The first international break is upon us over the next couple of weeks after the Championship, League One and League Two reached its first interval after an entertaining start to the 2024/25 season.

There is only one team cross the EFL to have managed to win every single game so far this season with that being Sunderland in the Championship. Down at the bottom end of the table, there are two sides that have suffered four successive defeats to kick off the campaign in Leyton Orient and Morecambe in Leagues One and Two respectively.

However, those teams may not be the teams that are either the happiest or the most displeased with their respective starts to the season so here is a rundown of the more subjective winners and losers from the EFL…

WINNERS

Championship | Sunderland

It has been a really impressive start to the season for Sunderland after a bizarre summer which saw them take months to appoint a new boss but they finally went for former Lorient man Regis Le Bris. The Frenchman has had to deal with a slow summer transfer window in terms of incomings as well as the sale of Jack Clarke in August but the Black Cats have enjoyed four victories, including an impressive 1-0 defeat of Burnley after they had started with two victories in which they scored nine goals. They have also hammered Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth as well as and comfortably winning at Cardiff City.

League One | Stockport County

In the last few seasons, Stockport County have been overshadowed somewhat by the celebrity status and spending of Wrexham but the Hatters themselves have invested well to propel themselves from the National League to League One football. Stockport have signed well and signed early this summer with the likes of Corey Addai, Jayden Fevrier, Ollie Norwood and Louie Barry returning complimenting an already strong squad. They dropped points for the first time this season at the weekend as they shared a 1-1 draw at Field Mill against Mansfield Town in a game that featured the only goal that they have conceded this season. 

📈Scored in every game in 24/25 (#EFL teams; all comps):

⚽️ Barnsley (7*)
⚽️ Huddersfield (7)
⚽️ Blackburn (6)
⚽️ QPR (6)
⚽️ Exeter (6)
⚽️ Stockport (6)
⚽️ Bromley (6)
⚽️ Newport (6)

*games scored in#COYR #HTAFC #Rovers #QPR #ECFC #StockportCounty #WeAreBromley #NCAFC pic.twitter.com/HgKGIM8OKf

— playmakerstats ( September 4, 2024

League Two | Gillingham

Gillingham were relegated from League One back in 2022 but their American-led takeover have consistently invested in the squad ever since then and there is now a belief that this season is the season they return to the third-tier. After some smart recruitment during the summer transfer window, Gills sit atop of the League Two table after four matches in which they have collected ten points. They have conceded just one goal in those four matches with a 4-1 defeat of Carlisle United on the opening day of the season being followed by 1-0 victories over Morecambe and Chesterfield sandwiching a goalless draw with Fleetwood Town up in Lancashire. 

LOSERS

Championship | Plymouth Argyle

Following the departure of Steven Schumacher to Stoke City last season, Plymouth Argyle narrowly avoided relegation and looked to rebuild over this summer. To do so, they opted to appoint former England captain Wayne Rooney despite his disappointing spell in charge of both Birmingham City and DC United after an iffy time at Derby County. The Pilgrims have collected just two points from their opening four matches, beginning with a 4-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on the opening day of the campaign and they went into the break on the back of a 1-0 loss to Stoke City at Home Park. 

League One | Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers missed out on a top two finish and automatic promotion to the Championship on the final day of last season after a second-half of the season collapse before they then suffered a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United at Wembley Stadium in the League One playoff final. With that fresh, a slow start to the season would not have been accepted by supporters and the pressure is growing on Ian Evatt after one of the pre-season promotion favourites have begun with just one victory in their opening four matches, no goals scored since the opening day of the campaign and heading into the international break on the back of a 2-0 loss at home to Exeter City. 

🏆 Most goals in cup competitions fr. 2023/24 (#EFL teams):

36⚽️: 💥BOLTON💥
35⚽️: Reading
34⚽️: Blackburn
32⚽️: Peterborough
30⚽️: Blackpool, AFC Wimbledon#BWFC @OfficialBWFC @johnmcatee161 pic.twitter.com/xy57YuMp0C

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) September 4, 2024

League Two | Carlisle United 

Paul Simpson is widely regarded as the greatest Carlisle United manager in the club’s history but it was also widely accepted that the time for him to depart the club was right now, if not earlier. The former England youth coach has been relieved of his duties after Carlisle, with another transfer window of heavy investment from their new American ownership group, collected just three points from their opening four games of this season, including a 2-1 loss at home to Tranmere Rovers at Brunton Park last weekend, following their relegation from the third-tier only last season after a miserable few months in League One.