Perhaps a welcome break from league football as Walsall & Chelsea U21 face off to decide who makes it to next stage of the EFL Trophy. All the pre-match information is available here!
Both teams have had enough rest since their last competitive action. Let's hope for an energetic game!
Walsall form and stats
Last season, Walsall's EFL Trophy journey ended in the 3rd round.Walsall have played 1 League Two games at their own stadium so far this season, resulting in 1-0-0 (wins-draws-losses). The opportunity of a proper winning streak is there for the hosts, with two straight wins here.
The home team returns after being equal after 90 minutes with Harrogate Town on their last time out; the League Two game ended 2-2. Previous to that game, a League Two home match hosting Grimsby Town in a game that was won 1-0.
Josh Gordon felt an ounce or two of guilt after the draw against Harrogate Town as the player was unable to convert a penalty kick in the 81st minute.
The hosts are favourites to win this game, with an estimated chance of about 55-60% of that outcome. Earlier Walsall matches with similar probabilities have ended with zero wins, one draw and zero defeats (from one game).
There's a new game coming up fairly quickly for Walsall as they are travelling to their away game against Forest Green Rovers in the League Two. That match is four days after this one.
Walsall has the goal stats of 1-0 (for/against) from 1 league fixture.
Chelsea U21 form and stats
Last season their EFL Trophy adventure ended in the 2nd round.The visitors are W5-D4-L2 on the road this term. That's in the Premier League U21.
There might be some fixture complaints from Chelsea U21 as they are again playing away from home after losing on the road in their previous match, the EFL Trophy match against Oxford United (1-2). Prior to that match, the Chelsea manager A. Myers faced defeat when travelling to Walsall and losing 2-3.
Looking at the earlier recent performances of Chelsea when being an outsider away as they are today, we find one match with the visitors losing one time, drawing zero and winning zero games.
Chelsea U21 have scored 16 goals on their travels this season, from 11 away games in the league. As opposed to that, Chelsea have seen the ball go into their own net 14 times on the road.
Head 2 Head
Top Goalscorers
  J. Gordon 1 goals |
Walsall missing players
Chelsea U21 missing players
| Walsall | Chelsea U21 | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 14 | Played | P | 19 | 25 | ||
| 10 | 6 | Won | W | 9 | 12 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Drew | D | 4 | 5 | ||
| 7 | 4 | Lost | L | 6 | 8 | ||
| 36 | 20 | Scored | S | 35 | 43 | ||
| 35 | 18 | Conceded | C | 25 | 31 | ||
| 92% | 93% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 96% | ||
| 80% | 79% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 89% | 84% | ||
| 64% | 57% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 68% | 68% | ||
| 32% | 29% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 42% | 36% | ||
| 12% | 14% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 16% | 12% | ||
| 68% | 71% | BTTS | BTTS | 58% | 56% | ||
| 24% | 21% | Clean Sheets | C S | 26% | 28% | ||
| 16% | 14% | Failed to Score | F T | 16% | 20% | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1.1 | 1.1 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 0.8 | 0.9 | ||
| 3 | 2 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | ||
| 268 | 191 | Total Shots | T S | 113 | 143 | ||
| 97 | 63 | Shots on Target | S O | 58 | 74 | ||
| 37% | 32% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 38% | 38% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Cambridge United | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| 2 | Port Vale | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Newport County | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | Crawley Town | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | Morecambe | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -3 | 6 |
| 6 | Harrogate Town | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 7 | Salford City | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | Colchester United | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 9 | Bradford City | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Forest Green Rovers | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 11 | Stevenage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 12 | Leyton Orient | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 13 | Walsall | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 14 | Scunthorpe United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Exeter City | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 16 | Cheltenham Town | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Carlisle United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 18 | Barrow | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 2 |
| 19 | Mansfield Town | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 2 |
| 20 | Tranmere Rovers | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 2 |
| 21 | Oldham Athletic | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -5 | 0 |
| 22 | Bolton Wanderers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 0 |
| 23 | Grimsby Town | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 0 |
| 24 | Southend United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -7 | 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 | Manchester United U21 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 44 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 25 | 48 |
| 2 | Sunderland U21 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 38 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 10 | 18 | 43 |
| 3 | Everton U21 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 35 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 37 |
| 4 | Manchester City U21 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 35 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 34 |
| 5 | Chelsea U21 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 30 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 33 |
| 6 | Southampton U21 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 39 | 40 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 25 | -1 | 30 |
| 7 | Liverpool U21 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 26 | 37 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 19 | -11 | 28 |
| 8 | Tottenham U21 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 44 | 43 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 16 | 1 | 27 |
| 9 | Reading U21 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 40 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 20 | -6 | 27 |
| 10 | Leicester U21 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 48 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 31 | -23 | 21 |
| 11 | Middlesbrough U21 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 20 | -4 | 20 |
| 12 | Norwich City U21 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 30 | 50 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 28 | -20 | 19 |