Milton Keynes Dons vs Crawley Town - EFL Trophy

Milton Keynes Dons prepare to host Crawley Town at the home ground on September 22, 2026, with both sides eager to assert their credentials and claim a result that could define their EFL Trophy season. Football throws up these lovely surprises that you are not expecting from time to time." For now, Bloomfield can enjoy the rare privilege of being able to say yes to his family without checking the fixture list first.

The two sides arrive with plenty to prove, and the EFL Trophy contest at the home ground offers a chance to lay down a marker. The hosts will be looking to find their rhythm and put a run of results together. Crawley Town will travel with intent, knowing that a positive result here could kick-start their campaign. That result ended the European giants' 14-game unbeaten run in the competition, as Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham were contained by an "incredible" performance from a player barely anyone outside of France had heard of.

Tactically, the contest promises a fascinating contrast. Milton Keynes Dons will look to impose their style on home soil, while Crawley Town are likely to have ideas of their own about how to gain the upper hand. Andoni Iraola, like Luis Enrique, is a coach who demands that his players press high.

Individual moments of quality could tip the balance. Both sides possess players capable of producing something out of nothing, and a single flash of brilliance may be all that separates them. Set-piece specialists and aerial threats on both sides mean dead-ball situations could carry outsized importance. However, the Scotland striker has not hit the ground running in Govan and was on the bench for the 5-1 home League Cup win over St Mirren on Sunday, with midfielder Nico Raskin taking the armband.

Predictions are tricky when the sides are this evenly matched, and small margins — a moment of quality, a slice of luck — could decide it either way. The signals point towards a stalemate, with the two sides closely matched across form and standings. A 1-1 draw is easy to envisage. With the standings tight and form on the line, this is a fixture neither side will want to lose. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Liverpool's midfield wasn't great last year but I expect Florian Wirtz to have a better season, 100 per cent.