Burnley: 48 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season in the Premier League. Wolverhampton Wanderers: 47 league matches in the bank, 9 from this season and the rest from last season in the Premier League.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Burnley -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 21st of 24 after 10 games, with 8 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Premier League, where it finished 19th of 20.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 0, drew 1, lost 0 of 1. At home against them: won 0 of 1.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 0, drew 8, lost 7 of 15 (0.53 a game); against the middle block won 2, drew 2, lost 14 of 18 (0.44 a game); against the bottom block won 3, drew 4, lost 7 of 14 (0.93 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 1, lost 0 of 1 (1.00 a game).
Wolverhampton Wanderers -- away
Where it stands
Stands 10th of 24 after 9 games, with 14 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Premier League, where it finished 20th of 20.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 0, drew 0, lost 2 of 2. At home against them: won 0 of 1. Away against them: won 0 of 1.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 2, drew 2, lost 9 of 13 (0.62 a game); against the middle block won 2, drew 7, lost 8 of 17 (0.76 a game); against the bottom block won 3, drew 4, lost 8 of 15 (0.87 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 2 of 2 (0.00 a game).
Built 19:31 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.