Championship Review – Matchday 6

Swansea City are the new leaders of the Championship after Wayne Routledge’s ninetieth minute strike secured them victory over title favourites Leeds United.

That’s now five wins from six league games for Steve Cooper’s side, while it was the first defeat of the campaign for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, who slip to third.

Charlton Athletic moved into the automatic promotion places after extending their unbeaten start to life back in the second tier with a 2-0 win at Reading – Lyle Taylor securing the three points with another cooly taken spot-kick, thirty minutes after Jonathan Leko’s opener.

Unbeaten

West Bromwich Albion are also yet to taste defeat, and they came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 3-2 at the Hawthorns – all five goals coming in the first half while Bristol City remain in the play-off places after rescuing a point against Middlesbrough.

Kasey Palmer gave the Robins the lead just before half-time, though a Taylor Moore own goal and a strike from Britt Assombalonga turned the game on it’s head.

However, Tommy Rowe levelled with ten minutes left to play to keep Lee Johnson’s in touching distance with the top two.

Wembley

It’s been twelve years since City were last in the play-offs, when they eventually lost to Hull City in the final, and you can back them at 12/5 to finish in the top six this time around.

Fulham are sixth after they drew 1-1 with Cardiff City in South Wales on Friday evening, while Preston North End head a trio of sides level on points with Scott Parker’s side after they took a point from the City Ground.

Albert Adomah was once again on the scoresheet for Nottingham Forest, cancelling out Billy Bodin’s first half opener while eighth place Queens Park Rangers and ninth place Birmingham City secured 2-1 triumphs over Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Even

Millwall are the bottom of the top half after drawing 1-1 with Hull City – a result which sees the Tigers just a point above the relegation zone while Barnsley and Wigan Athletic remain twenty-first and twenty-second respectively after they cancelled each other out at the DW Stadium on Sunday.

Luton Town made it three wins from three in all competitions as they piled more misery onto managerless Huddersfield Town, who are only off the bottom by goal difference

Another side fairing far worse than was expected at the beginning of the campaign is Derby County, who after recalling several players rested for the midweek defeat to rivals Forest in the EFL Cup were again trounced 3-0 – this time Brentford the beneficiaries.

Two goals in two minutes put the Bees in cruise control, while a second from Ollie Watkins on the stroke of half-time put the result beyond doubt..