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The best thing about football is that there is always hope.

Seven days ago, Derby fans were resigned to their fate. Three wins later and they are far from out of danger, but they are sensing a way out.

And imagine the feeling driving home from Plymouth today after Marcus Harness' late winner.

The international break now gives chance to rest weary limbs - if not playing away on national duty somewhere - and for fans to take stock again and build up hope for a grandstand end to the season.

Thanks for your company today on another rollercoaster afternoon in the second tier.

We return for the 12:30 kick-off at the Steel City derby, see you then!

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We have one more match before the Championship stops for the international break and it is the small matter of the Steel City derby.

Always a great occasion, the stakes will be high at Hillsborough.

Sheffield United will begin in third, but a victory would take them into second, level on points with leaders Leeds and above Burnley.

Sheffield Wednesday will be determined not to let that happen but they have needs of their own as a third win in nine days would put them within three points of the top six.

United boss Chris Wilder has never lost to Wednesday in charge of his beloved Blades and he will be desperate to keep that proud record going.

With all this swirling around, it should be a corker of a game!

Coventry

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Coventry boss Frank Lampard hailed hat-trick hero Haji Wright as "outstanding" in his side's comprehensive win over Sunderland.

Lampard told BBC Radio CWR: "From the first minute the players were really at it in every sense, both on and off the ball. They moved the ball quickly and moved it well.

"They got a lot of control early on and played the game in their half a lot and counter pressed really well when we lost the ball. We were fast, really fast today.

"And we got the goals that we deserved. Even in the second half we continued, so it was a very complete performance.

"I hadn’t seen Haji [Wright], all I know is what he has done here before. So I was excited to get him back and for him to play this level of game today, and show what he did was really impressive. It was an outstanding individual performance from him."

Oxford United

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Oxford boss Gary Rowett admitted their win over Watford was hard-going in challenging conditions, as he told BBC Radio Oxford:

"It was a difficult game, not only the opposition but a bit of a swirling wind and just felt like a difficult game to settle the ball down.

"It helped us to press them, it helped us to stop any rhythm particularly early on but we never seemed to build any real momentum.

"I was pleased that we found a way today, I think that was the most important thing. We found a way to win the game.

"It was a great strike from Dems [Siriki Dembele]. Just before the red card [for James Abankwah], I was about to take him off so what do I know? But he came up with the goods.

"I spoke to him a little bit about that recently, just adding goals, being a little bit more selfish in that final third area, so I was really pleased he did that today."

Burnley

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Burnley head coach Scott Parker was pleased with his side's controlling performance and told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Overall it was a really professional performance. We started the game really well in terms of our intensity, breaking out of certain areas and then executing with two goals.

"Then we managed the game, a really professional performance, I felt the game was constantly in our hand.

"The most crucial thing [is winning games]. It's 25 unbeaten now. I don't really have any interest in what others are doing. We just need to keep chalking off the wins."

Luton Town

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Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield was delighted with his teams performance after they held Middlesbrough to a goalless draw and told BBC Three Counties Radio: "The performance was excellent. Some of the football we played and the chance creation was fantastic.

"I am very proud of the performance and we need to understand the quality of the opposition we played and how we have dominated the game.

"I am proud of the players and we should be celebrating a win.

"We came out of the traps quick. We played our formation incredibly well. Tactically the boys were spot on and they implemented what we discussed.

"There were top performances out there. We created chance after chance and played some very good football. It's incredibly frustrating we didn't take one."

"Defensively we were excellent. We limited Middlesbrough to very little and they are as good as we will play in the league. If we carry on playing like that we will pick up plenty of points."

Plymouth Argyle

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Plymouth Argyle head coach Miron Muslic was happy with the performance despite the result and told BBC Sport: "We simply gave away two easy goals from throw-ins that we could not defend.

"When you're in a six-pointer and 2-0 down, we knew that nothing after the second goal would be easy for us.

"But our response was positive and we managed to get back into the game and we found the right tactical approach and the right words at half time.

"With 10 minutes to go we decided to go all in to win the game and then the third goal is the summary of the goals we've conceded - we had three chances to clear the ball and get it out of the danger zone. It was the only chance Derby had in open play in the second half.

"As long as we have the chance we will fight for it.

"We did a lot of good things right today and those are the things have to believe."

"Right now we are all disappointed and we are all suffering a lot.

"Nothing is lost yet, we still have a chance."

Preston North End

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Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom was full of praise for Portsmouth and told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"First half, again I’ve been really impressed with Portsmouth, how they’ve changed things, turned things around.

"I think our game against them marked a big turning point for them down there. They’ve come to compete, to win, and this is not patronising in any way, I mean it.

"Without the ball, they’ve become a really, really difficult team to play against, the press is fantastic, the work ethic of the players is really good.

"Their organisation is good, they make it difficult, so I felt we were accepting that in the first half.

"We weren’t but I felt they were having too big an impact on how we wanted to play. We needed to change it and then we did.

"I enjoyed watching the second half, I enjoyed being part of it and we created enough chances to win, which is the pleasing thing.

"I’m really, really pleased with the win."

Sunderland

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Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris acknowledged that his team were second best today and told BBC Radio Newcastle: "Coventry were good, very good. They were intense, with the ability to create chances though different ways.

"We were prepared for that tactically, but on the pitch it wasn’t possible because our intensity wasn’t high enough.

"We were not good in duels, to second balls and we had many turn-overs so we didn’t control anything.

"So it’s a bad afternoon, but at the same time it is a good reminder for us because this league is tough and we have strong opponents to face. It showed that when we are at that level we are punished."

Derby County

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Derby County head coach John Eustace was absolutely delighted with his players' performance and told BBC Sport: "I'm very proud of the effort of the group, I though we battled very well against a very difficult opponent.

"Plymouth are really good at home so it's a great win.

"We've given them that structure with and without the ball and the players have been magnificent.

"Coming into the game we lost four players for the season, the players who have come into the team have been magnificent."

Watford

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley was left disappointed after his side's defeat to Oxford. He told BBC Three Counties Radio:

“I’m getting a little bit sick of disappointment to be honest when I don’t feel my team are playing as poorly as the results maybe show.

“Why are we not winning the games that we’re in full control of? Millwall, Oxford, Stoke.

“It’s a conundrum that I need to solve on how we turn all this control and good play into wins because no-one wants to see a team that are playing great football but not winning matches, especially at this stage of the season.

“It wasn’t a pitch you can play the football we normally do but we saw out the first 20 minutes, lively wind affecting the play, then I thought we were in absolute control.

“If I can level any criticism at the lads today, we weren’t clinical enough - 16 shots and none on target in the second half and that’s why ultimately we’ve not won the game."

Coventry

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Coventry's hat-trick hero Haji Wright spoke to BBC Radio CWR after their victory over Sunderland: "It was a great performance by the whole team today, so it made my job easier.

"I felt great today. After being out for so long, I feel fresh

"From start to finish, it was amazing.

"I was itching to play again after so long and I'm happy to be playing.

"It sets us up nicely for the last run."

Derby County

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Marcus Harness spoke to BBC Radio Derby after two goals in his side's win to put them three points above the drop zone: "It's incredible. We've worked so hard the last few weeks and I'm just buzzing to reap the rewards.

"To get three wins in a week is huge in this league, so I'm really happy with it and now we've got a bit of a break and hopefully we can connive it after the break."

West Bromwich Albion

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Isaac Price scored his first goal for West Brom, but it wasn't enough to beat Hull. He spoke to BBC Radio WM: "I'm really happy with the goal and felt I could have had a few today. It is about getting them going now and helping the team.

"I'm frustrated not to get more and we've all come in frustrated. We should have won. The defending was hectic at the end; I should have been better on the goal.

"I've played a few positions and I'm very versatile. I'm just happy to be playing and I'm learning.

"I appreciate the support of the fans. I'm loving playing here. I just want to keep winning games and keep us in the race for promotion."

Portsmouth

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Portsmouth manager John Mousinho was unhappy with his side's reaction after going level and told BBC Radio Solent: "I’m absolutely furious. I can’t believe what we did after getting the equaliser. Unacceptable on so many levels.

"I think I’ve been far too nice, far too kind for this team for far too long. That was absolutely awful what we did after working so hard to get back in the game.

"If you look at the build-up to the goal, they should have scored before that. We keep getting the press wrong, leaving our man, doing some of the world’s silliest things.

"When you watch the goal back, [Sam] Greenwood has the ball on the halfway line and we’ve got four of our players around him.

"I constantly, constantly, constantly go on about fouling early, giving ourselves a chance to get back in it, but no we decide we think we can do better, we think we can do something else and the ball ends up in the back of the net.

"Same old message and it’s not good enough. Once again we shot ourselves in the foot. Good reaction to going behind, awful reaction to getting the equaliser."

Middlesbrough

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Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick was left to reflect on a hard-fought point at Kenilworth Road as he told BBC Radio Tees:

"It wasn't a classic. football-wise, in terms of the quality of football. I kind of knew that coming here.

"We were going to have to defend, we were going to have to adapt. They put the ball in the box and we had pretty much a new back four with players playing out of position so we knew it was going to be a challenge.

"It proved to be like that early in the game and sometimes ytou earn your luck with your attitude and your mentality and your spirit and everyone was fully committed today.

"Everything didn't suit us but that's why I was really pleased with the boys and how they stuck at it.

"It’s an important point even though it wasn’t a classic on the eye."

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• Despite coming from two goals down to avoid defeat in a Championship game for the first time since October 2023 (a 3-2 win at Norwich), Leeds United have won just five of their last 43 league games in London (D8 L30), including on just one of their last 11 visits to the capital (D1 L9).
• Only Coventry (5) have scored more 90th minute winning goals in the Championship this season than Millwall (4), who won a league game thanks to a stoppage time penalty for the first time since March 2017 against MK Dons in League One (Lee Gregory).
• Burnley have become the first side in English second tier history to keep 27 clean sheets in a season; overall in English league history only Port Vale in 1953-54 (30 in Division 3 North), Gillingham in 1995-96 (29 in 4th tier) and Liverpool in 1978-79 (28 in top tier) have kept more shutouts in a campaign.
• Derby County have won three consecutive Championship matches for the first time since December 2021 under Wayne Rooney; the Rams’ nine points in six games under John Eustace (W3 L3) are as many as they won in their 16 matches before his arrival (W2 D3 L11).
• Coventry City have won more Championship games in 2025 than any other team (P14 W10 D1 L3) with Haji Wright against Sunderland today becoming the first American to score a hat-trick in the English second tier since John Kerr for Millwall against Derby County in August 1994.

Millwall

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Alex Neil believes his side's last-minute penalty against Stoke was deserved after an improve second-half performance. He told BBC Radio London:

"Whether it's a penalty or not, we've all been victims of decisions across the season, but I thought it was no more than we deserved for our second-half performance.

"At this level, a lot of games are defined by key moments – whether you take that chance, whether it was a penalty, whether you can execute that pass, get that strike away.

"It was a really pleasing win [because] you're playing against a team that's fighting for their life at this stage of the season."

It was Neill's first match against the Potters in charge at The Den, who he managed for 66 games between August 2022 and December 2023.

"They got a really good win during the week, they've got a really strong squad – half of that squad I put together, so there's some really good players in there, but for us that was an excellent win."

Stoke City

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After a sturdy defensive display in London, Stoke manager Mark Robins was left frustrated by a late decision to award the hosts a penalty. He told BBC Radio Stoke:

"What the referee has seen (for the penalty), I have no clue - their player put his arm inside Ben Wilmot's arm, then rolled, and I don't know what Ben's supposed to do because he can't get away from him, so then they go down and he's bought the penalty. It's absolutely ridiculous.

"It was a game short on quality all the way through apart from when we got on the ball.

"First half, we played some reasonable football - they're spoilers, they set their stall out to do what they did, but we can't become embroiled in that, which happened in the second half.

"We ended up stopping playing our game, making mistakes, although we created some brilliant openings for Burger and then Junho hit the bar, then other times we picked the wrong option."

QPR

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QPR boss Marti Cifuentes had recognised his side competed at a good level despite letting a two-goal lead slip as he told BBC Radio London: "Mixed feelings today. Definitely from one side we are disappointed to not take the three points after taking a lead of 2-0.

"But I'm aware that we played against a very good team, the best in the league, so the feeling is that we competed at a very high level against a great team, so I'm very proud of the guys.

"We spoke about how important it was to start the game strong and create an atmosphere with our fans, I think there was an urgency and standard that we want in every game of the season."