: 4⃣TH
2017/18: 4⃣TH
2018/19: 2⃣ND
2019/20: ...#YNWA pic.twitter.com/i77vm8y0QL

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) February 14, 2020

3rd, Fleetwood (Re-Entry)

Last 5: WWWWD Point Percentage: 56% League Cup: First Round FA Cup: Third Round

©Getty / Kevin Barnes - CameraSport

Fleetwood extend their winning run to four games in incredibly powerful fashion with a 2-1 victory over a Peterborough side who had scored 20 and conceded just two in their previous six.
The Cod Army had just one win in 10 before this streak, but back-to-back victories over Wycombe and Posh show this is far from a flash in the pan from Joey Barton’s side who now sit just two points shy of the play-offs in League One.
 

2nd, Sunderland (Re-Entry)

Last 5: WWWLW Point Percentage: 58% League Cup: Last 16 FA Cup: First Round

Sunderland’s defeat to Portsmouth at the start of the month could have been a back-breaker in a fixture that had some intense focus around it as a promotion six pointer. Instead, the Black Cats make it three wins on the bounce with an impressive 1-0 away win against Oxford to follow up a 3-0 against Rochdale earlier in the week. League One is as tight as ever, with Sunderland three points from top, yet two from seventh, but this level of resilience at this stage is certainly convincing.

📈 Most league clean sheets in 2020 (top 4 tiers):

7⛔: 👊SUNDERLAND*👊
6⛔: Liverpool
5⛔: Doncaster, Peterborough, Portsmouth

* also won most league points (23).#SAFC @SunderlandAFC @RokerReport #LFC #YNWA #DRFC #pufc #Pompey pic.twitter.com/KwmGL0WtJz

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) February 15, 2020

1st, Cambridge (New Entry)

Last 5: WWWWL Point Percentage: 43% League Cup: Second Round FA Cup: First Round

©Getty / Pete Norton

Whether or not it’s new manager bounce, or to be more specific, caretaker manager bounce, Mark Bonner could be forgiven for feeling a bit queasy as he’s now on four wins in four following a home victory over Bradford at the weekend after taking three points from Scunthorpe on Tuesday. 

Things had gotten a little stale under previous coach Colin Calderwood, but with a maximum possible 12 points in February, Cambridge have taken themselves well clear of the relegation zone and up to the top half with the joint longest winning streak in the EFL featuring two over the past week.

The goals are coming from all over the place, but 20-year-old Harvey Knibbs now has two late comeback winners to his name as a young coach puts his faith in young players, and gets rewarded. It’s Bonner’s second spell as a caretaker at Cambridge, but you have to feel this one may last a little longer.
 

Dropping out;

Crewe: (Previously 10th) Unlucky to lose their spot in the top 10, Crewe follow up a win over Crawley with a frustrating defeat to Plymouth.

Fulham: (Previously 9th) On the verge of of the automatic promotion places, Fulham somehow conspired to lose 3-0 at home to relegation threatened Barnsley.

Nottingham Forest: (Previously 7th) A draw and a loss end the momentum gathering around Forest, but taking a point from the Hawthorns isn't exactly the end of the world.

Derby: (Previously 6th) There were a few taking a flutter on Derby's faint play-off hopes, but losing to Bristol City and drawing against Huddersfield shows it might have been money wasted.

Sheffield United: (Previously 5th) Inactivity drops United out our 10, as do the number of teams improving on their two losses in their last five.

Rotherham: (Previously 4th) Still top of League One on goal difference, a draw against Wimbledon sees Rotherham out, but they'll likely be back soon

Potential Risers;

Everton, Blackburn, Gillingham, Accrington Stanley, Grimsby

🌪️Thanks to #StormCiara there's limited action today, which gives us the perfect oportunity to catch up on the January transfer window.

💶With some huge moves made, let Playmaker guide you through the 10 big January deals you might have missed...

💰https://t.co/a3iCMYbBXj💰 pic.twitter.com/4bT9FIepxS

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) February 9, 2020