Matchweek 7

The timing on that West Ham note. MW5 said the relegated-club trim had been retired after costing again. MW7 says West Ham 6–0 Wrexham — their heaviest win of the season, no forecast riding on it either way. Filed here purely because the timing is too good not to record.

Still nothing for Preston. 0–1 at home to Lincoln City, a sixth defeat in seven — the MW5 win over Blackburn is still their only one. Charlton's unbeaten start ended away at West Brom back in MW4; Preston hasn't had a start worth ending.

Southampton keep climbing out of the hole. 4–1 over Bristol City. Two wins from their last three have them well clear of the bottom of the table they were left in by the points deduction — the story is turning into results rather than an explanation for the table position.

Seven goals at the Riverside. Middlesbrough 4–3 Norwich, the highest- scoring match of the round and a result that does nothing to settle whether either side has sorted its defence out.

What I got wrong. One miss from six: Charlton 0–0 Portsmouth, backed with a result excluded that didn't happen either way. Everything else landed — Southampton, Swansea, Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Watford all covered. A strong week for the coupon, on a small enough sample that it says more about this particular Saturday than about the forecasting behind it.

Also. Eight of twelve matches finished level or by a single goal, and the one that wasn't close, West Ham's, had nothing riding on it. A quiet round to watch, a loud one to read about.