{"id":1159431,"date":"2026-08-20T14:19:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1159431\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:19:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:19:25","slug":"five-efl-talking-points-ahead-of-the-weekends-games-including-bristol-citys-potential-takeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1159431\/","title":{"rendered":"Five EFL talking points ahead of the weekend\u2019s games including Bristol City\u2019s potential takeover"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bristol\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

By Rob Beesley<\/p>\n

The EFL<\/a> enters its second weekend of the campaign, with plenty of talking points emerging from an action-packed opening round of fixtures.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Championship<\/a>, Lincoln City came agonisingly close to taking a point against play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough, only for Boro to snatch victory in stoppage time through former Tottenham Hotspur forward Will Lankshear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His late strike cancelled out Adam Reach\u2019s opener as the Imps battled valiantly throughout.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, relegated sides Burnley and West Ham United played out an entertaining 2-2 draw on Sunday, giving both clubs an early taste of life back in the Championship.<\/p>\n

League One<\/a> produced plenty of goals, with Luton Town fighting back from behind to beat Reading 4-3 in a scintillating contest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huddersfield<\/a> Town made an early statement with a comfortable 3-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon, while Stockport County also impressed with a 3-1 win against Plymouth Argyle.<\/p>\n

League Two<\/a> was no less dramatic, with Crewe Alexandra\u2019s 1-0 victory over Crawley Town featuring an unprecedented three red cards in a fiery encounter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Promoted York City also made a winning start, edging Bristol Rovers<\/a> 3-2, while Rochdale suffered a 3-0 defeat to Newport<\/a> County after being reduced to 10 men.<\/p>\n

With another weekend of action approaching, here are five talking points to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n

For exclusive stories and all the detailed EFL news you need,\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe to The Football League Paper<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

WATCH THE LATEST FOOTBALL LEAGUE PAPER PODCAST HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

You can now listen to the The FLP Podcast on both\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Early-season derby games<\/p>\n

It may only be the second weekend of competitive football<\/a>, but there are already several local rivalries to look forward to.<\/p>\n

West Ham face Charlton Athletic in a London derby at the London Stadium this Saturday, with the Hammers looking to build on their draw with fellow relegated side Burnley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Charlton, meanwhile, began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Derby County.<\/p>\n

League One also brings an East Midlands derby as Leicester City welcome Burton Albion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Foxes were held to a 1-1 draw by Notts County last weekend in a game Russell Martin\u2019s side would have expected to win, while Burton opened their league campaign with the same scoreline against Stevenage.<\/p>\n

There are two derbies to look forward to in League Two.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rotherham United host York, with the visitors hoping to build on their opening-day victory.<\/p>\n

Swindon Town, meanwhile, take on Cheltenham Town in the first West Country derby of the campaign.<\/p>\n

\"\"LONDON DERBY: Charlton Athletic face West Ham United in one of several local rivalries this weekend.
PICTURES: AlamyEarly pace-setters: Can they maintain their form?<\/p>\n

The opening weekend has already given us an early glimpse of which sides could set the pace, but maintaining that momentum over an entire campaign is a different challenge.<\/p>\n

In the Championship, Millwall and Queens Park Rangers both made winning starts by two-goal margins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huddersfield Town went one better in League One, scoring three without reply against AFC Wimbledon, while Walsall and Newport both enjoyed three-goal victories in League Two.<\/p>\n

For Huddersfield, the question will be whether they can sustain their early momentum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Terriers also started strongly last season before their form fell away dramatically in October.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This time around, they will be hoping to avoid a repeat.<\/p>\n

\"JoshPUMPED: Josh Coburn celebrates his second goal for Millwall against Bristol City.The low block: Why are teams struggling to break it down?<\/p>\n

The low block appears to be making a comeback, with several sides opting to surrender possession, remain compact and frustrate opponents by limiting the space available in the final third.<\/p>\n

Middlesbrough\u2019s victory over Lincoln was a good example of how effective the approach can be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Imps spent long periods frustrating the home side and limiting their opportunities, only to be denied a point by Lankshear\u2019s late winner.<\/p>\n

With Lincoln expected to face a battle near the bottom of the Championship this season, a disciplined defensive approach could prove important as they look to pick up points against the division\u2019s stronger sides.<\/p>\n

Newport, Bromley and Fleetwood Town have also shown signs of using similar tactics, particularly when facing teams expected to dominate possession.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the season develops, it will be interesting to see whether more sides turn to the low block as a way of frustrating the so-called \u2018better teams\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"Middlesbrough\u2019sLATE WINNER: Middlesbrough\u2019s Will Lankshear, left, denied Lincoln City an opening day victory.Could Bristol City be the subject of a takeover?<\/p>\n

Bristol City supporters have been given something to discuss this week following reports of potential investment from Greek gaming company Betano.<\/p>\n

Any takeover or investment could provide the Championship club with additional funds to pursue transfer targets in future windows, as well as potentially supporting wider improvements at the club.<\/p>\n

The Robins appointed Michael Skubala over the summer and made several additions to their squad, but their campaign got off to a disappointing start with a 2-0 home defeat to Millwall.<\/p>\n

With plenty still to be decided both on and off the pitch, the potential investment is one to keep an eye on as the season progresses.<\/p>\n

\"Don\u2019tCHARGE: Neil Harris has Cambridge<\/a> United dreaming of another successful season.Could Cambridge United be a dark horse in League One?<\/p>\n

It may be too early to make bold predictions, but Cambridge United have certainly given themselves reason for optimism.<\/p>\n

The U\u2019s won two of their pre-season friendlies before defeating Barnet 2-1 in the League Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They then carried that momentum into the league, securing an impressive 3-2 victory over Wigan Athletic on the opening weekend.<\/p>\n

Bromley will provide a different test this Saturday, but another positive result could further strengthen the feeling that Cambridge have the potential to surprise a few teams this season.<\/p>\n

The League One table, like the rest of the EFL, will begin to take shape as the weekend unfolds, with plenty more questions likely to emerge.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Five talking points from the opening weekend of the 2026\/27 EFL season<\/a><\/p>\n

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