It’s still early in the season but League 1 has already thrown up some twists and turns.
Right now it is Dunfermline Athletic and Airdrieonians who lead the way, though neither without flaw.
They meet on Saturday at the newly renamed KDM Group East End Park, the away side ahead on goal difference.
The teams haven’t faced each other since the Pars were last in League 1 in 2016.
The Diamonds got the better of the fixtures that season, though a 3-0 win for Airdrie came in the penultimate, by which time Dunfermline had won the title.
Now managed by 30-year-old Rhy McCabe – who still also pulls the strings at the heart of their 4-1-4-1 formation – they have carried on from last season.
Then, under the guidance of Ian Murray, they reached the Championship playoff final where they lost out to Queens Park.
Goals
Only Airdrie have attempted more shots than Dunfermline in League 1, according to Wyscout, finding the net nine times.
The two teams also lead the league in touches in the opposition penalty area – Airdrie’s 102 to Dunfermline’s 100.
All of which points to an exciting encounter with two sides taking the game to each other.
However, like James McPake, McCabe has challenged his team to be more ruthless in front of goal and finish games off earlier.
He specifically pointed to Conor Sammon’s chance in their previous match versus Alloa, which would have levelled on the day.
Sammon’s chance:
Airdrie hit the target slightly less – 39% to 37%, to the nearest percentage – both below the league average of 40%.
Where can Airdrie be got at?
The Diamonds have faced the fourth most shots in League 1 so far, only Peterhead, Alloa and FC Edinburgh have faced more.
They aren’t as dominant in the air as the Pars, winning 40% of their aerial duels to Dunfermline’s 59% – and that’s with Athletic contesting many, many more.
Furthermore, even though Airdrie have conceded just once, they have given up lots of great opportunities to the opposition – none more so than in the draw with Queen of the South.
According to their expected goals against, Airdrie are lucky not to have conceded five goals.
Across each of their matches so far are examples of one v ones and, perhaps more crucially, free headers.
Big but…
Aside from showing they can score goals, McCabe’s men have shown how good they are at carving out opportunities.
On almost every scoring metric McCabe’s side score high, meaning the Pars defence is likely to face the sternest test it has so far in League 1.
They may give up lots of chances but, like Dunfermline, they create plenty of their own.
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