EFL Five Talking Points: Lincoln City’s discipline, Birmingham City’s form and Newport County’s revival

Hello and welcome to this week’s five talking points from the EFL.

We’ll be looking at a Championship side’s disciplinary record, alongside a League Two club that is the only unbeaten team left in the EFL.

Can Birmingham City maintain a run of form that has seen them lose just once in the league this season?

Plymouth Argyle, meanwhile, have struggled to find consistency in League One.

And Newport County extended their unbeaten League Two run to seven games with a 2-2 draw against Rotherham United on Tuesday.

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Do Lincoln City have a discipline problem?

Lincoln City have made a mixed start to life in the Championship and currently sit 18th in the table.

The Imps have taken just one point from their last two games, including a heavy defeat against former Premier League side West Ham United.

Their other result was a 2-2 draw with Millwall on Saturday. Lincoln had led 2-0, however, making it a frustrating result for the Imps after letting their advantage slip.

More concerningly, three red cards were shown across the two matches.

Tom Hamer and Conor McGrandles were dismissed in the 6-0 defeat to West Ham, while Deji Elerewe was sent off against Millwall.

Although, his red card has since been overturned following a successful appeal and will available for Saturday’s game against Burnley.

His availability will be a boost for Lincoln, with the defender having been one of their best performers this season.

The Imps will now be looking to put their recent frustrations behind them and avoid further disciplinary setbacks.

Walsall remain the only unbeaten side in the EFL

Both Barnet and Crewe Alexandra lost on Tuesday, leaving Walsall as the only team across the three EFL divisions yet to suffer a loss.

The Bees suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Swindon Town, with Aaron Drinan scoring twice. The Irishman now has eight goals this season, underlining his importance to Ian Holloway’s attack.

Crewe, meanwhile, travelled to the south west to face Exeter City, where the hosts secured a 2-0 victory to end the Railwaymen’s unbeaten start to the season.

The Saddlers, however, maintained their 100 per cent record with a 3-0 win over Oldham Athletic.

Tai Sodje opened the scoring with a sublime finish after excellent work from goalkeeper Jed Steer, whose perfectly weighted, low-driven long pass unlocked the Latics’ defence.

Aaron Pressley then chipped in with a brace to complete a convincing victory.

Walsall will now be looking to build on their impressive start and keep their unbeaten record intact as the season progresses.

Can Birmingham City maintain their strong start?

The Blues have made an excellent start to the season, losing just once in their first 11 games, a record matched only by Middlesbrough and West Ham.

Birmingham have scored seven goals in their past two matches, beating QPR 3-0 before thrashing Preston North End 4-0.

The results highlight the attacking threat Chris Davies’ side can pose when they find their rhythm.

Both victories came in front of their home fans at St Andrew’s.

The free-scoring Blues have already found the net 20 times this season, with Liam Millar and August Priske both contributing four goals.

With their attack firing on all cylinders, Birmingham will be hoping to carry this momentum into the coming weeks and strengthen their bid for promotion in the Championship.

Do Plymouth Argyle have a consistency issue?

One thing that stands out from the League One table is Plymouth’s record, which is almost perfectly balanced.

A defeat against Cambridge United on Saturday would leave Plymouth with as many losses as wins – six of each.

Tom Cleverley’s side head to the Cledara Abbey Stadium looking to get their campaign back on track after a difficult week in which they conceded five goals across two games.

Plymouth lost 2-0 to promotion rivals Huddersfield Town on Saturday before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Stevenage on Tuesday.

Those back-to-back losses have raised questions about the Pilgrims’ consistency, and they will be keen to respond with a positive result this weekend.

Newport County’s unbeaten run

Newport County are enjoying a strong spell in League Two, with the Exiles unbeaten in their last seven matches after a difficult start.

Three defeats in their first five games may have left Newport fans fearing another battle for survival, but their response since then has been encouraging.

Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Rotherham United moved Hayden Mullins’ side closer to the play-off places than the relegation zone.

While a draw may not bring the same satisfaction as a victory, extending their unbeaten run against Rotherham was another positive sign that the club are heading in the right direction.

With only two points separating them from the play-off places, Newport have an opportunity to turn their improved form into a serious push up the table.

Maintaining this consistency will be crucial if they are to keep pace with the teams above them.

Join me again next week for five more talking points as the EFL season continues to take shape.

Hopefully, your team can get the win this weekend.

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