Walsall’s Great Start to The Season: Can They Learn from Last Season and Go Up?

Walsall’s Great Start to The Season: Can They Learn from Last Season and Go Up?

January 1st, 2025. Walsall face Notts County away from home in their first game of the calendar year. They come from 1-0 down to win 2-1, putting them 10 points clear at the top. Two gameweeks later, on the 18th January, they would decimate Tranmere Rovers 5-1. Walsall now have 13 points on the second-best side in the league.

3rd May, four months later. Bradford score a goal in the 6th minute of added time to deny Walsall a place in the automatic promotion spots. In the 20 gameweeks since that match against Tranmere Rovers, they would gain just 20 points.

1st January 2025 - Walsall were TWELVE points clear at the top of the table.

3rd May 2025 - Walsall miss out on automatic promotion finishing 4th in the league winning just 5 games in 24 this year.

Talk about a slip up… pic.twitter.com/fEBewsUqGd

— george (@StokeyyG2) May 3, 2025

To heap more misery on an already painful wound, Walsall would later lose in the play-off final against AFC Wimbledon.

⏰ FULL-TIME: 1-0 - WE’VE DONE IT! 🤩#AFCW 🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/zeO7QpmmRq

— AFC Wimbledon (@AFCWimbledon) May 26, 2025

Many Walsall fans believe that their complete collapse happened due to star striker Nathan Lowe returning to his parent club, Stoke, on the 12th January. In his 30 games for the club, he would score 18 goals.

Next best was Jamie Matt, would scored six goals fewer in an extra 22 games.

But now, just 128 days since they lost to Wimbledon in the play-offs, Walsall are back to the top of League Two, and they look dangerous.

What Has Gone Well So Far?

To start with, Walsall were smart in this summer's transfer window. With the gaping hole that Nathan Lowe left, both Aaron Pressley and Daniel Kanu have been brought in to try and patch it up.

Whilst neither has had the same instant impact that Lowe had, the two have combined for a total of 5 goals in 16 games. Kanu—on loan from Charlton—scored three in six himself.

(1) New message ✉️

The final word of the day from today’s goalscorer, Daniel Kanu 🤳 pic.twitter.com/9x16diAEQJ

— Walsall FC (@WFCOfficial) September 6, 2025

Another thing to note about Walsall’s start to the season is that their manager, Mat Sadler—whose surname echoes the club's nickname, the Saddlers—has been giving opportunities to both young and experienced players.

The likes of Myles Roberts, Ryan Finnigan, Harrison Burke, Aaron Pressley, Daniel Kanu and Evan Weir have been key integral parts of Walsall’s core side this season. Not a single one of these players is aged over 23.

At the same time, both Aden Flint and Albert Adomah, aged 36 and 37, respectively, have played key minutes this season. Adomah himself adorns his age on his back and recently scored his 100th career goal, where he humorously pulled out the old man celebration.

Uncle Albert with the best celebration you will see this weekend 😅

The 37-year-old Adomah still putting them away for @WFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/qGNFeRtUvz

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 27, 2025

Sadler has recently said that matches are “tough, and it is always tough.” But if his side keeps pulling results out of the bag, then Walsall fans will have no qualms with the matches being ‘tough’.

How It Has Unfolded

Despite Walsall being top of the division, it is not to say that results have not gone against them. So far, they have dropped eight points with losses against Gillingham and Grimsby, and a draw against Fleetwood Town.

But the massive positive that comes from this is that all three teams have had a great start to the season as well.

Prior to last week's matchups, Gillingham were top of the table and had yet to lose a game; Grimsby sit 5th in the table, are the highest-scoring team and beat Premier League side Manchester United; and Fleetwood sit mid-table and have lost just once at home.

Dropping points in these matches is frustrating, but not an end-of-days crisis.

But how good have the opponents been in Walsall’s wins?

Well, to say it is a mixed bag is an understatement, but some of their opponents have been the best in the league.

They have already defeated Swindon Town, who sit 2nd; Salford, who sit 4th; and Chesterfield, who sit 6th.

𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/U48unIYVcS

— Walsall FC (@WFCOfficial) September 27, 2025

There is no doubt that Walsall have had a tricky start to the season, but they have performed well, shown their grit and determination, and have proved they are a force to be reckoned with.

Their biggest problem, as it stands, is a lack of goals.

Nathan Lowe has come up in this article multiple times now, but it's for good reason. Walsall have scored 15 goals this season, not a paltry amount by any means, but not a fantastic return either.

As it stands, eight teams have scored as many or more. The signings of Aaron Pressley and Daniel Kanu could be good, but only time will tell to see if they replicate Lowe’s fantastic record and help the Saddlers get promoted to League One.