L1 | S4 | W5: Port Vale silence Ibrox as the D1 title race blows wide open

📰 Week 5 in Review – Season 4

Week 5 brought the League Cup back into the mix and delivered some of the most dramatic football of the season so far. Port Vale’s win at Ibrox was the headline result – Del Sharratt’s side knocked Rangers off the top of Division 1 and in doing so turned what looked like a two-horse title race into something considerably more complicated. Across the four divisions, form guides were torn up, comebacks were completed, and the points table looks a great deal less predictable than it did seven days ago.

The League Cup Round 2 added to the drama: five of eight ties required extra time or penalties across the four divisional groups, and several established clubs have now departed the competition. The Last 16 draw is set, with ties scheduled for Week 8.

And off the pitch, a moment worth highlighting: a handful of managers clubbed together to buy a block of credits for Manager Gilbert after his home was affected by a fire. That kind of gesture says everything about what this league has become.

🏆 Division 1 – Shock at the Top

Rangers had looked like the team to beat. Nine points from four games, a perfect home record, and the look of a side that knew what they were doing. Then Port Vale arrived at Ibrox on Week 5 and Ronaldo – yes, that Ronaldo, turning out for Del Sharratt’s unfancied Vale side – put the ball past the Rangers keeper on 27 minutes and that was that. A 1-0 win for the away side, and suddenly Division 1 has three clubs level on nine points.

Plymouth Argyle won 1-0 at home to Walsall – Silva curling home on 80 minutes to keep Carl’s side firmly in contention. Port Vale’s win means they are now level with Rangers and Plymouth on nine apiece, having played identically disciplined football all season. Lee Berry’s Rangers are still first by a whisker on some metrics, but the gap they once had is gone.

💡 Rangers, Plymouth Argyle and Port Vale are all level on nine points and all sharing the same goal difference of +2. The title race is genuinely open – and it’s only Week 5.

Liverpool beat Lincoln City 2-1 – Euell on 9 minutes and Afash on 28 doing the damage, Mbappé pulling one back for the visitors on 29. Stuart Merry’s side move to seven points, which is a decent return even if the quality at the top is making them look a little distant right now. Lincoln City slip to fourth on eight, still well placed but having surrendered a chance to go top.

At the other end, Harrogate Town got the result Jeff Galdas has been waiting for – a 3-1 home win over Newport County, with Mayer scoring twice (1′ and 63′) and Kewell adding a third on 25. It lifts Harrogate off the bottom to 14th on five points. Newport County remain in the lower reaches on four. Nottingham Forest, managed by Jay and Charles, are up to seventh on seven points after a strong 3-0 win over Norwich City, with Berbatov and Costa (twice) doing the business.

⚠️ Wigan Athletic are in the bottom four on four points, and Walsall – Andy Sillars’ side, who looked so dangerous earlier in the season – have tumbled to ninth after their defeat at Plymouth. The table is tighter in the middle than it might appear.

Walsall are currently without a manager after Andy Sillars departed. The dugout at Bescot Stadium is empty and the league will be hoping someone takes the reins soon – they’re ninth on seven points and have the squad to do much better than that.

💙 Division 2 – Stockport Push Clear

Stockport County have ten or eleven points in every conversation about Division 2, and this week it became eleven. They could only draw 0-0 at home to Newcastle United – a slightly frustrating result for Matt Rose’s side – but the point keeps them a point clear of Cheltenham Town, who surged up to second after a remarkable afternoon at Tynecastle.

Cheltenham won 2-1 at Heart of Midlothian, Eugênio and Johnson putting them two up by half time before Mané pulled one back for Jon Dixon’s side. It was a composed away performance from Bob Hope’s Cheltenham, who are now on ten points and making a proper case for themselves in the promotion conversation.

🔍 Huddersfield Town are one of the quietly interesting stories in Division 2. Tim W’s side have won three home games from three, conceded nothing at Kirklees all season, and are now fifth on nine points. Their form at home is as good as anyone in the division – but they’ve yet to take a point on the road. That home-away split is one to watch as the season develops.

Wolverhampton Wanderers put in one of the performances of the week anywhere in the league, beating Brighton 3-1 with Trincão scoring twice (38′, 75′) and Cunha adding a third on 65. Stevie McMurray’s Wolves are up to seventh on seven points after a difficult start. York City won 1-0 at home to Sunderland thanks to McKennie on 51, a result that lifts Paul Galdas’s side to joint seventh.

At the bottom, Newcastle United remain in a deeply uncomfortable position. Mark Jeffs’s side have two points from five games – the draw at Stockport their only real reward so far. Birmingham City, under Jamie Maycroft, are 14th on five points after losing 2-0 at Huddersfield, and look like a team that is yet to hit their stride. Aston Villa are currently without a manager, sitting 11th on six points with the dugout empty at Villa Park.

❤️ Division 3 – Tranmere Turn a Corner

If there was a result across all four divisions that nobody had pencilled in, it was Tranmere Rovers beating Millwall 2-1 at Prenton Park. Luke Finnegan’s side had been the worst team in any division – one point from four games, eleven goals conceded, the kind of start that brings a sense of dread every week. Then Barnes settled it in two: 54 minutes, then a winner in the 93rd to send Prenton Park into a frenzy. It will not save their season on its own, but it was the first sign that there’s something in there worth believing in.

Manchester City extended their lead at the top to twelve points, winning 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace through Sørensen and Ameobi. Eusebio 21’s side are looking increasingly difficult to catch. Stevenage remain the closest challengers on eleven, their 1-0 win over Derby County – Bianchi on the half hour – keeping the pressure on.

💡 Arsenal are making a serious case. Gaz Sinnotti’s side have beaten Ipswich 3-0 with Scamacca scoring twice (2′, 75′) and Grabban adding a third on 87 – eight goals scored at home with none conceded. Their goal difference of +6 puts them above Leeds United despite identical points, and they look a different proposition to the side that struggled on the road in the early weeks.

Blackburn Rovers lost 1-0 at home to Leeds, Gerrard settling it on 40 minutes. That result sees The Premester’s Leeds jump to fourth, underlining a three-game winning run. Blackburn, who are currently without a manager, slide to 15th on three points – only Crystal Palace are below them. The dugout at Ewood Park will need filling soon.

💛 Division 4 – Chelsea Break Clear, Gomis Fires Hull

Chelsea have taken control of Division 4. Loz Newbold’s side beat Sheffield United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge – Harbi and Fernández the scorers – and now sit three points clear at the top on thirteen. It is an emphatic statement of intent from a side that started the season in the same division as some very modest clubs. More significantly, Sheffield United dropped to fifth in a single afternoon, with the teams immediately below them collecting points.

💡 Gomis scored three times for Hull City at Exeter – 13 minutes, 81 minutes, 86 minutes – and Steve Earl’s side are now second on eleven points with a goal difference of +7. Hull have been quietly building momentum all season and are now the most serious challenger to Chelsea in Division 4.

Southend United put three past Celtic without reply, Jiménez scoring a brace (4′, 37′) and Landzaat adding a third on 78. David Griffiths’s side are third on ten points. Oxford United are fourth after a 2-1 home win over Blackpool, Kalajdzic and Reid coming from behind after Kitson had given the visitors an early lead.

Exeter City remain pointless after five games. Michael Kensett’s side have conceded nine goals this week alone across their league and cup commitments, and the table makes grim reading with a goal difference of -8. Hibernian – fourth from bottom on three points – are still without a manager, the dugout at Easter Road sitting empty as the season ticks on.

🏆 League Cup – Round 2

Round 2 of the League Cup produced some sharp football and at least one genuine upset in each divisional group. Five of the eight ties went to extra time or penalties, which is an indication of how close things were.

In the Division 1 group, Walsall beat Harrogate Town 1-0, Nottingham Forest put two past Norwich City without reply, and Port Vale eliminated Sutton United – the reigning Supremos Cup holders – on penalties after extra time. Shrewsbury Town survived a Newport County scare to go through 2-1 AET. In Division 2, Stoke City knocked out Stockport County 2-0, Wolverhampton Wanderers went through on penalties against Cambridge United, Newcastle United beat Hearts 1-0, and York City edged Barrow 3-2 on penalties in the tie of the round.

The Division 3 group saw Arsenal beat Leicester City 1-0, Stevenage win 2-0 against Fulham, Watford knock out Aberdeen, and Forest Green Rovers beat Crystal Palace 3-1. In Division 4, Chelsea and Wimbledon both progressed, while Luton Town eliminated Tottenham Hotspur after extra time and Southend United beat Blackpool 2-0.

The Last 16 fixtures are scheduled for Week 8:

💡 Prize money per round: Rd 2: £60,000 | Last 16: £90,000 | Quarter-Finals: £150,000 | Semi-Finals: £240,000 | Runner-up: £360,000 | Winner: £600,000.

🗞️ Around the league

This week’s score draw pool had five correct scorelines across the division matches, and three managers guessed right – Matthew M of Blackpool, The Premester of Leeds United, and Bob Hope of Cheltenham Town – each taking home £266,666. Not a bad midweek bonus.

The televised matches this week were Portsmouth vs West Ham (Division 1), Huddersfield Town vs Birmingham City (Division 2), Blackburn Rovers vs Leeds United (Division 3), and Chelsea vs Sheffield United (Division 4). All four produced results of interest for the table.

A welcome addition to the league: Paul Hayes joins as the new manager of Stoke City in Division 2. The dugout at the Britannia had been empty, and the circuit will be glad to have someone steering the ship at Stoke. Good luck Paul.

Two bugs were squashed this week by Gads. The first had been causing players sold via the circuit to not appear correctly in transfer histories or the completed transfer table – now resolved. The second was a disciplinary points issue: players sent off for two yellow cards were incorrectly receiving 16 points rather than 8. Also now fixed. Both corrections are live from this week.

On the transfer front, Stevenage had a busy window – bringing in Matthias Breitkreutz from the circuit for £6.5m and Max Edelmann for £2m. Everton secured Felipe Sánchez for £4.12m. There were also several clubs moving players directly to the circuit, with names from Arsenal, Cambridge United, Crystal Palace, Fulham and others now available to the highest bidder. A Youth Scout appeared in the non-player section too – Marc Maes listing at a minimum of £486,067.

The gossip sheet flags York City, Southend United and Hull City among the clubs watching their balances most carefully. On the flip side, Nottingham Forest lead the supporter tables on 124,990 fans, with Sutton United close behind on 122,153. Chelsea lead the clean sheet chart on three, alongside Manchester City, Sheffield United, Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town, Stevenage, Southend United, Arsenal, Port Vale and Sutton United.

Walsall, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Hibernian are currently without managers. The circuits offices will be hoping those vacancies are filled soon.