Gabriel Sutton's EFL Tips

Reading have looked a team oozing with potential so far this season, with Charlie Savage finding new gears in midfield for Ruben Selles’ side, and Amadou Mbengue continuing his strong defensive pairing with Tyler Bindon.

In fact, the Royals have accrued a respectable seven points from their opening four encounters, thanks to victories over Wigan and Charlton, combined with a shock point at Birmingham on the opening day.

Leyton Orient, on the other hand, have lost their first four: performances against likely promotion contenders Bolton, Charlton and Birmingham offered plenty of encouragement that Richie Wellens’ side could create chances, but then they couldn’t follow up those efforts, going down 3-0 at probable relegation candidates Shrewsbury.

The O’s have question marks in goal, where Zach Hemming has endured a slow start on loan from Middlesbrough, while Josh Keeley only just joined on loan from Tottenham on deadline day, and the uncertainty in that area could seep into the rest of the team.

Stockport have enjoyed a smooth start to life in League One: they almost look a better team at this level than they did in the second half of their League Two title-winning campaign.

County have been bold with their recruitment strategy this summer, and bringing back forward Louie Barry was a masterstroke, with the Aston Villa loanee enjoying sparkling form for Dave Challinor’s side, who have taken 10 points from the first four.

Crawley won their first two themselves, but their 1-0 victory at Cambridge on week two was something of a smash-and-grab for Scott Lindsey’s side, who have since suffered successive defeats to Wigan and Barnsley – getting carved open by the latter at will.

Given the pace and quality of this Stockport side, it could be a comfortable away triumph.

Dobra can go under the radar for Chesterfield, given he doesn’t have much in the way of history in the EFL, but the attacking midfielder is unquestionably a star man for Paul Cook’s side.

Dilan Markanday brings flair from the right, James Berry offers directness and a goal threat from the left, Will Grigg provides surprisingly selfless movement for a striker of his goalscoring pedigree, but Dobra is very much the final third fulcrum for the Spireites.

The Albanian is given free rein in the number 10 role for the Derbyshire outfit, and he just loves to pick out pockets of space around the edges of the penalty box, jink away from opponents, and produce those deft, final pieces of quality.

Dobra has already got on the scoresheet twice this season, as well as hitting the post, and only three players in League Two have had more shots than him, as an impressive Chesterfield side prepare for their trip to Port Vale.

All four of Blackburn Rovers league games this season have seen both teams find the net, and the same is true of three of Bristol City’s.

Both teams boast a multitude of attacking threats, chiefly Yuki Ohashi for Rovers, with the agile Japanese forward bringing bags of energy and final third finesse since joining from Sanfreece Hiroshima.

Meanwhile, Bristol City can rotate between Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu, with both bringing searing pace.

In Armstrong’s case, he also provides physicality that makes him a real threat when running at opponents in transitions: Mayulu loves to place his finishes with real accuracy.

Rotherham are understandably odds-on favourites for Saturday’s game, but Burton haven’t been far off.

The Brewers have looked the more enterprising team in possession, so far this season, and are already playing the kind of football that coach Mark Robinson wants, even if deep-lying playmaker Elliot Watt needs to get his passing a tad crisper.

Terence Vancooten, Ryan Sweeney and Jack Armer have already forged a defensive understanding as a new-look back three, and they boast one of the top goalkeepers in the league in Max Crocombe.

Hosts Rotherham are creating chances, but they’re not very intentional with their final third play and tend to create a high-volume of half-chances, that sometimes don’t get converted – and they might not, if Crocombe is on form.