EFL Power Rankings

Playmaker breaks down the power rankings of the EFL for a third week.

10th, Leyton Orient

So far: DWDLWDWW

For the first time this season, Leyton Orient enter into Playmaker’s EFL power rankings. The O’s, led by the experienced Kenny Jackett, essentially lost their forward line in the summer when Conor Wilkinson and Danny Johnson departed for Walsall and Mansfield Town, respectively. Jackett has performed well, as expected.

The signings of Darren Pratley and Theo Archibald are proving to be pivotal at this early stage. Orient sit second in the League Two table having defeated Bristol Rovers at the weekend, away from home, to back up a thumping 4-0 victory over Oldham Athletic the weekend before.

9th, Milton Keynes Dons

So far: DLWDWDWW

Another new entrant but one that is expected to feature quite often throughout the campaign. MK Dons invested well in the summer to back then manager Russell Martin. Martin, though, was tempted by a move to Swansea City at the start of the season and therefore could be blamed for the Dons’ slow-ish start to the campaign.

The impressive signings of Scott Twine, Max Watters and Mo Eisa, among quite a few others, remained. 36 year-old Liam Manning, who had only managed Belgian side Lommel, has his MK side playing a slick style of play and their 4-1 win at Gillingham at the weekend moves them into the top three of League One, as well as the top ten of Playmaker’s EFL power ranking.

8th, Harrogate Town

So far: WWWDWDLD

Harrogate’s unexpected and impressive start to the season keeps them tucked inside the top eight of the power rankings but it hasn’t been a good fee weeks on-the-pitch.

The Sulphurites led against Crawley but could only manage a 2-2 draw last night, despite Ashley Nadesan being sent off for Crawley with 25 minutes to go. That backed up a 2-0 loss at Vale Park against Darrell Clarke’s Port Vale. Regardless of that, they remain a potent threat and sit third in League Two – a position they were not expected to be anywhere near at any stage in this campaign.

7th, Fulham

So far: DWWWWLWL

Marco Silva’s Cottagers remain in the automatic promotion spots despite two defeats in their last three matches in the league. Since the last EFL power rankings, the incredibly deep squad of Fulham have hammed Birmingham away from home by four goals to one before a defeat at home to Reading, a brace from Ovie Ejaria in that one, made it back-to-back defeats on a Saturday following their 1-0 loss at Blackpool the week before.

6th, Coventry City

So far: WLWWLWWD

When Mark Robins took over as the manager of Coventry City in 2017, the club were in a worrying state off-the-field; they aren’t completely out of the woods on that one, either. The Sky Blues were in serious danger of relegation to the fourth tier of English football for the first time since the 1958-59 season; Robins couldn’t steer the ship away from that.

Before his first full-season in charge, in his second spell as manager, Coventry hadn’t finished a league season in the top six in 47 years. They finished sixth and went up via the playoffs, then they finished eighth as they built again in League One before being crowned champions the season after that in the COVID-curtailed campaign of 2019-20.

Comfortable survival in the Championship last season has since been followed up by a side looking built for a legitimate title challenge. This is a well-coached, controlled side that will be trusted to win and edge more games than they don’t. 

©Getty / Bradley Collyer - PA Images

5th, Sunderland

So far: WWLWWWD

Lee Johnson’s Black Cats continued their impressive form this season last night in the third round of the EFL Cup. Their 2-0 win away at League One top-of-the-table rivals Wigan Athletic moved them into the last 16 of the competition.

It does come after a frustrating and probably disappointing draw at Highbury at the weekend against Fleetwood Town. They led 2-0 with less than ten minutes to go before being pegged back for a 2-2 draw. They remain second-in-the-table.

4th, Wigan Athletic

So far: LWDWWWW

Charlie Wyke scored his first goals for the Latics as Wigan cruised to an impressive 4-1 win away at Accrington Stanley at the weekend. The Lancastrians sit atop of the League One table and have won five of their opening seven matches having played some of the perceived toughest opposition in the league.

The likes of Portsmouth, Rotherham, Charlton, Ipswich and Wycombe will all expect to be up towards the promotion challengers this season – and yet, Wigan have taken 13 points out of their 16 this season against that opposition.

3rd, West Bromwich Albion

So far: DWWWWDDD

The criticism of Valerian Ismael’s effective and almost breathlessly direct approach would be that the Baggies could struggle to be incisive and precise enough to win as many games as their rivals. They remain unbeaten after eight games but have won as many as they have drawn.

West Brom will be fully expected, by neutrals and themselves, to be in the top two of the season but, perhaps, a minor evolution in Ismael’s style will help them be slightly more varied against a variety of opposition. Having said that, at least two of their draws saw them hammer their opposition without getting over the line.

2nd, AFC Bournemouth

So far: DWWDDWWW

The other unbeaten side left in the Championship: AFC Bournemouth. Scott Parker’s side were slightly stodgy and ever so slightly unconvincing in August with a couple of draws against newly-promoted sides Hull City and Blackpool being notably frustrating results.

Since the international break, though, the Cherries have collected nine points from three games against three sides expecting a top-half finish in Barnsley, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City. They now sit at the top-of-the-table.

1st, Forest Green Rovers

So far: WWWWLDWW

Rob Edwards’ Forest Green Rovers have been in Playmaker’s EFL power rankings throughout this season and will be expected to stay inside it for the foreseeable future. The style of play whereby the amount of chances created, at a relentless level, makes goals, and therefore victories and points, an inevitability.

They hammered Stevenage by four goals to nil, away from home, at the weekend. That means FGR have scored 18 goals in eight games in League Two; as well as four more goals in the two cup competitions of the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy. It has been an extremely impressive start to Rob Edwards first managerial role at senior club level.

⭐️ Scored 20+ goals in 21/22 (all comps):

PL: Man City (23)
Ch: Fulham (20), Preston (20), QPR (21)
L1: Wimbledon (22)
L2: Forest Green (22)#ManCity #FFC #pnefc #QPR #AFCW #WeAreFGR pic.twitter.com/PcFEKL5jLG

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) September 22, 2021