25/04 - 20:00
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.
Last 5: WDWLW Point %: 65 League Cup: OUT (First Round) FA Cup: OUT (First Round)
Swindon squeak back into our rankings with an absolutely gigantic win at the weekend. Without 23 goal Eoin Doyle for the first time after his recall by parent club Bradford, and away at one of League Two’s best sides, this could’ve been the point things started to unravel for the table-toppers. Instead, Swindon came away 3-1 winners with Jerry Yates taking over the goal scoring mantle with his 12th of the season.
Last 5: DDWWW Point %: 41 League Cup: OUT (First Round) FA Cup: IN
Consecutive draws see Middlesbrough slip down our top 10 after twice giving up the lead to Derby at the weekend. Boro stay ahead of an improving Rams side in 16th on goal difference with the draw, and keep their recent surge out of the relegation places going, now 10 points clear. A replay against Spurs in the FA Cup beckons this week as Jonathan Woodgate has another high-profile opportunity to turn doubters into believers.
🛡 UNBEATEN after taking the lead (top 4 tiers; 2019/20):
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 10, 2020
PL: Liverpool*, Man U, Palace, Sheff U, Wolves
Ch: Boro, Derby, Fulham, Leeds, Reading, WBA
L1: Ipswich, Lincoln, Shrewsbury*, Tranmere*, Wycombe
L2: Cheltenham, Forest G, Grimsby, Exeter
* won EVERY game they have led. pic.twitter.com/KdvWrSHe0K
Last 5: WWWLW Point %: 55 League Cup: OUT (First Round) FA Cup: OUT (Second Round)
Despite a home loss to Sunderland, Doncaster have four wins in their last five, in which they scored eight goals without reply. A strong start to the League One season under Darren Moore dropped off considerably, but now just a point off the play-off places, things are quickly improving. Three wins on the bounce looks impressive in itself, but it’s hard to ignore the fact no team in the league has conceded less goals, with 23 in 23 games.
Last 5: WWDWD Point %: 64 League Cup: OUT (First Round) FA Cup: OUT (Second Round)
Unbeaten in six, Exeter are a game in hand from completing their climb back to joining Swindon at the top of League Two. Close but strong wins against Cambridge, Forest Green, Newport and Salford have that ‘mark of champions’ vibe about them in a division where a lot of sides are tripping over themselves. With the most clean sheets in the top four tiers, Exeter’s form looks far from temporary, and their six point gap from dropping out of the automatic promotion places may well extend.
📈 Most league clean sheets (top 4 tiers; 2019/20):
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 13, 2020
13⛔: 👊EXETER👊
12⛔: Leeds, Wycombe, Forest G
11⛔: Oxford
10⛔: Ipswich, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, Bradford#ECFC @OfficialECFC pic.twitter.com/26olXXtFTG
Last 5: WWWWW Point Percentage: 71% League Cup: IN FA Cup: IN
Manchester City continue to recover from their game of the season lost to Wolves with a perfect run of form that’s seen progression in both domestic cups, as well as a jump over Leicester into second place in the Premier League. A thumping 6-1 win over Aston Villa yesterday saw Sergio Aguero become the league’s highest scoring foreign player, whilst Kevin De Bruyne put on another clinic. The league title might soon be gone, but with performances like this, City’s season could easily be salvageable.
Last 5: WDWWD Point Percentage: 33% League Cup: OUT (Last 16) FA Cup: IN
As life continued to improve under Nigel Pearson, this was the first game that had a real sense of excitement around it. Watford were presented with their first chance to leave the relegation zone this season if they could somehow achieve their fifth win of the season, with all but one coming in Pearson’s seven games in charge.
Roberto Pereyra’s late match finisher in a 3-0 win over Bournemouth showed just how well the Hornets did in giving the ex-Leicester boss a second chance, and right now it’s pretty hard to see any of the teams below Watford in the relegation zone getting anywhere near them, while they look far more likely to continue climbing.
🐝That's now 4 wins in Nigel Pearson's first 7 games as Watford boss, with the club only picking up a single victory before him.
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 12, 2020
Playmaker takes a second look at his impact at Leicester and questions why it took so long for him to return.
👉https://t.co/S4vWlEa9oS👈#BOUWAT pic.twitter.com/CLHcVH92nu
Last 5: WWWLW Point Percentage: 56% League Cup: OUT (First Round) FA Cup: IN
There’s some strange goings-on in the Championship as West Brom and Leeds have gone from looking more than comfortable in the automatic promotion spots, to in trouble for the first time. West Brom are winless in five, while Leeds have two losses in that time. The chasing pack are doing their best to catch up, and right now Brentford look like they have the best chance.
Despite the odd losses, Brentford are the perfect example of why going for three points is often better than settling for one, as only Leeds have more wins, while only Luton have less draws. A 3-1 home win over London rivals saw goals from magic trio Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins, and if any side can capitalise on the top two’s slip ups, Brentford certainly have the firepower to close that six point gap.
⚽️Highest scoring duos (Championship; 2019/20):
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 12, 2020
29🤝: 🐝WATKINS (18) MBEUMO (11)🐝
24🤝: Mitrovic (18) Cavaleiro (6)
23🤝: Bowen (16) Grosicki (7)
22🤝: Wells (12) Eze (10)
18🤝: Woodrow (9) Chaplin (9)
18🤝: Grabban (14) Lolley (4)@BrentfordFC#BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/ivVR9bFHsT
Last 5: WWWDW Point Percentage: 42% League Cup: Out (Last 16) FA Cup: IN
You could have forgiven Danny Ings if he’d started getting frustrated by his team’s inability to back up his outrageous goal scoring, but now the tables have turned in his favour, and dramatically so, with Southampton well clear of the relegation zone in 12th, just a win away from seventh.
Five wins and a draw in the league are made all the more impressive by FA Cup progress against Huddersfield, and if Ings can keep finding the net, the sky’s the limit when it comes to Southampton’s improvement this season.
🗓️Most league goals since November 1st (UEFA's top five leagues):
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 11, 2020
12⚽️: Timo Werner
10⚽️: 🔴⚪️DANNY INGS🔴⚪️
9⚽️: Lionel Messi, Marcus Rashford
8⚽️: C. Ronaldo, J. Vardy, C. Immobile
7⚽️: K. Mbappe, R. Lukaku, P.E. Aubameyang, C. Avila#SaintsFC@IngsDanny @SouthamptonFC pic.twitter.com/aA32fKmTTL
Last 5: WLWWW Point Percentage: 58% League Cup: OUT (Second Round) FA Cup: OUT (Third Round)
Ipswich looked to be running away with League One, then Wycombe did, but right now it’s anyone’s guess. The likes of Oxford and Peterborough stole the headlines, but coming out of nowhere are Rotherham to lead the pack for the first time this season.
And talking of headlines, what a way to do it in a 3-1 win away at Oxford with a Kyle Vassell brace. Their last five has seen wins against previous promotion-pushers Peterborough and Blackpool, as well as an honourable 3-2 loss to Hull in the FA Cup, but after a cracking away win over one of the division’s best sides, Rotherham have well and truly arrived in the League One title race.
Last 5: WWWWW Point Percentage: 96% League Cup: OUT (Quarter Finals) FA Cup: IN
Things could’ve been very different when Giovanni Lo Celso got on the end of Serge Aurier’s cross on Saturday, but when the Argentine somehow managed to send the ball back where it came from, Liverpool’s rivals knew once again this season had all the hallmarks 2019/20 was going to end red.
Mastering a ridiculously busy December by coming out the other end unscathed, Liverpool haven’t conceded in six league games, and didn’t even have to get into top gear in defeating a side led by Jose Mourinho, a coach who often frustrates them. Next up is Manchester United who Liverpool seemingly have somewhat of a inferiority complex over still in recent performances.
Win that and the title race might be over quickly.
🤜English Derby Dominance🤛
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 9, 2020
In a week where Liverpool extended their unbeaten run over Everton, Playmaker sifts through the data to find the longest derby unbeaten streaks in England.#NCFC #Millwall #PUFC #SAFC fans, you might want to take a look:
👊https://t.co/Rwfmy8UJFZ👊 pic.twitter.com/Bik0t3LGoZ
Dropping out;
Coventry: (Previously 10th) Only just losing out, a draw against MK Dons sucks the juice out of Coventry's power bar.
Millwall: (Previously 7th) Millwall continue to keep in touching distance of the top six, but a scoreless draw away at Stoke is far from powerful.
Hull: (Previously 6th) A new entry last week, Hull make their way back out failing in a proper test at home to Fulham.
Oxford: (Previously 5th) Back-to-back league losses put a question mark over Oxford's play-off status.
Reading: (Previously 3rd) Unlucky to miss out, but consecutive draws mean Reading have just dropped off a little too much.
Potential Risers;
Nottingham Forest, Derby, Sunderland, Burton, Cheltenham, Northampton,
👈 Best points-per-game averages in 2019/20 (top 4 tiers; INCOMING managers)
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 10, 2020
1.93 👈: Mark Bowen*
1.92 👈: Gary Rowett
1.78 👈: Jose Mourinho
1.60 👈: Neil Harris
1.50 👈: Glyn Hodges
*Bowen has won 27 points in his opening 14 matches#Royals #Millwall #THFC #Bluebirds #AFCW pic.twitter.com/17dOKij0r2
