The joint second-highest scorers in League Two so far are Chesterfield and Notts County. The pair are averaging 1.70 goals per game, proving that both of these outfits are as forward-thinking as they come. When it comes to league xGF, the away side are ranked top of that category, with Saturday’s home side not too far behind in fourth. Therefore, both goalkeepers are set to be more than busy.

This fixture also puts together two clubs inside the top-eight in their division regards to amount of goal attempts this season. Combined, there is only five clean sheets out of a possible 20 to their names in league action, plus 15 out of 20 occasions they haven’t failed to score. When it comes to Chesterfield and Notts County, goals is the immediate thought, and understandably so.

A match involving two teams that play front-foot and aggressive football has to be a strong contender for both teams scoring. Chesterfield’s league fixtures this season are averaging 2.70 goals, whereas for Notts County it is down narrowly to 2.60. This, along with the fact this is a top-four clash in League Two in terms of xGF means it should be an exciting affair.

All six of Chesterfield’s home matches in all competitions this season has featured both teams scoring. Despite that, they remain unbeaten at SMH Group Stadium, although they’ve only won once inside 90 minutes. Regarding Notts County, five of their seven away contests in all competitions also included each team netting. These facts reflect two adventurous outfits that score goals but do have defensive vulnerabilities.

Although currently sitting bang in the middle of the League Two table in 12th position, Chesterfield do actually possess the strongest first-half record in the division. Not only that, Paul Cook’s side are also the highest scorers based upon their scores within this period of games.

In comparison, Notts County are ranked 15th, with them being behind at the interval in 50% of their league matches. They do actually have the best second-half record, so it would appear Chesterfield’s best chance of a positive outcome is to be quick out of the blocks. The home side have also outscored opponents 5-1 based upon the first-half of their home league games. The one goal they did concede came against Walsall, who currently sit top of the table.

The fact of the matter is that Chesterfield are one of only six remaining clubs in League Two unbeaten at home in league action. Although the record actually reads one win and four draws, there have been some encouraging signs within them. In four of those they opened the scoring, which ultimately gives them a better chance of avoiding defeat. Also, their last home match against top of the league Walsall saw them twice fall behind, only to earn a good draw in the end.

Cook’s side have been so dominant at home that they’ve suffered only one defeat here since the start of the 2023/24 campaign. Some will rightly argue that Notts County are also unbeaten away from home this season. However, there is a cavity alongside that. They recently lost one of their star players, Jodi Jones, to a broken leg. He is out long-term and will be a great miss considering he has six goals and assists combined in the league this season. This is the joint-highest of any within the County squad.

If Alassana Jatta could shrug off his injury issues then there is no doubt he would be playing at a higher level. Taking this season as an example, he has only been able to start half of County’s league encounters so far. Despite this, he is their joint-highest scoring in League Two action, plus he is also ranked joint-first in terms of goal involvements (goals scored and assists). This proves his awareness in and around the final third.

Ever since he left Danish side Viborg to move to Nottinghamshire, the 25-year-old has recorded nine goals in 16 appearances in league contests. This works out as an impressive average of a goal in every 0.81 games. He’ll be hoping his injury issues are behind him for now having started back-to-back league games and he should be starting to find his groove again. Jatta has fired in five goals across seven appearances in all competitions this season, so he is a very reliable goalscorer when getting on the pitch.

There are a few standout individuals within the Notts County ranks and Dan Crowley is certainly one of them. He has the joint-highest amount of goal involvements in their squad in League Two this season, which highlights how valuable he is. In all competitions, the 27-year-old is averaging 2.10 shots and 1.00 shots on target per game. Manager Stuart Maynard will advise his players to get him the ball as much as possible on Saturday.

Jodi Jones is another vital player in the County ranks but he recently picked up a long-term injury. He is one of those Crowley is tied with regards to goal involvements, so it places extra pressure on someone such as the Coventry-born midfielder to make major contributions. He naturally thrives on such expectations anyway.

Dilan Markanday was deemed something of an eye-catching signing when Chesterfield swooped for him on loan from Blackburn for the season. He took a little time to settle into his new surroundings but The Spireites are now seeing the best of the winger. He has now recorded three goals over his previous five appearances for the club, and has quickly become one of their main goal threats.

It is no shock the goals have started arriving considering the effort he put in to make that the case. Prior to his first goal for his new side, he was averaging 3.00 shots per game. Overall, that number has since reduced to 2.125, which is still more than handy. Also, the just turned 23-year-old is averaging 1.00 shots on target for the League Two club. Therefore, the Notts County goalkeeper should expect to be the receiving end of at least one Markanday shot that will give him something to think about.

The team that has so far achieved the highest average amount of corners in League Two is Chesterfield with 5.90. This again reflects how their style of play is effective in working the ball into the final third. Cook’s side are anticipated to enjoy more of the possession here, even facing another tidy passing opponent, and the home field and crowd advantage will be key to this.

For all that Notts County are averaging more corners than they concede, it is still a fairly substantial amount the opposition have collectively gained. Their average league corners awarded to their opponents is 5.30, and this is after not facing too many teams, such as Chesterfield, who will enjoy at least around 60% possession. In fact, this figure increases quite drastically when basing it purely on County’s away league battles. It jumps up to 7.80, the greatest number of any in the division away from home.