Gab Sutton's EFL Winners & Losers - February 24
We've had our first relegation of the season, with Sunday's Steel City Derby deciding the fate of one of the Championship teams against their biggest rivals..
Our EFL pundit here at Free Bets, Gab Sutton, takes a look at another busy weekend of EFL action across the three leagues.
Winners
Pressing Portsmouth
Two weeks ago, Portsmouth lost 1-0 at home to Sheffield United; they’d been extremely unlucky, and deserved more on the balance of chances, but supporters were growing concerned by the team’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.
Two games, two wins, and six goals later, and those fears from Pompey fans have been allayed, with John Mousinho’s side achieving successive 3-1 wins in South London, at Charlton and Millwall.
The fact those six goals have come through via different goalscorers probably plots the route out of danger for Portsmouth; they don’t have a clinical striker, or a more withdrawn forward capable of racking up the big numbers, but they can create chances, and should have the means to spread the goals around.
With those wins, they find themselves six points clear of the drop zone with a game in hand.
Wimbledon
After the fabulous start that was eight wins in the opening 13 games for the newly-promoted side, a winter slump of seven points from the next 14 saw Wimbledon fans looking over their shoulders, as pre-season fears that they wouldn’t score enough goals returned to the surface.
Johnnie Jackson’s side have found the answers once again, though, in February, with three wins in their last five, and 11 goals scored to boot.
Ali Smith has forged an excellent midfield trio with Callum Maycock and Myles Hippolyte, Marcus Browne has enjoyed sumptuous form in attack in support of Matty Stevens, who has recently recaptured his autumn form.
Crucially, the resurgence has put eight points between the south-west Londoners and the relegation zone and, crucially, seven teams.
Notts County's faith and hope, Ndlovu
Notts County needed a target man to rotate with, or possibly replace, talisman Alassana Jatta, and the signing of Lee Ndlovu from Barnet looks an astute addition for Martin Paterson’s side.
The former non-league striker has been an excellent aerial reference point, and physical focal point, for the Magpies, scoring twice in a 5-0 thumping of Tranmere.
With Swindon losing at home to Crewe, the result nudges them into the top three on goal difference, and with a game in hand on their closest divisional rivals.
Losers
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation to League One has come in the most humiliating fashion you could possibly write: as early as February, at the home of their fiercest rivals, Sheffield United.
Henrik Pedersen is highly regarded from players who have worked with him, and the Nordic coach has had his hands well and truly tied as the club has slashed it’s budgets in order to fulfil basic necessities like paying wages in full on time, while a combined 17-point deduction has made a mockery of the season.
Wednesdayites now desperately need some clarity around the preferred bidder, and the loosest sign of what next season might look like; just to give the fans some hope with which to get through the last two months of the season, which could be tedious for supporters if nothing else.
Matt's miffed Millers
After a 2-1 home loss to South Yorkshire rivals Doncaster, Rotherham are languishing in 23rd in League One, five points adrift of safety.
They might have a game(s) in hand on sides above them, but there are few signs of resurgence, with the Millers having taken just seven points from their last 13 games, while performances, barring the odd exception, seem to offer less fight and togetherness by the week.
Matt Hamshaw’s side look out of ideas, and as things stand, things are only going one way.
Rudderless Tranmere
Tranmere suffered their eighth defeat of 2026 already on Saturday, with Andy Crosby’s side thumped 5-0 at the hands of Notts County.
The Birkenhead outfit have some widespread structural issues, they’ve recruited the wrong players, and they’ve had chronic injury crises all season, causing gaping defensive holes that have seen them ship 57 goals – only bottom side Newport have leaked more.
Somehow, Rovers are still nine points above the drop zone with a game in hand, but at this rate they’re desperate to get to the summer, and the hope of a takeover, with their EFL status intact because otherwise, this season has been one to forget.
EFL Betting at Free Bets
Gab Sutton provides weekly football tips for Free Bets, featuring a thoroughly researched longshot acca alongside sharp analysis of the key talking points and standout moments from the weekend's action at the start of each new week.
