A lot happened in our Championship review this week as Bournemouth’s momentum continued, while Cardiff City are on the hunt for a new manager.
Cherries remain top of the Championship
Bournemouth continued their sensational start to the season as they breezed past lacklustre Huddersfield Town who consequently dropped out of the play-off places with this defeat.
Dominic Solanke scored twice in the Cherries 3-0 win which has brought him up to 10 goals for the league season.
West Bromwich Albion won by the same scoreline on Saturday as they cruised past Bristol City to put more pressure on promotion rivals Fulham in the automatic places. Goals from on loan Jordan Hugill, Kyle Bartley and Karlan Grant made sure the Midlands side kept up their impressive form.
Mick McCarthy sacked by Cardiff
This was to be the end of the road for Mick McCarthy as Cardiff City boss as he was sacked after his side lost their eighth game in a row. Middlesbrough beat the Welsh side 2-0 away from home in the Saturday lunchtime match and climbed into the top six spots.
Fulham continue to flourish as they beat an in-form Nottingham Forest side which saw the Championship’s leading goalscorer Alexander Mitrovic continue his excellent start to the season. The Serbian has now scored 15 goals in 14 league appearances for the Cottagers this campaign. This is the first defeat for Steve Cooper as Forest manager, but his side are within touching distance of the play-off positions.
Blackpool earning bragging rights in local derby
Goals either side of half-time for Blackpool made them victorious against their local rivals Preston North End. This pushed the Tangerines level on points with six other teams around the play-offs and are only separated by a play-off place on goal difference. Preston North End will be looking over their shoulders as they are just hovering above the relegation zone.
In the other local derby of the weekend Sheffield United took all three points back to Bramall Lane and claimed the bragging rights. They defeated Yorkshire rivals Barnsley 3-2 in a thrilling encounter which saw the Blades take a 3-0 lead before nearly being pegged back. This extended Barnsley’s horrific form which saw them lose again.
Birmingham City finally win again
Birmingham City ended their seven-game winless streak against a strong Swansea side. Troy Deeney was the star of the game as he scored and assisted in their 2-1 win against the Welsh side. This win would relieve Blues boss Lee Bowyer of some pressure for the time being after a terrible run of form. The Midlands side push away from the bottom three as Swansea sit in 16th spot.
Blackburn ran out 2-0 wins against promotion rivals Reading with goals from Sam Gallagher and Tyrhys Dolan. This ended a four-game winless run for the hosts and helped the Lancashire side get within the pack chasing the play-off spaces. The Royals are still in the chase as they are within a win of the top six.
Derby become first side to not lose at Coventry this season
High-flying Coventry City were left frustrated after being held at home by the bottom side Derby County. The Rams are the first team to pick up any points as the visiting side at the Ricoh Arena this season as they ended the Sky Blues’ 100 per cent winning home record. The hosts went ahead with a first-half penalty before the visitors equalised late on to share the spoils.
It only took one goal for Luton to claim all three points against struggling Hull City at Kenilworth Road. Even though the out-of-form side had more possession and plenty of shots they could only have one shot on target which was converted. The win for the home side saw their sensational form continue and go into fifth spot in the league.
Millwall came from behind to beat Stoke 2-1 thanks to a brace from Tom Bradshaw. The two goals for the home side came in the second half and flipped the game on its head. The win moved the Lions level on points with their opponents to sit 10th – just one position below the Potters.
Peterborough needed an injury-time winner to claim a vital win against fellow London side QPR. Two wins from two moves the home side five points clear of the relegation zone and they can possibly be looking up the table rather than down it. The away side have slipped out of the play-off places but thankfully for them only on goal difference.
By Jack Bunclark
