Accrington Stanley and Gillingham finished near neighbours last season -- 16th and 17th of 24 -- so rank alone splits nothing here. Against the block the other keeps: Accrington Stanley takes 1.81 points a game, Gillingham 0.93 -- the block form is Accrington Stanley's.
Accrington Stanley: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Gillingham: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season.
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
Accrington Stanley -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 16th of 24 after 10 games, with 11 points. Last season it finished 16th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (9th to 16th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (17th to 24th). Against that block it has won 8, drew 5, lost 3 of 16 -- 29 points of 48. At home against them: won 5 of 10. Away against them: won 3 of 6.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 3, drew 3, lost 10 of 16 (0.75 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 5, lost 7 of 17 (1.18 a game); against the bottom block won 8, drew 5, lost 3 of 16 (1.81 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
Gillingham -- away
Where it stands
Stands 4th of 24 after 10 games, with 16 points. Last season it finished 17th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (17th to 24th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (9th to 16th). Against that block it has won 3, drew 5, lost 7 of 15 -- 14 points of 45. At home against them: won 2 of 8. Away against them: won 1 of 7.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 1, drew 5, lost 10 of 16 (0.50 a game); against the middle block won 3, drew 5, lost 7 of 15 (0.93 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 5, lost 3 of 15 (1.73 a game); against sides new to the division won 2, drew 1, lost 1 of 4 (1.75 a game).
Built 07:06 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.