EFL in Focus - August 2024
A monthly look at the best performers in the English Football League; full of stats and graphics for teams and players alike. August 2024 edition.
Every month for the 2024-25 EFL season I’m going to be plucking out some of the best performers from across the Championship, League One and League Two and shining the spotlight on them that they deserve.
From individual players to team performances, with the help of Opta, here’s the pick of the bunch for August 2024.
Championship
There’s only one place to start really and that’s right at the top of the Championship where Sunderland sit after four matchdays.
It’s been a perfect start for the Black Cats under new manager Régis Le Bris who has already got his young side playing some fantastic football which has led to victories over Preston, Burnley, Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday - the latter of those coming in the form of a 4-0 demolition. It’s also the first time since 1925-26 that the North East outfit have won each of their opening four league matches of a campaign.
The promotion hopefuls have racked up ten goals already, the joint-most in the Championship but even despite that, it’s their defensive solidity that has arguably been even more impressive. That’s because they’ve allowed an EFL leading one goal so far and as the below graphic demonstrates, Le Bris has definitely had his side working hard on the training pitch from a defensive perspective.
The early league leaders are followed closely behind by West Brom who themselves have enjoyed a very solid start to the new campaign, taking ten points from 12 available. Much like Sunderland they’ve looked strong defensively having conceded just two times so far whilst keeping clean sheets against Swansea and promotion hopefuls Leeds.
That stability has witnessed the Baggies face just 32 shots in total - the fourth-fewest in the second tier - which could prove an ideal platform for manager Carlos Corberán to build his side’s Premier League hopes upon. Those aspirations could pin on Josh Maja who earlier in the campaign became the first West Brom player to score a hat-trick in their opening game of a league season since Alf Bentley in 1913-14.
Overall, Maja has netted four goals in the league, the same amount as Duncan Watmore of Millwall who has arguably been the Lions’ best player to this point. They get a special mention for their attacking performance overall in August which has come as a surprise to many, registering the second-highest xG total amongst all sides in England's top four tiers (8.07) - behind only Middlesbrough (8.12) which highlights them as a potential play-off contender if that output can be continued.
On the player front, it’s difficult to look past Boro’s Finn Azaz over the last month, even if he is still viewed as a bit of a scapegoat by some at the Riverside. Amongst all players in the Championship, he’s recorded the most shots on target (9), chances created (13) and total shots (17), whilst he also leads the way for attacking sequence involvements in the division (29).
️Elsewhere, Oxford’s Mark Harris made a little bit of history last weekend as he became just the second player to score in a newly promoted sides’ first four Championship outings of a season (since 2004-05) - after Lyle Taylor for Charlton in 2019-20. He’ll return from the first international break of the campaign looking to become the first player in Championship history (since 2004-05) to score in each of his team’s first five games of a campaign!
At the other end of the pitch, Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard has been an extremely busy man. With Michael Cooper leaving the club for Sheffield United over the summer, the 26-year-old has been trusted by manager Wayne Rooney with the number one job and although it’s been a difficult start for his side, he’s still performing strongly.
In spite of that fact that Argyle have conceded seven times in the league, he’s still made the most saves of any shot stopper in the division by far (23) and has prevented an extra 3.9 goals from hitting the back of his net.
An extra Championship stat: After beating Bristol City 3-0 at the end of August, Derby County have now won each of their last eight home league games in succession - their longest such streak since January 1996.
League One
Much like Sunderland in the Championship, Stockport County currently lead the way in League One after picking up ten points from a possible 12. Their one goal conceded points to a structurally sound defensive shape which should help them to chase a top six spot in 2024-25 but they continue to impress even more so from an attacking standpoint.
Infront of a packed-out Edgeley Park, there are few sides more dangerous than the Hatters in the EFL and that’s highlighted by their return of seven succession home wins. Much of that form has been built on their ability to press their opponents up the pitch, recording 29 high turnovers through four outings to date - one of the higher tallies in the third tier.
Dave Challinor will hope that’s the foundation for his side to become the first team to achieve back-to-back promotions in the bottom two tiers of the EFL since Luton Town in 2018.
Their fellow League Two promotion successors from last campaign - Wrexham - aren’t doing too bad themselves either. Many football fans and pundits alike expected the lower league Welsh juggernaut to have slowed a bit by now but under manager Phil Parkinson they continue to go from strength to strength.
With a striker like Paul Mullin up top, you’re always going to have a chance in games but for me, it’s midfielder George Dobson who has been crucial to helping his new side take to League One like the proverbial duck to water. He’s offered plenty of control in the middle of the park and considering that no side have averaged less possession in the division than than Wrexham (34.41%), they’ll need him to remain in form for much of the campaign to sustain another promotion push.
It’s Birmingham City’s Alfie May who leads the goalscoring charts in League One heading into September, netting four goals in four games which has helped his side to pick up ten points.
The Blues have since broken multiple transfer records to bring fellow forward Jay Stansfield to the club from Fulham, but in truth he’ll struggle to side line May who has been in scintillating goalscoring form all year long.
In fact, the former Charlton star has scored the 4th most goals since start of last season across England’s top four tiers (27), a figure only Erling Haaland (34), Sam Szmodics (29) and Macauley Langstaff (28) can better.
His importance to Birmingham is similar to Lee Evans’ to Blackpool even if his side have stuttered to a winless start in their league campaign.
To this point, the Welshman has recorded more assists than any other player in the competition (3), whilst his 17 chances created also rank him number one in the third tier. His tally of 49 passes played into the box can only be bested by Joe Powell of Rotherham too, and if the Seasiders are to improve their results quickly, Evans will likely be a huge reason why.
We also need to send a special mention the way of Lincoln defender and captain Paudie O’Connor who remains as the only player across England's top four tiers to have recorded 4+ goal contributions and won 35+ duels so far this season.
He’s anchored his side’s defence overall, with his two goals also helping them to a 3-2 opening day victory over Burton Albion. Did he ruin it slightly with his dismissal against Stevenage last weekend? Absolutely, but that’s Paudie for you.
An extra League One stat: Barnsley have won their first two away games of a league campaign for the first time since August 2018
League Two
Finally to League Two and what a start it’s been for Gillingham who sit top of the standings and remain as one of just three unbeaten teams in the division. Just like last season they continue to act as a low-scoring side, netting just six goals so far but their defensive record is sensational to say the least.
No side has conceded fewer than their one goal through the opening four rounds of fixtures and that’s despite the fact that they’ve faced chances worth 5.3 xG from 55 shots in total - the fifth-most in League Two.
It’s fair to say that goalkeeper tandem Jake Turner and Glenn Morris have earned the plaudits coming their way.
After losing eight consecutive outings to finish the 2023-24 League Two season, many were predicting an equally tough start for Newport County but manager Nelson Jardim has steadied the ship in South Wales to deliver nine points from a possible 12.
His efforts have been aided by his team’s explosive start to the campaign from a goalscoring point of view, netting the joint-most goals in the division (9). After netting twice in an opening day 3-2 loss to Cheltenham, 3-1 victories over Doncaster and Accrington soon followed before a hard fought 1-0 success over Morecambe rounded out their August in style.
On the player front, it’s Doncaster’s Luke Molyneux who leads the scoring charts at this early stage, netting four times across four matches as his side look to turn their tag as promotion favourites into fruition.
In their last outing away to Port Vale, he scored twice and assisted once, already the second time that he’s registered three goal involvements in a league game this campaign - stunning form for a player who had only managed that feat once across his first 133 appearances in the EFL.
Speaking of goal contributions, Jodi Jones has continued his fine form for Notts County from last season, registering five goals and assists this term already. He also leads the way for passes played into the box in League Two amongst all players (38), as he continues to highlight himself as arguably the best player in the competition.
On the whole in 2024, he's now recorded 16 assists for Notts County in the league - five more than any other player in England's top four tiers!
Last on the list this month is Harrogate Town’s Anthony O’Connor who every single matchday when I’m looking through the Opta database ranks highly amongst defenders in the entire EFL.
His side haven’t exactly enjoyed the best start to the season having won just one of their opening four league outings, but the Irishman’s contributions across the backline have definitely helped that from being any worse.
To this point he’s made 47 clearances - the most across England’s top four tiers by a long distance - whilst he also ranks second in League Two for blocks made (7).
An extra League Two stat: Morecambe are just the second side in Football League history to lose their opening four league games in a season all 1-0, along with Rochdale in 2006-07.
Spare a thought for..
Accrington Stanley, Blackpool, Cambridge United, Cardiff City, Leyton Orient, Luton Town, Morecambe, Plymouth Argyle & Swindon Town who are all still without a league win this season.
Ryan Lowe, Neil Critchley and Paul Simpson too, who have already loss their managerial jobs at Preston, Blackpool and Carlisle United respectively..
See you in a month’s time for the next EFL roundup!