Huddersfield Town head into their League One clash with Notts County on 5 September 2026 sitting top of the table after collecting 10 points from four matches and scoring three goals in three of those four games. It is a test of whether Martin Drury's side can maintain that early scoring rate against a Notts side set up to absorb pressure and nick something on the counter.
Neither manager has a head to head record against the other, with Drury appointed on 27 May 2026 after replacing Liam Manning and Paterson in charge since 22 June 2025 when he took over from Stuart Maynard. Huddersfield's last four league results read W-W-D-W, with wins over Oxford United (3-1 on 1 September), Cambridge United (2-1 on 29 August) and AFC Wimbledon (3-0 on 15 August) either side of a 1-1 draw with MK Dons on 22 August. Notts come in with a D-W-D-D sequence, drawing 1-1 with Doncaster on 1 September, beating Burton Albion 2-1 on 29 August and sharing a 2-2 draw with Luton Town on 22 August.
Marcus McGuane is out for the season with an ACL injury, Herbie Kane is doubtful with a hamstring problem, Jack Whatmough is out with a groin issue, Sean Roughan has a thigh injury and Cam Ashia is also sidelined with a groin complaint, a set of absences that leaves Drury's midfield and defensive depth thin enough that the same midfield group are likely to start for the fourth successive game. Notts have their own problems, with Dean Campbell, Matt Palmer, Lewis Macari, Matt Platt, Jodi Jones, Emile Acquah and Max Sanders all unavailable or doubtful.
Huddersfield's 3-4-2-1 is built to press high and transition quickly after winning the ball, with the wing backs getting forward while the central midfielders recycle possession quickly enough to find Joe Taylor in motion rather than standing still. Taylor has scored five goals in four league games and given his movement in the channels and ability to finish from tight angles, he will test Notts' back three throughout. Radinio Balker organises the defence, while Ryan Ledson drives things in midfield and has supplied a steady stream of assists.
Notts operate in a compact 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2, sitting in a mid low block and releasing Nicholas Tsaroulla in behind on turnovers, carrying at defenders and cutting inside as their most direct outlet wide. Luka Smyth leads the line while Oliver Cooper screens in front of the back three, winning second balls and pressing the first receiver. With so many unavailable, Paterson has no natural replacement for Campbell's pressing role off the front, which could leave the space between Notts' midfield and back three that Huddersfield's press is designed to exploit.
The most interesting battle to watch is Ledson's progressive passing against Cooper's screening role: if Ledson can get the ball forward quickly and consistently, Huddersfield's front line has the quality to find the gaps in Notts' shape before they can reset. Balker's positioning will also matter in keeping Smyth away from pockets behind the defensive line. McGuane's absence is worth flagging separately, as Drury may need to reshuffle his midfield to stop the press losing its shape in the final stages.
Historical meetings have tended to go Huddersfield's way, though recent matchups have been sparse. The 2015 League Cup is one of the few noteworthy encounters, with Notts winning 2-1 at Huddersfield. In terms of dead ball situations, Huddersfield often win free kicks in midfield that allow Taylor to attack the box from deeper positions and the disruption to Notts' squad may compromise their usual routines at both ends.
Huddersfield are unbeaten, have scored more than any other side in the division through four games and have already shown they can dismantle a deep defensive setup, with their 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon being the clearest example of that quality so far. Taylor's movement against a depleted Notts back three is the sharpest mismatch in this match and while the injury concerns on both sides add more uncertainty than the table gap implies, the attacking advantage is real enough to back the home side. Huddersfield Town 2-1 Notts County: Taylor and the attacking unit should create enough to get past a Notts defence that has yet to win but has been difficult to break down, with Huddersfield adding a second through a set piece routine that Notts' disrupted personnel will struggle to defend.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
