Championship Review: Cardiff, Wolves, Forest and Ipswich stay perfect

Cardiff City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town have the only perfect records in the Championship after two matches.

All four teams followed up their opening weekend victories with another three points on Saturday as the embryonic league table begins to take shape.

At the other end of the table are Brentford, Barnsley and Burton Albion, who are all still pointless two games into the new campaign.

TERRY AWAITS FIRST VILLA WIN

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored a brace on his first start for the club as Cardiff beat Aston Villa 3-0 in a result Steve Bruce labelled “on the edge of embarrassment”.

Neil Warnock’s men top the Championship table on goals scored, with Villa captain John Terry unable to stop the impressive Kenneth Zohore and Mendez-Laing, who also scored in the midweek League Cup win against Portsmouth.

Cardiff’s controversial owner Vincent Tan confirmed after the game he is not actively seeking a sale and all is well on the pitch for the Bluebirds, who face a top-of-the-table clash with Wolves at Molineux next weekend.

A full #CardiffCity début for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing today.

He certainly made an impact! #CityAsOne  pic.twitter.com/M16g1Xv2G2

— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) August 12, 2017

DEBUT DELIGHT FOR BOUCHALAKIS

Mark Warburton’s return to Brentford saw Andreas Bouchalakis score twice on his league debut in the best game of the day, a 4-3 win for Nottingham Forest.

After John Egan headed the opener for the hosts, a fine Bouchalakis volley levelled and Daryl Murphy put Forest ahead before Bouchalakis added a memorable second from 25 yards.

Barry Douglas and Ivan Cavaleiro got the goals as Wolves won 2-0 at Derby County, while Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town won 2-1 at Barnsley thanks to goals from substitutes David McGoldrick and Martyn Waghorn.

| The gaffer praises the impact of his two subs, David McGoldrick and Martyn Waghorn, as they came off the bench to fire #itfc to victory pic.twitter.com/HyTxTgr7sg

— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) August 12, 2017

HERNANDEZ THE HAT-TRICK HERO

Abel Hernandez hit a hat-trick as Hull City battered Burton 4-1 at home, with Jackson Irvine sent off for the visitors just five minutes after he had cancelled out the Uruguayan’s opening goal.

It was a first league win for former Russia coach Leonid Slutsky, a personal friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who has Blues youngsters Ola Aina and Michael Hector on loan.

Hull’s fellow relegated side Middlesbrough edged to a 1-0 home win over Sheffield United in the day’s late game, Garry Monk earning his first league win in charge thanks to Rudy Gestede’s first-half goal, as a late Blades leveller was ruled out for offside.

It’s all over – #Boro are off the mark with points at the Riverside!!! #UTB pic.twitter.com/3bMhv2u1k7

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) August 12, 2017

KALAS DISMISSED IN FIRST MINUTE

A red card in the first minute for another Chelsea loanee, Tomas Kalas, did not prove too costly as Lucas Piazon scored a late equaliser for Fulham at his former club Reading.

Preston North End also claimed a point with 10 men after Ben Pearson was sent off in a 0-0 draw at Leeds United, while Sheffield Wednesday collected their first point with a 1-1 draw at home to QPR.

Millwall and Bolton Wanderers also drew 1-1, while Jacques Maghoma hit the winner for Harry Redknapp’s 10-man Birmingham City in a 2-1 home win over Bristol City, who had taken the lead in the first minute.

Full-time results from this afternoon’s #EFL action. pic.twitter.com/Fhf6XPOurd

— EFL (@EFL) August 12, 2017