GOTW: Stoke v Derby

Again, it’s too early to really jump to any conclusions about anything, although there are a couple of possible stories I’m keeping an eye on.

We enter Week Three with nine unbeaten teams, eight sides without a win, two 100% records and three clubs without a point – including one team I thought would struggle and one I thought might be an outside shot at promotion.

Or putting it another way, only the bottom three teams are one win away from a playoff spot.

The game of the week was about as one sided as you can get:

Now on to the Carabao Cup Hall Of Shame. Of the eight clubs that fell at the first hurdle, three were beaten by other Championship teams (Bristol City lost on penalties at QPR after leading with half an hour left) but four lost to clubs from League Two. The big surprise was Middlesbrough, who had to come from two goals behind at home to Crewe before losing on penalties, although there was a lot of flak for Huddersfield boss Jan Siewert after the Terriers lost at home to Lincoln.

Game of the week:

Stoke v Derby

In the Championship Stoke haven’t won at home since the start of March and haven’t won anywhere since April: under Nathan Jones, City have drawn almost exactly half of their games, winning just four of 24 outings. Since the start of last season – their first since relegation from the Premier League – the Potters have won less than a quarter of their league outings and although Jones can’t take the blame for all of that, he certainly seems to have not contributed much since he took over and could be one of the early candidates for replacement over the next couple of weeks.

Frank Lampard’s replacement Phillip Cocu has won two of his three games in charge of the Rams – which is admittedly both a small and unrepresentative sample size but he will be tested by forthcoming games against Bristol City and especially WBA, who will be looking for revenge for their playoff defeat.

HTH: Since 2000, Stoke have won four of their six home league matches against the Rams but haven’t won consecutive home games against Derby for 15 years. There hasn’t been a draw between them in the Potteries since October 1995.

Televised games: Huddersfield v Fulham (Friday, 19:45 GMT, Sky Sports Football/Main Event) and Reading v Cardiff (Sunday, noon, Sky Sports Football only). So that’s basically three of the teams that were relegated from the Premier League last season and one club that might be relegated from the Championship this season. Scintillating stuff and yet another indication of how predictable the matches selected by Sky Sports are.

There may not be a post next week due to my brother in law’s 50th, so in case there isn’t, see you in a couple of weeks.