With matchday five of the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two on the horizon, things are heating up at the top of the respective tables.
We highlight some of the key fixtures to watch out for ahead of this weekend’s calendar…
Goal difference alone separates table toppers Fulham and third placed Stoke City, and matchday five presents an opportunity for one team to gain an edge with a trip to Craven Cottage pencilled for the Potters this weekend.
Meanwhile, chasing the pack and not too far behind the League leaders are fourth placed Coventry City and fifth placed Queens Park Rangers who will go toe-to-toe at Loftus Road.
Two teams buoyed by securing first wins of the campaign, Preston North End and Swansea City lock horns this weekend in the Championship as they both look to push on in the campaign.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest are enduring a lengthy wait for a first win of the season but could Chris Hughton’s men mark the occasion on the main stage against East Midlands rivals Derby County?
In League One, Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers are embroiled in a battle at the top which will continue at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Fresh off the back of a 2-0 defeat to in-form Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United prepare to bounce back against local rivals Doncaster Rovers – whom the Owls also got the better of earlier in the season – in the third instalment of the South Yorkshire derby.
Furthermore, Shrewsbury Town are positioned at the foot of the League One table and a Gillingham team witnessing mixed results await Steve Cotterill’s side.
A team on the up, Plymouth Argyle inch closer to the top six and the Pilgrims could take another step forward against Fleetwood Town, who pegged back Cheltenham Town 3-2 last weekend.
Harrogate Town’s start to the 2021/22 campaign is still going strong, with the West Yorkshire outfit extending their winning streak to three games in a 2-0 triumph over Leyton Orient during midweek. Next up for the League Two Club this weekend is the visit of Exeter City.
Early pacesetters Swindon Town and Mansfield Town are tied on seven points each heading into matchday five, although the Stags’ defeat to Bradford City at the weekend might have knocked the wind out of their sails.
And whilst Sutton United are showing signs of improvement, recording back-to-back draws after falling to defeat in the season’s curtain raiser, Saturday’s opponents Oldham Athletic’s drought persists, with the Latics still yet to get off the mark.