Five EFL fixtures to watch this week: West Ham v Wolves, West Brom v Charlton Athletic and more

By Holly Wright

The EFL season is only three games old, but the first midweek round of the campaign already presents some fascinating fixtures across the Championship, League One and League Two.

At this stage of the season, league positions can change quickly, but the opening results have already given us some interesting contrasts. 

Unbeaten sides try to maintain their momentum, promotion hopefuls look to recover from their first setbacks, and recently relegated clubs are already under pressure to deliver.

Plenty of history surrounds some of the teams involved, although recent form suggests that past meetings may count for little once the whistle goes.

Here are five midweek fixtures that could be worth keeping an eye on.

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West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Perhaps the standout fixture of the midweek programme sees two recently relegated Premier League clubs meet at the London Stadium, although their opening three games could hardly have gone more differently.

West Ham are currently 19th and remain without a Championship victory, despite scoring in all three of their matches. 

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw with Burnley on the opening day before losing 2-1 at home to Charlton Athletic and drawing 1-1 with Watford.

The Watford game was particularly concerning, with the Hammers managing just one shot on target, which explains some of the frustration among the fanbase, particularly given the expectation surrounding a club that was immediately installed among the favourites for promotion.

Wolves have adapted quickly to life back in the second tier. They are second after taking seven points from their opening three matches and are unbeaten in seven games overall.

Their attacking numbers are particularly eye-catching. Wolves are averaging three goals per game this season and have found the net 14 times across their last five matches.

West Ham have also been scoring regularly, with 11 goals in their last five matches, although they have failed to keep a clean sheet in six.

The historical record offers little between the teams. 

Across their last 21 meetings, both have won 10 times, with the only other result being a draw. 

However, there have been no stalemate in the last 20 encounters, while West Ham have won eight of their last 11 home meetings with Wolves.

The most recent of those ended in a 4-0 victory for the Hammers last April.

This time, though, the pressure will be firmly on the hosts. 

Wolves arrive with momentum, while West Ham need to start turning goals and possession into victories.

West Bromwich Albion vs Charlton Athletic

A fascinating contrast awaits at The Hawthorns, with Charlton arriving as the only EFL team with a 100 per cent record.

The Addicks have won all three of their matches and conceded just twice, putting them top of the division. 

West Brom sit seventh following their first defeat of the campaign away to fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough.

That result allows the Baggies to respond, but their defensive record needs to improve. 

They have scored 12 goals in their last five matches but have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of them, while their last two defeats have seen them concede six goals.

There is also an unwanted historical record for West Brom to overcome. 

They have faced Charlton four times in the Championship without winning any of those encounters. That makes this a particularly interesting test. 

Charlton have started the campaign with nothing but wins, while West Brom have the experience and expectations that come with being among the promotion contenders.

The visitors can play with the freedom that comes from a perfect start. 

For West Brom, there is already a need to show that one defeat has not disrupted their own promotion ambitions.

Burton Albion vs AFC Wimbledon

Burton Albion and AFC Wimbledon are separated by nothing more than goal difference after three matches, with both sides recording one victory, one draw and one defeat.

That makes the meeting at the Pirelli Stadium a difficult one to call, particularly this early in the season.

Burton have scored seven times across their last five matches but have struggled to keep teams out, failing to register a clean sheet in seven consecutive games.

Wimbledon offer the opposite profile. They have scored just twice in their last five matches but have kept two clean sheets, the most in the competition.

The head-to-head record gives Burton another reason for optimism. They are unbeaten against Wimbledon in their last 10 meetings, winning six and drawing four.

Across all 19 encounters, Burton have eight victories compared with four for Wimbledon, while seven have ended level.

But those numbers only tell part of the story. 

The two clubs are currently almost impossible to separate in the table, and with both still finding their rhythm, one good result could provide a platform for a much stronger run of form.

Bromley vs Leyton Orient

Bromley and Leyton Orient may not be occupying the positions they would necessarily want this early in the season, but the narrow gap between them makes this an intriguing midweek contest.

The Ravens are 15th with four points from their opening three matches, having won one, drawn one and lost one. 

Leyton Orient sit 17th, one point further back after winning once and losing twice.

That means there is already an opportunity for either side to move up the table and create a little breathing room.

There is very little history between the clubs compared with some of the other fixtures on this list. 

They have met just five times, with Bromley holding the advantage with three victories to the O’s two.

Remarkably, none of those five encounters has ended in a draw.

That perhaps makes this another game where there could be little between the sides, but one team will ultimately have to find a way to come out on top.

For Bromley, victory would strengthen their position in mid-table and put a disappointing weekend behind them. 

For Leyton Orient, three points would lift them above their opponents and provide an early-season boost after two defeats from three.

Crewe Alexandra vs Walsall

The final fixture takes us into League Two, where two of the division’s early pace-setters go head-to-head.

Walsall are second and remain unbeaten after two victories and a draw, while Crewe Alexandra sit fifth with the same record. 

Having five teams currently on seven points underlines just how tight the early League Two table is.

Crewe have scored six goals in their last five matches and have the division’s best clean-sheet record. 

Walsall have been slightly more productive in front of goal recently, scoring seven times in their last five games.

They also have the psychological advantage of being unbeaten in their last six meetings with Crewe, winning four and drawing two.

However, the overall head-to-head record is considerably more balanced. 

From 18 meetings, both clubs have recorded five victories, while eight have ended in draws.

There is therefore little to separate two sides who have made encouraging starts, and this could come down to whether Walsall’s attacking form can overcome Crewe’s defensive resilience.

A victory would not only maintain an unbeaten start for Walsall or strengthen Crewe’s position among the early promotion contenders, but could also give either side a significant boost in a division where just a few points currently separate the leading pack.

Interesting midweek programme

With only three games played, it is far too early to draw major conclusions about where these teams will finish. 

But that is part of what makes this midweek programme so interesting.

West Ham are already under pressure to justify their status as promotion favourites, while Wolves are looking to continue their rapid adjustment to Championship football. 

Charlton are trying to protect the EFL’s only perfect record, and Burton, Wimbledon, Bromley, Leyton Orient, Crewe and Walsall are all looking to establish themselves in tightly packed League One and League Two tables.

The season may only be getting started, but these five fixtures could provide another useful glimpse into which early-season trends are worth taking seriously.

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