In this article, the analysts from the excellent Form Lab Black software help us preview the big Derby games this weekend.

Newly promoted Southampton are two points clear at the top of the Championship after 10 games, whilst fellow new boys Brighton and relegated West Ham are also in the top five. Further down the English football ladder both Preston and Crawley have got off to excellent starts and sit in the top three in League One and League Two respectively, whilst Braintree Town lie near the top of the Conference.

Elsewhere in Europe, four of the top five teams in the Spanish Segunda (their second division) are either promoted or relegated teams, whilst Brescia who dropped out of Serie A last year, occupy third in Serie B, and Eintracht Frankfurt and St Pauli have responded to their relegations to Bundesliga 2 with excellent starts.

How likely was this?

To anticipate these teams’ progress we have analysed other fast starting promoted and relegated teams across the three lower leagues in England, the Conference, and in Segunda, Serie B, Ligue 2, and Bundesliga 2 since 2003/04. When assessing fast starting teams we have looked at teams that have averaged at least two points per game for either the first six of first 10 games. Continue reading →

In this article, the analysts from the excellent Form Lab Black software help us preview the big Derby games this weekend.

Newly promoted Southampton are two points clear at the top of the Championship after 10 games, whilst fellow new boys Brighton and relegated West Ham are also in the top five. Further down the English football ladder both Preston and Crawley have got off to excellent starts and sit in the top three in League One and League Two respectively, whilst Braintree Town lie near the top of the Conference.

Elsewhere in Europe, four of the top five teams in the Spanish Segunda (their second division) are either promoted or relegated teams, whilst Brescia who dropped out of Serie A last year, occupy third in Serie B, and Eintracht Frankfurt and St Pauli have responded to their relegations to Bundesliga 2 with excellent starts.

How likely was this?

To anticipate these teams’ progress we have analysed other fast starting promoted and relegated teams across the three lower leagues in England, the Conference, and in Segunda, Serie B, Ligue 2, and Bundesliga 2 since 2003/04. When assessing fast starting teams we have looked at teams that have averaged at least two points per game for either the first six of first 10 games. Continue reading →