The EFL’s last unbeaten side meet the League Two leaders live on Sky
Seven draws and no defeats from 11 games make Walsall the only unbeaten team left in the EFL. Salford arrive at the Bescot top of League Two after six straight league wins. The game was moved from Saturday for Sky, so both sides have had six days of rest. Walsall have built their run on defence: Jed Ward has kept six league clean sheets, including the last three at home. Salford have won tight games, and six of their eight league victories have been by a single goal.
„The goalkeeper, in terms of what he’s bringing at the moment, is really high level.“ – Walsall manager Lee Grant on Jed Ward
Predicted lineups: Walsall vs Salford
Walsall have one enforced change. Right-back Elicha Ahui was sent off for a last-man foul in the 3-0 win over Oldham and serves a one-match ban, and the Express & Star expects Declan Skura to deputise. Roman Dixon has not yet been passed fit. Salford should be close to full strength. Macaulay Langstaff started on the bench at Bristol Rovers and is expected to return up front, and Taylor Allen, Walsall’s player of the season in 2024/25, is likely to play at the Bescot on loan for the opposition.
Walsall Team News & Preview
Lee Grant has turned Walsall into a very hard team to beat in his first season. They have three 0-0 draws, only four of their 11 league games have gone over 2.5 goals, and at home they have conceded twice in five games. Ward is the key figure: his FotMob rating of 7.73 is the best in the squad, and Grant praised him again after the Oldham win.
The attack is better than the draws suggest. Aaron Pressley has seven league goals, and Tai Sodje has four goals in his last three games in all competitions. The 1-1 at Swindon, which Grant called the team’s best performance of the season, was the sort of game where Walsall controlled possession but could not turn it into a win.
What works for or against Walsall
- Unbeaten in 11 league games, with six clean sheets.
- Only two goals conceded in five home league games.
- Ahui's suspension forces a change at right-back.
- Seven draws in 11 games, including three goalless.
Salford Team News & Preview
Salford’s run has been about winning narrowly. After losing two of their first three games, including 3-1 at Barnet, Peter Cklamovski’s side have won eight and drawn one of their last nine. Six of the eight wins were by a single goal, and the last two followed a similar pattern: 2-1 against Crawley, then 2-1 at Bristol Rovers, where Ellis Harrison hit the bar with a penalty.
Langstaff scored both goals against Crawley, and Kallum Cesay leads the team with six assists. Defensively, centre-back Dan Scarr has the best FotMob rating in the squad, and Salford concede only 1.11 expected goals per game. Cklamovski talked about the need to „recover well and keep sharpening our blade“.
What works for or against Salford
- Six straight league wins and top of the table.
- Three wins and a draw from six away games, with 12 goals scored.
- Six of their eight wins have been by one goal.
- Lost on their last league visit to Walsall in August 2025.
Walsall vs Salford Odds
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Walsall vs. Salford City Stats Comparison
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Walsall vs. Salford City Form Guide
Walsall Form, Stats & Data
The gap between 1.45 expected goals against and 0.64 actual goals conceded is the most important number here. Opponents do get chances against Walsall, and much of the defensive record is down to Ward’s form. That is a risk for an Under bet, but it also explains why he is rated so highly and why Walsall have lost none of their 11 games.
Salford City Form, Stats & Data
Salford score more than their 1.25 expected goals per game suggest, but they do not create many chances for a league leader. Their strength is control: 57% possession and only 1.11 expected goals against. That suggests a side that wins by managing games rather than overwhelming opponents.
Walsall vs Salford: Prediction & Betting Tip
Two sides that keep games tight meet at the Bescot. Walsall have conceded twice in five home games and kept three home clean sheets in a row. Salford create only 1.25 expected goals per game and have won six of their eight games by a single goal. Both sides average around 57% possession, so the midfield battle is likely to be cagey rather than open. Last season’s two meetings both ended 1-0.
Ward’s form is what makes me hesitate. Walsall concede 1.45 expected goals per game, so if he has an ordinary night the defensive record could look very different, and Salford have scored 12 goals in six away games. Ahui’s absence at right-back is another small worry. Even so, the way both teams play points to a low-scoring game, and I am backing Under 2.5 Goals at 1.96 with Winz, with 1-1 my score prediction.