Five things in EFL: Fallen giants and ambitious upstartsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, West Ham United (left) and Leicester City are both hoping to recover from relegationByGlenn SpellerBBC Sport journalistPublished31 minutes agoAmbition can be many things – the enemy of success or what drives people to new heights – just ask a few of the sides lining up for week two of the English Football League.West Ham United and Leicester City’s ambitions lay well above the Championship and League One respectively but previous failings mean they are now having to dig themselves out of self-constructed holes.On the other side of the coin, there are teams like Lincoln City, Bromley and York City who are probably still pinching themselves after last season’s heroics.The EFL has sub-plots wherever you look and we have selected five things to keep an eye out for this weekend.Hammers hoping for speedy getawayImage source, West Ham UnitedImage caption, Arne Engels became the EFL’s record signing when he joined West Ham last weekSuch has been the yo-yo nature of sides relegated from the Premier League in recent seasons, West Ham fans will expect a swift return to the top flight, although their own history suggests sometimes it is never as easy as it sounds.The last time the Hammers found themselves in the Championship for the 2011-12 campaign, they had to come through the play-offs to earn promotion back to the promised land.They look like they mean business this time around – smashing the EFL transfer record by spending £22m on Celtic midfielder Arne Engels before taking Leeds striker Joel Piroe on loan – which will only increase the expectation of a promotion-winning season.
Where will the highest attendance be in England on Saturday? Not in the Premier League, but at the Hammers’ London Stadium where a 62,500 sell-out will have the majority demanding a win over Charlton (15:00 BST).
This will be a first league meeting between the two London sides for 19 years and while the Addicks are still feeling their way back into the second tier after consolidation on their return last season, the Hammers know anything less than a win may have some of the natives getting restless, even at this early stage.
