National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Walsall or Brighton U21 that keep their silverware dream alive.
It's no vacation for neither Walsall nor Brighton U21 as both were in action only a few days ago. Expect some tired legs on the pitch and/or possibly some changes to the lineups.
Walsall form and stats
Last season their EFL Trophy adventure ended in the group stage.When playing at home in the League Two, Walsall have managed 1 win, 0 draws and suffered 0 defeats from 1 games.
Walsall travelled for their previous game, a trip to Crewe Alexandra that ended 2-2. A disappointing finish for Walsall in their match versus Crewe Alexandra as their 2-0 lead was destroyed and replaced with a 2-2 full time score. Midfielder Hutchinson was the best player on the team with a rating of 8.0 (out of ten) in that game. Hutchinson scored one goal, hit two key passes, dribled past the opponent 1 of 1 times and had 34 successful passes (of 38 total).
Heartbreak before that as Walsall lost 2-4 at Wrexham's place.This is expected to be a close game, with Walsall perhaps considered small favourites due to their home advantage. Looking back at earlier matches similar to this one (expected to be close with Walsall as a small favourite), we find 11 games. Walsall has won 5 of these, drawn 2 and lost 4.
There's a new fixture coming up fairly quickly for Walsall, as the League Two home game vs Grimsby Town is only four days away.
At Poundland Bescot Stadium, Walsall has the goal stats of 2-1 (for/against) from 1 league fixture.
Brighton U21 form and stats
Last season their EFL Trophy adventure ended in the group stage.The visitors are W1-D0-L0 on the road this term. That's in the Premier League 2 Division One.
Brighton play their second away game in a row, but can be confident going into this one after the 3-2 victory visiting Chelsea U21. Brighton U21 can call themselves comeback kings after the match against Chelsea U21. Buried deep in trouble at 0-2, the troops rallied and completely turned the match around to a 3-2 victory. O’Mahony scored the final goal.
A 2-4 loss hosting Leeds United U21 before that.As mentioned above, this is an open game with no clear favourite. We have found 5 similar matches played by Brighton U21 in our archives, and the results are: 1 win for Brighton U21, 1 draw and 3 defeats.
The visitors will be packing their bags again in only three days as another away game awaits: The Premier League 2 Division One trip to Everton U21.
It's early days yet, but Brighton U21 has scored 3 and conceded 2 goals from their travels in the league so far (1 game).
Head 2 Head
Top Goalscorers
  D. Johnson 2 goals |   M. O’Mahony 2 goals |  L. Barrington 2 goals |
Walsall missing players
Brighton U21 missing players
| Walsall | Brighton U21 | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 11 | Played | P | 10 | 25 | ||
| 5 | 3 | Won | W | 3 | 9 | ||
| 10 | 6 | Drew | D | 3 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 2 | Lost | L | 4 | 10 | ||
| 33 | 11 | Scored | S | 21 | 49 | ||
| 40 | 9 | Conceded | C | 20 | 46 | ||
| 84% | 73% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 96% | ||
| 80% | 64% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 100% | 88% | ||
| 52% | 27% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 80% | 76% | ||
| 32% | 9% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 70% | 60% | ||
| 24% | 9% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 50% | 44% | ||
| 60% | 55% | BTTS | BTTS | 90% | 80% | ||
| 24% | 36% | Clean Sheets | C S | 10% | 16% | ||
| 32% | 36% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 8% | ||
| 4.4 | 4.7 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.2 | 4.3 | ||
| 5.2 | 5.6 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5.4 | 5 | ||
| 1.8 | 1.5 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.8 | 1.9 | ||
| 2 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 4 | ||
| 11.2 | 9.8 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 8.6 | 9.5 | ||
| 3.8 | 3.7 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.7 | 4.2 | ||
| 35% | 27% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 58% | 48% | ||
| 11.8 | 12.1 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 12.2 | 10.8 | ||
| 4 | 3 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 4.7 | 4.7 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Brighton U21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Forest Green Rovers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Shrewsbury Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Walsall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Gillingham | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 12 |
| 2 | Milton Keynes Dons | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | AFC Wimbledon | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| 4 | Accrington Stanley | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | Salford City | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | Morecambe | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Barrow | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | Crawley Town | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Notts County | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -1 | 7 |
| 10 | Mansfield Town | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| 11 | Crewe Alexandra | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 12 | Newport County | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 13 | Swindon Town | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 14 | Grimsby Town | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 15 | Wrexham | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Stockport County | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 4 |
| 17 | Walsall | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -2 | 4 |
| 18 | Bradford City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| 19 | Tranmere Rovers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Sutton United | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 21 | Harrogate Town | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -4 | 3 |
| 22 | Forest Green Rovers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -5 | 3 |
| 23 | Doncaster Rovers | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -7 | 1 |
| 24 | Colchester United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -4 | 0 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Tottenham U21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| 2 | Arsenal U21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Reading U21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | Leeds United U21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 | Fulham U21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Liverpool U21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | Chelsea U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 8 | West Brom U21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Southampton U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Sunderland U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Newcastle United U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 12 | Brighton U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 14 | West Ham United U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 15 | Leicester U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest U21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | Middlesbrough U21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Derby County U21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 19 | Norwich City U21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| 20 | Everton U21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
| 21 | Wolves U21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| 22 | Manchester United U21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| 23 | Stoke City U21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| 24 | Aston Villa U21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -5 | 0 |
| 25 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
| 26 | Manchester City U21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -6 | 0 |
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- Up the Saddlers - (supporter forum)
