Leicester City: 50 league matches in the bank, 4 from this season and the rest from last season in the Championship. Oxford United: 49 league matches in the bank, 3 from this season and the rest from last season in the Championship.
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
Leicester City -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 13th of 24 after 4 games, with 5 points -- too few games yet to mean much. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Championship, where it finished 21st 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 2, lost 0 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 4, drew 8, lost 5 of 17 (1.18 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 3, lost 9 of 16 (0.94 a game); against the bottom block won 5, drew 5, lost 5 of 15 (1.33 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 2, lost 0 of 2 (1.00 a game).
Oxford United -- away
Where it stands
Stands 15th of 24 after 3 games, with 4 points -- too few games yet to mean much. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Championship, where it finished 23rd 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 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 4, drew 6, lost 7 of 17 (1.06 a game); against the middle block won 3, drew 4, lost 10 of 17 (0.76 a game); against the bottom block won 5, drew 4, lost 5 of 14 (1.36 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 1, lost 0 of 1 (1.00 a game).
Built 06:39 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.