The table makes Forfar Athletic the bigger side: 4th against 10th of 10 last season. Against the block the other keeps: Forfar Athletic takes 1.56 points a game, Edinburgh City 1.14 -- the block form is Forfar Athletic's.
Forfar Athletic: 48 league matches in the bank, 12 from this season and the rest from last season. Edinburgh City: 48 league matches in the bank, 12 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
Forfar Athletic -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 9th of 10 after 12 games, with 11 points. Last season it finished 4th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (4th to 7th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 12 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (8th to 10th). Against that block it has won 7, drew 4, lost 5 of 16 -- 25 points of 48. At home against them: won 4 of 7. Away against them: won 3 of 9.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 1, drew 6, lost 7 of 14 (0.64 a game); against the middle block won 7, drew 3, lost 6 of 16 (1.50 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 4, lost 5 of 16 (1.56 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 1 of 2 (1.50 a game).
Edinburgh City -- away
Where it stands
Stands 4th of 10 after 12 games, with 19 points. Last season it finished 10th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (8th to 10th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 12 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (4th to 7th). Against that block it has won 5, drew 9, lost 7 of 21 -- 24 points of 63. At home against them: won 2 of 11. Away against them: won 3 of 10.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 1, drew 4, lost 10 of 15 (0.47 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 9, lost 7 of 21 (1.14 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 1, lost 3 of 11 (2.00 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 0 of 1 (3.00 a game).
Built 02:26 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.