Bradford City defender Aden Baldwin has highlighted the pride and chemistry within his team's defensive unit ahead of Saturday's League One clash with Stevenage. The centre-back, who wears the number 15 shirt, said the group is playing its best football and has carried strong form from last season into the new campaign.
"It has been good, and we have a lot of positives to speak about," Baldwin said. "The lads have taken on board what the manager wants."
Bradford sit second in the table, two points off the top, and have the division's best defence with just five goals conceded in nine games. They are on an eight-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Their last outing was a 0-0 home draw with Leyton Orient, with Baldwin lining up in a back three alongside Matthew Pennington and George Pratt. The Bantams have kept five clean sheets in the league so far this season.
Stevenage travel to Valley Parade in ninth place, having taken 12 points from their opening eight matches. They are three points outside the playoff positions and arrive on the back of a 1-0 home win over Wigan Athletic last weekend, secured by a Wanya Marcal goal. That victory extended their current winning run to three games across all competitions, a sequence that includes a 2-1 EFL Trophy win over Leicester City.
Matt Smith and Daniel Phillips are likely to anchor the midfield, with Dan Kemp operating as the number ten. The full squad list and detailed form guide are available on our squad and stats pages.
Stevenage went unbeaten against Bradford last season, recording a win and a draw, and will be looking to close the gap to the automatic promotion places. The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday 17 October.
