The EFL’s 10 most EGG-CITING fixtures today
Good Friday? More like THE BEST FRIDAY. Sam Parry & Huw Davies have gone on a hunt to find the tastiest treats on offer
Words: Huw Davies & Sam Parry
SP: This article is about the delectable treats on offer in the EFL today. Huw and I will be ranking the fixtures, from 10 down to 1, using only our strongly-held beliefs and loosely-gathered witticisms.
Now, we agreed on a single rule before settling into this: we are allow just one bit of wordplay per entry. We wrote each them down, counted them up, and decided if any deserved to stay.
No pun in ten did.
HERE WE GO!
#10. West Brom vs Wrexham
SP: How does a relegation fight end? Slowly, then all at once. How do play-off hopes slip away? Same.
This sits at #10 because both teams will still be in their respective dogfight no matter what happens. But it took the place of Nathan Jones vs Roy Hodgson in our list because a win for either WBA or Wrexham – which, in every example I can think of, would necessitate a loss for the other – would be pretty significant for both.
Wrexham could be 5th come the final whistle, depending on the outcome of Fixture #6. Southampton being busy in the FA Cup helps.
The absent Saints do have a role here, because they face Wrexham on Easter Monday, so if West Brom crack the Wrexham shell today, Phil Parkinson’s side could instead be six points off the top six.
And the Baggies just might do that. Things are suddenly chocolate-sweet under James Morrison. They’re not melting under the heat. In fact, over their last five games, they have an xG share above 70%, which shows not just a big shift in their game-by-game dominance but also the 8 points to prove it (W2 D2 L1).
WBA may be in a false position. Who knows? They could chip away at the narrative that Wrexham are play-off bound.
#9. Huddersfield vs Reading
HD: Are either of Huddersfield or Reading play-off bound? It surely can’t be both, which makes a defeat here doubly damaging for the vanquished.
A lot has changed since the pair met in the second week of the season, with Huddersfield prevailing at the Madejski. Lee Grant had made a bright start to management, Noel Hunt was in the middle of kicking off 2025/26 with three straight league defeats, and players in the two starting XIs included Herbie Kane (now at Plymouth), Ben Wiles (now at MK Dons) and Michael Stickland (now at Farnborough).
Today, it’s Reading who occupy a top-six spot. It feels temporary, however, as the chasing pack’s games in hand – two for Stevenage; one for Argyle, Huddersfield and Luton – hang over the Royals like the sword of Damocles.
A win at the John Smith’s Accu might persuade Reading’s doubters, including those in the fanbase, that Leam Richardson really can deliver an unexpected promotion. Despite their own up-and-down form, however, Huddersfield haven’t lost a home game since mid-October, when Bolton scored twice in stoppage time to win 2-1.
Wycombe have entered the chat to give the Terriers an understanding hug.
#8. Barnet vs Bromley
SP: What begins with B, ends in Y, and matters this weekend?
It ain’t the bloody bunny.
If 12th vs 1st in the fourth tier seems an odd pick, take a closer look. Barnet just beat MK Dons (2nd) and Cambridge (3rd at the time) back to back. They’re one win and a helpful set of other results away from what could resemble a perfectly timed play-off push. Lose, however, and Dean Brennan might be busily (he does nothing idly) browsing SkyScanner over his Sunday roast.
Bromley slipped up against Barrow last time out, but bouncing back here would mean they tick off one more game, take one more step towards the title, and provide one more reason for everyone else to stop dreaming. But let’s be honest, and I say this as someone who has spent a fair bit of time watching Bromley this season: it’ll be much more fun if they lose.
Why? Because if MK Dons do the sensible thing and beat… Barrow, and if – spoiler alert – Fixture #4 goes the way of Salford, then suddenly the whole thing gets denser than a Mini Egg. Picture the scene: 1st to 6th separated by just six points going into Bank Holiday Monday.
#7. Stockport vs Wycombe
HD: How about one point separating these two going into Bank Holiday Monday? That’ll be the case if Wycombe can go and win at Stockport.
Having two games in hand is a big factor, but fighting to preserve a play-off place isn’t what was expected of Stockport this season. They were averaging two points per game up to the start of November, all while looking a little less convincing than they had in previous campaigns. Since then, across more than half a season, they’ve looked distinctly unpromotion-y.
County have improved since losing three consecutive league fixtures a month or so ago – but with caveats. Beating Northampton 2-1 at home doesn’t prove much. They needed a slice of Oli Norwood magic to avoid defeat at Luton. Last week’s 3-0 win over Wimbledon was a far more encouraging result, albeit aided by Corey Addai making a couple of big saves while the game was alive; Wimbledon had more big chances overall.
So, are Stockport back or not? They have the players and manager capable of going on a tear, roaring into 3rd or 4th place and then righting last year’s wrongs in the play-offs. To do that, they’ll need to beat teams of Wycombe’s quality, because Mike Duff’s side are knocking on the door of No.6 and asking if it’s on the market.
P.S. It’s actually a delicious double header of double headers for this pair over the Bank Holiday weekend. Stockport (5th) face Wycombe (8th) and Bolton (3rd), while Wycombe face Stockport and Bradford (4th). That’s tastier than Easter egg chocolate… though almost anything is.
#6. Oxford vs Hull
SP: Oxford vs Hull represents a nerve-wracking game of skill. I was going to call it ‘the first domino in the Good Friday slate’, but time, space and Fixture #1 render the metaphor useless. Instead, let’s call it the Kerplunk game.
Pull one, erm… stick(?) and the marbles could fall. The range of positions these clubs could occupy at full-time is 23rd, 22nd, 21st, 6th, 5th, 4th (with a fair swing in goal difference) and 3rd (with a miraculous swing in goal difference). In other words: in the relegation zone or out of it, and on the cusp of the automatic places or on the brink of dropping out of the play-offs. And that range of possibilities could grow again by Monday.
It’s finely poised, then. Oxford are the bookies’ favourites despite being second-bottom. Hull, having been nailed to the xG cross all season (so, more of a +G cross), are probably playing their best football without quite getting the rub of the green. The form of both is intriguingly similar:
Hull City (Last 10): W4 D1 L5 | GF 14 GA 17 | Pts 13
Oxford United (Last 10): W3 D3 L4 | GF 9 GA 13 | Pts 12
This one picks itself because, although the game might not leap out, the permutations do: every result matters at both ends of the Championship.
