Cardiff City: 50 league matches in the bank, 13 from this season and the rest from last season in the League One. West Ham United: 50 league matches in the bank, 13 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
Cardiff City -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 18th of 24 after 13 games, with 14 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came up from the League One, where it finished 2nd of 24.
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. Away against them: won 0 of 2.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 4, lost 4 of 13 (1.46 a game); against the middle block won 10, drew 5, lost 4 of 19 (1.84 a game); against the bottom block won 9, drew 4, lost 3 of 16 (1.94 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 2 of 2 (0.00 a game).
West Ham United -- away
Where it stands
Stands 8th of 24 after 13 games, with 22 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Premier League, where it finished 18th 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 3, drew 1, lost 0 of 4 -- 10 points of 12. At home against them: won 1 of 1. Away against them: won 2 of 3.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 2, drew 6, lost 8 of 16 (0.75 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 5, lost 6 of 16 (1.25 a game); against the bottom block won 6, drew 1, lost 7 of 14 (1.36 a game); against sides new to the division won 3, drew 1, lost 0 of 4 (2.50 a game).
Built 22:02 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.