Two sides who could do well with a win square off in round seven of League Two as Cheltenham play host to Accrington Stanley on Saturday. FootballWhispers examines the chances of both teams securing their first win of the new league campaign at the EV Charger Points Stadium.
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Cheltenham vs Accrington Stanley prediction: Cheltenham to find their feet
Key stats
- Cheltenham are unbeaten in five of their last six home games against Accrington Stanley, picking up four wins and one draw since August 2014.
- Cheltenham have failed to win their last seven League Two games, picking up one point from a possible 21 since the start of May.
- Accrington have managed just two wins from their most recent 10 League Two away games since the start of March while losing six and picking up two draws in that time.
- Cheltenham have won just one of their last 10 League Two home matches, losing six and picking up three draws since late February.
Correct score prediction: Cheltenham 2-1 Accrington Stanley
Cheltenham and Accrington Stanley are two of just five sides yet to taste victory in the new League Two campaign and they will head into the weekend in search of a pick-me-up. Cheltenham have been dominant at home in the history of this fixture and we are backing them to come away with the desired result, albeit by the odd goal.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Cheltenham favoured by bookies
- HOME: 11/8 (2.38) – 42.1%
- DRAW: 12/5 (3.40) – 29.4%
- AWAY: 19/10 (2.90) – 34.5%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Cheltenham are backed by the bookies to secure the win this weekend, indicated by their 42.1% win probability, compared to Accrington’s 34.5%.
Cheltenham were denied a dream start to the 2025-26 EFL Trophy on Tuesday when they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Plymouth at Home Park.
On the other hand, Accrington Stanley suffered a penalty-shootout defeat against Fleetwood in the EFL Trophy Group G curtain-raiser on Tuesday following a 2-2 stalemate in normal time.
For more from the upcoming League Two fixtures, you can take a peek at some of FootballWhispers’ best picks and predictions in today’s free football betting tips.
Most recent H2Hs: Results split down the middle
The results have been split right down the middle over the last 10 meetings between the two teams, with Cheltenham and Accrington Stanley picking up three wins each since January 2017.
England League 2 28/01/25
Accrington Stanley
Cheltenham
England League 2 01/10/24
Cheltenham
Accrington Stanley
England League 1 11/02/23
Cheltenham
Accrington Stanley
England League 1 17/09/22
Accrington Stanley
Cheltenham
England League 1 02/04/22
Accrington Stanley
Cheltenham
Cheltenham preview: Scot Bennett ruled out
Cheltenham failed to find their feet on Tuesday when they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Plymouth Argyle in their EFL Trophy Group B opener at Home Park.
Swiss forward Lorent Tolaj grabbed the headlines for Plymouth as he struck twice in the first half to fire the Pilgrims to their first league win of the campaign.
Cheltenham have now gone six straight games without a win across all competitions, claiming one draw and losing five, including a 3-0 defeat against Cardiff in the EFL Cup second round on August 26.
Michael Flynn’s men now return to action in the League Two, where they have failed to taste victory in their last six games (5L, 1D) while conceding 12 goals and conceding twice so far.
Cheltenham will head into the weekend without the services of veteran defender Scot Bennett, who is suspended after picking up a late red card against Plymouth last time out.
Predicted lineup: Diallo (GK), Barber, Sherring, Walters, Harmon, Wilcox, Backwell, Broom, Tustin, Martin & Bickerstaff
Last five matches
- Plymouth 2-0 Cheltenham
- Salford 1-1 Cheltenham
- Cardiff 3-0 Cheltenham
- Cheltenham 0-1 Barnet
- Cheltenham 1-2 Bromley
Accrington Stanley preview: Looking to get off and running
Accrington Stanley were on the receiving end of another defeat last Tuesday when they were beaten on penalties by Fleetwood after a 2-2 draw in normal time at the Highbury Stadium.
Stanley found themselves two goals up in the first half courtesy of strikes from Isaac Heath and Alex Henderson, but James Norwood and Ethan Ennis hit back for Fleetwood to level matters and take the game to penalties, where the Cod Army picked up a 5-4 win.
This was in keeping with their struggles in the League Two, where John Doolan’s men have failed to win each of their five matches so far, losing twice and claiming three draws so far.
While Accrington will be looking to get their season off and running this weekend, results on the road offer little optimism as they have failed to win eight of their last 10 away matches since February’s 1-0 victory at Tranmere.
Predicted lineup: Wright (GK), Sass, Ward, Mathews, Brown, Sinclair, Bauress, Caton, Madden & Walton
Last five matches
- Fleetwood 2-2 Accrington Stanley (Fleetwood win 5-4 on penalties)
- Shrewsbury 0-0 Accrington Stanley
- Accrington Stanley 0-2 Doncaster
- Accrington Stanley 1-1 Grimsby
- Salford 2-1 Accrington Stanley
Player to watch – Tyler Walton
Tyler Walton has been a bright spark in what has been a slow start to the new campaign for Accrington Stanley and the 26-year-old forward will be one to keep an eye on.
Having switched from Southport in the summer window of 2024, Walton enjoyed a solid debut campaign for Stanley last season, racking up 13 goal contributions in the league while finishing third in the club’s scoring chart with six goals.
The Englishman has flown out of the blocks this season and is well on course to smash his 2024-25 scoring tally, having netted each of Accrington’s three goals in the League Two so far.
Having missed the midweek cup defeat versus Fleetwood, Walton should return to the fold on Saturday, forming the front three with Charlie Caton and veteran striker Paddy Madden.