Blades draw level! Wrexham in the top 2! ColU in the top 7! And the Championship relegation battle stirs to life...
17 March 2025 | Weekend Notes brings you the biggest stories, stats and insights from the EFL weekend.
● BIG STORIES ● CHEAT SHEET ● 5IVELIGHTS ● THE VIEW FROM ● FANTASY FOOTBALL ●
Last-minute packing…
I’m fascinated by the EFL season’s last pre-internationals weekend. It’s oddly crucial – even final. The end of a weekend fixture list is the end of a chapter but the matchday before international week, with its impending blank slate for the Championship and postponements for most of League One and some of League Two, is more like the end of a book or film in a series. To be continued, and all that. James Bond will return.
Except some main characters may not return. More than one manager will have come into this gameweek with the knowledge it could be their last, and may even have planned their match tactics accordingly. Cardiff City’s Omer Riza was not alone in needing to stop the rot before the international break arrived with its extra time for clubs to appoint a new manager. You can’t carry positive momentum into a fixture vacuum, but you can halt a bad run.
Other clubs can’t wait for the break to arrive: a chance to work on the training ground or let their tired players recuperate. In Leagues One and Two, though, some have to decide whether to skip their international-week fixture or not. Walsall are cracking on next weekend despite their poor form (six without a win, the third-longest in the EFL) and having half a dozen players on international duty. Other clubs would rather wait and catch up in the season’s final weeks. Stick or twist, stick or twist…
But enough of that. In the here and now, BIG RESULTS are happening – and we’ve got them covered.
Welcome to Weekend Notes.
🚨 Big Stories
A selection of decisive moments from across the EFL, by Huw Davies and Ali Maxwell
🦾 The Steal City Derby — Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Sheffield United — OK, ‘steal’ is a bit strong but, once again, we did see Sheffield United take three points from a situation where so many other teams would’ve taken one. Wednesday had chances. Michael Cooper had saves to make. The hosts won the early battle, a physical battle, but United kept their nerve and adjusted. The Owls had swooped but missed their prey and the Blades then sliced them apart, Tyrese Campbell’s deflected cross finding Rhian Brewster two yards out. With Burnley also winning (2-0 at Swansea) and Leeds dropping points at QPR (albeit recovering well from 2-0 down), the title race is wide open once again.
🏛️ City haul — Bristol City 2-1 Norwich City, Coventry City 3-0 Sunderland — Coventry tightened their grip on a top-six place while Bristol City talcum-ed up ready to grab theirs, with the Robins showing the Canaries the bird on Friday night. Liam Manning’s men were impressive with their slick attacks but fortunate, too, that Norwich’s forwards wasted chances through a mixture of bad luck and bad judgement. Coventry needed no such help: they dominated Sunderland virtually from kick-off, resulting in the returning Haji Wright – making only his second start since November – scoring a hat-trick. West Bromwich Albion could only draw at home to Hull, leaving the top-six Royal Rumble even more open than the title race:
🤺 Anything you can do… — Blackburn 1-2 Cardiff, Oxford 1-0 Watford, Plymouth 2-3 Derby — Remember George Elek saying on a recent Monday pod that 40 points could be enough to secure survival in the Championship this season? How wise that seemed. Then everyone involved in the relegation battle won at least once and Derby played as if managed by Brian Clough. It’s carnage, it’s chaos, it’s quality and it’s all in The View From… Matt Watts, so be sure to check that out below.
🦖 Tyranno-soaring Wrex — Wycombe 0-1 Wrexham — Having occupied 3rd place for months, Wrexham leapfrogged Wycombe into League One’s top two, on their own patch. After a medical emergency in the crowd late in the second half delayed proceedings for nearly 45 minutes, record signing Sam Smith scored (having been a nuisance all game) and Arthur Okonkwo protected the lead. Wycombe, deprived of League One top scorer Richard Kone here due to illness, have taken 9 points from 7 matches under Mike Dodds, and while 1-0 defeats to Birmingham and Wrexham are hardly shameful, the other opponents in that run are currently sat 17th, 18th, 20th, 21st and 22nd – as harsh as it sounds on a new manager, W2 D3 from those fixtures isn’t really enough in an automatic promotion battle.
📣 Statement of top-six intent, Part I — Bolton 0-1 Stockport — Last week brought Bolton fans back down to Earth, and Bolton back down to 7th. Stockport showed their promotion credentials by Getting The Job Done: having seen his good work in setting up Breki Andrésson go to waste, Tanto Olaofe decided to do it himself and scored a fine solo goal, then the County defenders blocked half of Bolton’s 16 shots at source and Corey Addai did his job in nets when required. They’ve taken 27 points from their last 12 games.
📣 Statement of top-six intent, Part II — Huddersfield 5-1 Crawley — While Stockport were reminding Bolton who’s boss, a confidence-stricken Huddersfield reminded themselves they’re the boss. They hadn’t scored even once in five home games during 2025, but with Jon Worthington replacing Michael Duff, they led Crawley 4-0 within half an hour. The first two goals came when Joe Taylor, back from injury, scored after a double deflection forced a double save, followed by an own goal from a shot that rebounded off the post – i.e. the kind of good fortune to make a sacked manager throw up his hands in despair. But you make your own luck, and both goals came from a new intensity high up the pitch under Worthington.
🍻 Brewers refuse to droop — Shrewsbury 0-2 Burton Albion — It may be too late. Burton still sit six points from safety and face a nightmarish run-in. But thank God someone is keeping the League One relegation battle even vaguely alive, because we’re getting no signs of life from the three teams below them: Cambridge (beaten 1-0 at home by Peterborough), Crawley (see above) and Shrewsbury (see… here). The Brewers have a top-half PPG record under Gary Bowyer, appointed in December, but it might not be enough. At the New Meadow, Burton did need to repel plenty of shots in the second half but they had already missed three fantastic chances themselves when Rumarn Burrell and Terence Vancooten each scored from a corner.
😮 Holy Cowley — Colchester 3-0 Fleetwood — Colchester United are in the League Two play-off places. Their fifth fixture in March brought a fifth win – convincingly so. Following an even first half, Lyle Taylor finished a nice passing move, Owura Edwards showed some 1v1 sparkle for 2-0, and Jack Payne thumped home a third. What’s your favourite ColU stat? Unbeaten in 13? Two defeats in 24? Just 13 goals conceded in those 24, with 14 clean sheets? This sparkling run has sturdy foundations. But what about the future? Soccerstats’ League Two run-in analysis suggests that Colchester have the toughest remaining fixtures of anyone in the top 10. There’s work still to do:
🧙♂️ No ‘mere mortals — Bradford 0-1 Tranmere — Bradford had won 10 consecutive league home games, the last six of those to nil. Tranmere had lost 10 of their last 11 league away games. But with this most unexpected of smash ‘n’ grabs, Andy Crosby’s side moved six points clear of relegation while Bradford missed the chance to pull level with leaders Walsall. Tranmere had a single shot from open play, but in a rare foray forward, substitute Harvey Saunders snuck in front of Jack Shepherd to win a penalty, and Josh Hawkes scored it. Their DDWW record under Crosby – all against teams who kicked off in the top 10 – has likely saved Rovers’ EFL status, especially with Morecambe failing to win again.
Bradford will rue sloppy attacking execution with their star trio of Alex Pattison, Antoni Sarcevic and Bobby Pointon all missing, but the good news for them is that Walsall drew 2-2 with Bromley, Doncaster drew 1-1 with Crewe and Notts County lost 2-1 to Chesterfield. In fact, the only team in the top five to win were…
👋 These guys! — Carlisle 1-2 Wimbledon — Johnnie Jackson’s team were turned over at home by Cheltenham in midweek, and their reaction was strong: Callum Maycock put them ahead after two minutes. They jump above Doncaster into 3rd, while Carlisle are now nine points behind Tranmere and 13 behind Harrogate and Accrington – the fat lady is drinking her honey and lemon.
📊 Monday Morning Cheat Sheet
From the WhatsApp group to the watercooler: stats to keep you ahead of the game.
🤦♂️ “Whose side are you on?” — Across the pair’s two 1-1 draws this season, Tomoki Iwata has registered a goal and an assist for Northampton Town against Birmingham City. Tomoki Iwata plays for Birmingham City.
🦁 Thrown to the Lions — Stoke have won none of their last 7 league games at The Den (D2 L5), last beating Millwall there in August 2005, and they’ve beaten the Lions only once in their last 13 attempts anywhere (D5 L7).
🏅 The people’s champion — Total goals in League One: 1. Richard Kone (17); 2. Jay Stansfield (16); 3. Louie Barry (15); =4. Sam Smith, Charlie Kelman (14). Total non-penalty goals in League One: 1. Charlie Kelman (14).
👵 It’s been… — Leyton Orient won at Blackpool (2-1) for the first time in – wait for it, as they did – 96 years. And yes, they have met in the intervening period: this was Orient’s 18th visit (D6 L11) since they last won there in 1929.
𓅫 Rockin’ Robins — The last four league meetings between Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town, 2019 to 2025, have finished 3-2, 2-2, 2-3 and 3-3.
💨 Gas leak — Bristol Rovers have been the recipients of each of Lincoln City’s last three league hat-tricks: Jovon Makama at the weekend, following Joe Taylor in March 2024 and Jack Diamond in September 2022.
💂 “We’re in London, aren’t we?” — Following a 2-2 draw at Loftus Road, Leeds have won just 5 of their last 43 league games in the English capital (D8 L30).
🧐 Posh on tour — Peterborough are unbeaten in their last 4 away games in the league (W2 D2), having lost 10 of their previous 11 (D1).
5️⃣ Five and alive — Huddersfield’s 5-1 win over Crawley, featuring five different Huddersfield goalscorers, brought their first five home goals of 2025 and also the most goals they’d scored in a single home game since 2016.
👶 The kid’s all right — Matty Young, Salford’s 18-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Sunderland, has kept 8 clean sheets in 11 league appearances following Salford’s 1-0 win at Grimsby.
🤘 Y Control — All three goalscorers in Blackburn 1-2 Cardiff had first names beginning with Y (Yuki Ohashi, Youssef Salech and Yakou Méïté).
🆒 Hooray, I guess — Mansfield’s 90th-minute winner against Barnsley ended what was the longest active winless run in the top four tiers: P13 W0 D4 L9. Over to you, Shrewsbury and Crawley (both 8 games without a win).
✔ Obligatory Burnley Defence Statistic — Burnley have become the first EFL side ever to keep 27 clean sheets in a single second-tier season. The overall record in England is Port Vale’s titans of the 1953/54 Division Three North, with 30, so we’ll be back to announce Burnley’s all-divisions record in a few weeks’ time.
🎦 5ivelights
In no particular order, a collection of our favourite goals or clips from across the 72.
Going wild, wild, Wilder — Chris revels in another Steel City derby victory.
On the rampage — Marcus Harness’ late winner sends the travelling Derby fans into raptures.
A Haji hat-trick — Haji Wright, Ian Wright, Shaun Wright-Phillips. In that order.
Your defence is terrified — Tanto Olaofe puts Schuey’s Bolton to the sword.
Maycock-a-hoop — Callum’s nonchalant finish sets Wimbledon on their way.
The View From…
They say a week is a long time in football…
…and, as is often the case, ‘they’ are right.
Prior to last Saturday’s meeting with his former club, Blackburn, John Eustace’s Derby had lost their first three games under their new boss. The Rams were bottom of the league and seven points from safety. Three consecutive wins later, Derby are just one point and one place below the dreaded dotted line.
At the weekend, they followed home wins over Blackburn and Coventry with a crucial away win against Plymouth, as Marcus Harness’ 88th-minute winner – his third goal in two games – sparked wild scenes in the away end. With fixtures against Swansea, Portsmouth, Luton, Hull and Stoke to come, Eustace will be optimistic that they can get and then keep their heads above water.
Elsewhere, five of the bottom seven won in midweek and the other two, Oxford and Cardiff, won on Saturday. For the teams around Derby, those solitary wins were essential, because the Rams’ upturn in form has pushed up the dotted line significantly. As for the teams who won neither of their games last week… perhaps Portsmouth, with their strong naval tradition, can tell us if a rising tide lifts all boats.
Pompey were 10 points clear of the bottom three when they celebrated their victory over Leeds last Sunday, but back-to-back defeats, including a damaging one at home to Plymouth on Wednesday night, has seen that gap cut to just four.
And then there are those who thought they were out of it, but will now be looking over their shoulders again. QPR ended a run of five straight defeats by drawing with Leeds, having led 2-0, but they’re now just seven points ahead of Derby. Swansea have lost back-to-back and are now only six points clear. Granted, there are a lot of teams between each of them and the bottom three, but neither can afford to stand still.
The final international break of the season is upon us. For those involved in this increasingly ferocious relegation battle, it’s the calm before the storm; a time to rest up, take stock and prepare for eight pivotal games in the space of five weeks. If the last week has taught us anything, it’s that there will be twists and turns aplenty, so before you say, “We’re done” or “It’s over” following your team’s next defeat, just remember the difference that two or three results can make in the battle to avoid the drop. If a week is a long time in football, then five weeks is an eternity.
🏆 Fantasy Football
Go head-to-head against team NTT20 in our EFL Fantasy Football league
The good news is that we chose an excellent time to pick Burnley as one of our teams to win, with that added away-day and clean-sheet bonus.
The bad news is literally everything else.
Anis Mehmeti’s strange unwillingness to shoot set the tone on Friday night, and Richard Kone’s absence due to illness lowered it further. There’s a midweek fixture to come for him if he has another Lemsip in the meantime, and for Wycombe in general as well as Hakeem Odoffin for their opponents, but yeah… bleak.
We can’t be the only ones struggling, though, because we remain in the top 100 of the NTT20 league table. Mr Browne’s Boys remains top but with Flossie’s Foxes on the hunt, while Harvey’s Pesky Imps tops the week’s charts. Congratulations all.