Derby day deluge - five things to watch in the EFL

ByKate Holloway

BBC Sport England

Derby delights are abound in the English Football League this weekend.

Whether it be local rivalries, competitive cities, or simply a team named Derby coming to town, for many the biggest thing on offer will not just be about the league table.

Here are five things to look out across the weekend in the EFL.

A match between a relegated club and a team who missed out on a play-off spot on the final day of the season sounds like a treat - but for fans of Burnley and Derby County, it is a recipe for a potential nightmare.

Neither team has made a good start, to put it mildly.

The Clarets are bottom and still looking for their first win; Derby have amassed just four points in seven games and are on a three-match losing streak.

It is too early to say both are relegation candidates but the signs are worrying and Saturday's meeting at Turf Moor (15:00 BST) feels like it will carry more weight than it should.

What is worse for the Rams is Sweden international goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has been ruled out of the match with a knee problem.

"The defensive aspect for Derby at the moment is under scrutiny, we are conceding goals, and to lose your first-choice goalkeeper is a big blow," former Rams academy coach Darren Robinson told BBC Radio Derby.

The bitterness of losing a derby can linger far beyond the season.

West Ham went a man down in the ninth minute the last time they met Millwall in 2012, but they still managed to claw out a 2-1 victory.

It would have left a scar on the Lions, who have seen their storming start to the Championship falter in the past few games, while their London rivals have leapt to the top following an unsteady start on their return to the Championship.

They meet at The Den on Saturday (12:30 BST) with the Hammers chasing a fifth straight victory and aiming to fully establish their position as league leaders.

Meanwhile, Molineux hosts its first Black Country derby since 2021 on Sunday (12:00 BST).

Wolves lost 3-2 in this fixture when West Bromwich Albion visited most recently but, like Millwall, it is 2012 that truly haunts them.

Baggies boss James Morrison played his hand in a 5-1 victory for Albion on the pitch that day and 14 years later he will be hoping to inflict further suffering from the dugout.

Cambridge and Oxford are cities with a rivalry for the ages.

Both striving for the highest echelons of academics, their famed universities usually find themselves in a boat race for their bragging rights. But in football, they have another ambition in mind.

After impressive starts, it appears both Cambridge United and Oxford United are on the hunt for promotion.

Cambridge have adjusted excellently to life in League One under Neil Harris to suffer just one defeat in six games (W3 D2), while Aaron Ramsey's Oxford are overcoming a transfer embargo and relegation disappointment to do the same in five (W3 D1).

Both are in a play-off position, just one point separating the two, and with such interlinked history within the cities their game on Saturday (15:00 BST) feels like it is going to be good.

Doncaster manager Grant McCann recently revealed he was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and while he says he has recovered now, it can put events on the football pitch into perspective.

His team are technically under pressure - bottom of the league and without a win to their name (D3 L3).

Doncaster next visit Peterborough United on Saturday (15:00 BST), a club McCann has rich history with as both a player and a manager.

Peterborough are only two points ahead and in danger themselves.

A familiar ground against an opponent of similar form can sometimes bring stress, but it can also mean opportunity.

"I'm not putting any extra on the pressure to the players, if anything I'm feeling a bit calmer," McCann told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Nobody wants to be in position where we haven't won in six games but if we look at all the games, we've had really good opportunities to put the game away.

"We haven't quite done that but we have to stay on top of what we believe in and it will certainly come."

You think the Championship is the only place you can catch derby drama this weekend? Think again.

Saturday's early kick-offs in League Two offer a double helping of local rivals going at it.

The Premier League's Manchester derby between City and United was the cause of much conversation this week but while Oldham and Rochdale (12:30 BST) are likely to fly much lower under the radar, it is worth its own talking point.

Both have recently returned to the EFL from the National League but Rochdale have not yet found their footing and will be seeking just their second win of the season to start settling in.

However, Oldham have lost their past two in succession and are at risk at tumbling down the down the table after a solid start to their campaign.

Meanwhile, Port Vale make the short trip from Burslem to Walsall (12:30 BST).

The Saddlers watched Vale win promotion ahead of them during a rollercoaster 2024-25 season, but the Valiants are back in the fourth tier and struggling.

Vale are just above the relegation line after claiming their first win of the season against Exeter City last weekend and will aim to back it up against a Walsall team who have proven a tricky team for them in the past.

This exact fixture was claimed by the Valiants last time out but the Saddlers were unbeaten in their previous seven meetings, winning six.

To make the Saddlers even more of threat, they have gone undefeated in the league so far and will want to stay that way.