Image source, Rex Features

That wraps us up for another day.

Join us again tomorrow as Bristol City take on Oxford United, looking to leapfrog Stoke into the automatic promotion places following the Potters' defeat at Loftus Road today.

Thanks as always for joining us and have a good evening.

We're not done yet, with two of 12 Championship games still to come before Monday is out.

Here's what you've got to look forward to and we'll have live coverage of both games as always:

Sunday:

Bristol City v Oxford (15:00 BST)

Monday:

Millwall v Watford (20:00 BST)

Image source, Getty Images

Opta have sent through their stats and I'd look away if you are a Sheffield United or Southampton fan...

• Sheffield United are the first team since Wycombe Wanderers in 2020-21 to lose all of their opening six Championship games of the season. The last two teams to do this (Wycombe and Peterborough in 2012-13) ended up being relegated.
• Southampton have failed to win any of their last nine away matches in the league (D3 L6), conceding 20 and scoring just seven. They’ve lost back-to-back league games against Hull for the first time since February 1951.
• Barry Bannan’s opener v Portsmouth was Sheffield Wednesday’s first direct free kick goal since Josh Windass scored vs Cheltenham Town in October 2022. It was also Bannan’s first direct free kick goal since vs Stoke in September 2018.
• Middlesbrough’s 16 points in their opening six matches (W5 D1) is the club’s best start to a season in the top four tiers of English football. They are the only team in the Championship not to drop at point at home so far in 2025-26 (P3 W3).
• Alfie Devine has scored two goals in his last four league matches for Preston North End – that’s as many as he managed in his first 36 EFL appearances (for Plymouth and Port Vale).
• Wrexham have won consecutive away games in the second tier for the first time since December 1980. This is the first time they’ve scored three or more goals on the road in the second tier since they beat Cambridge 3-2 in December 1981.

Preston North End

Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:

“I’ve been happy with us throughout the season and the players should be proud of themselves.

“We had to show everything again today - we passed the ball well, caused them problems and are probably disappointed that we couldn’t capitalise a little bit more, but we did score a fantastic goal.

“Then, as always happens in this league, if there is one goal in it then everyone puts their body on the line to make sure we got over the line as well. All-round, it was a really good away performance.”

Southampton

Southampton boss Will Still told BBC Radio Solent:

"I'm really disappointed.

"I think we've worked incredibly hard on things out of possession, I think we've worked hard on things in possession. I think for large parts of that game we were totally in control, but we've just gifted three goals away.

"As long as we're defending like that we're not going to go anywhere.

"I'll take it on me, I'll take it as my responsibility and we just need to get on with things."

Hull City

Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside:

"I'm very happy because the players put everything out on the pitch with energy, with intensity.

"We were struggling in some situations because Southampton is a very good team, invest a lot of money and they will fight for promotion for sure because this is traditional.

"I knew we wouldn't have the ball because they are very good in possession, but the plan was that we were compact if we are low or in the middle zone.

"At the end it succeeded because we scored three beautiful goals, especially with crosses, because when we analysed Southampton they struggled with controlling the players in the box."

In fairness... it was absolutely exceptional in Lancashire this afternoon.

Derby County

Derby County head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

“The first-half performance wasn’t anywhere near good enough, we are all very disappointed about that, but I thought in the second half we showed lots of energy and it was more like us. And I thought we were really unlucky not to at least get an equaliser.

“We have battled away in the last three or four games, and we have had a good solid formation to play from, and today that first-half formation didn’t work for us and we were a little too passive and not getting tight enough.

“We deservedly went in [at half-time] 1-0 down, but it’s about learning and growing as a group and getting the right formula and chemistry between the players. I thought today, the changes in the second half showed a different side to us.”

Portsmouth

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:

"Frustration isn't my overriding emotion, I don't think. Frustration would signal that maybe we were in the game, maybe we deserved something, and we didn't.

"We were awful for 90 minutes and got exactly what we deserved... [we tried] to protect against it all week, talking about how difficult the game would be, how we needed to be right on top of ourselves and not let any complacency creep in and it has happened previously.

"We probably had a very similar picture when we beat Leeds at home last year, got ourselves up for the game, and then by the time we returned and played Plymouth on the Wednesday, we lost a game we never should have lost.

"A similar pattern we've followed after a really solid start. We have been trying to protect against that all week, but clearly we haven't managed to do it."

Sheffield United

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“We’ve got a bit of work to do. There are some bits and pieces out there I was pretty pleased with, but there’s a lot of stuff that definitely needs some work on the training ground.

“We came in today in a positive mood after a good week’s work but the key is having the nuts to do it on a Saturday afternoon, because that’s where everybody is judged, players and myself.

“The crowd were tremendous and tried to lift us and drive us forward, give us that energy that we need, but then it slipped away a bit towards the end of the second half and became quite chaotic.

“I saw an honest performance but you have to get that balance right, and with the quality we have got we never really showed that, or any control on the game.

“The goal is a chaotic goal, a straight ball, a flick-on and then two versus two and the boy finds a pass in the 90th minute.”

Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday won their first game of the season against Portsmouth and boss Henrik Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield he's feeling a sense of pride:

"I'm very happy, very proud. I think it was a very intensive performance today and an intensive game.

"We had some experience in the last games where we were quickly one or two nil down, [so we needed] to give ourselves a good beginning, then we should stay in the game.

"One of the key things to win the game is how many times we could play a teammate in [at] speed behind the opponent's defending line so a big performance to have the discipline to keep up the game plan [for] 90 minutes.

"I'm so proud of the boys."

Coventry

Here's what Frank Lampard had to say to BBC Radio CWR about his side's goalless draw at the King Power:

“Both teams traded in the first-half, we started the game really well and they finished the half well. And the second half was a bit move wavey and open at points.

“We lacked a little bit of quality and sharpness from what we have been showing, especially on transitions, and we were just a little off it today which affected a goal threat.

“If you have one of those days, it’s normal, but you have to make sure you defend well and be a team.

On the performance of goalkeeper Rushworth: “He is a really good goalkeeper and it’s so difficult – I’m so pleased I never was one because it’s so difficult with everyone focused on every bit of what you do. Every part of his game was spot on today.

“That is why you want top goalkeepers in your team, for days like today where you rely on them a little bit. I don’t think they created loads of great stuff, but when he was needed he absolutely produced a very good personal performance.”

Samantha Fletcher
Final Score reporter at Pride Park

Derby have all the ingredients to bake something special so why can’t they get the results?

The first half was pretty forgettable for the Rams but the second half left more questions.

You could call it bad luck, but perhaps Eustace needs to question if something is missing. There’s plenty of talent in both the starting 11 and on the bench, plenty of balls in the box and sparking moments but against Preston they were struggling to convert the chances of the 2nd half.

American Summer signing Patrick Agyemang looked very sharp off the bench and nearly found his first championship goal with multiple decent chances. He’s only played two games, missing the start of the season because of a hernia operation- but maybe he could become a key part of a winning recipe in games to come.

QPR

Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan said:

"In the last 20 minutes I had a lot of hesitation and, to be honest, I imagined that Kaddie [Dembele] would enter the pitch for Harvey [Vale], yes. It was the plan.

"But we didn't change and in the last 15 minutes I felt the players were continuing to do well physically and to enter the pitch in these kind of games is not easy. So we chose to stay like this.

"Now we have won three in a row, and we have to be focused on the next games."

Stoke City

Stoke manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

"That's the worst we've played this season. We have to maintain a level and maintain our non-negotiables, and we just didn't.

"We got exactly what we deserved, so it's back to the drawing board. Optimism is fantastic but unless you do things right all the time, and not just when you fancy it, you are going to come unstuck.

"Feet on the ground, which isn't a bad thing, but we have got to get back on it. That's two 12:30 kick-offs now where we've lost 1-0 and not played to our potential.

"It can't become a thing because there will be a few of them."

Swansea City

Swansea head coach Alan Sheehan told BBC Radio Wales:

"I think we were very brave. In the first half, we've had enough chances. I believe one of the decisions is [incorrect] when we scored. I need to see it back, but from what I'm hearing [it was onside]. These are big decisions.

"Two teams going after it, really. I think we had the better of it. I think a lot of stoppages in the second half, we struggled to get momentum, and then they get that one moment of real equality in in the 94th minute. That's the way it is sometimes.

"The second half, you're probably thinking it's going to be 0-0, they go a bit direct, bring on a bit more size, get a bit more territory with corners, long throws, et cetera. Then one cross, spare man in the box and that's the difference between the teams today."

Birmingham City

Birmingham head coach Chris Davies told BBC Radio WM:

"I thought we were the better team. We deserved to win the game. I think we've been close in a couple of narrow defeats recently, but there's a lot about our game I have liked.

"I was really looking forward to today. I think we handled the game really well. Swansea are an established side at this level, good team in possession, and I thought we really limited then.

"We were very aggressive and we created lots of moments and chances to win the match."

While we wait for some reaction from the 15:00 BST games, let's see what the managers had to say from our three lunchtime matches...

Image source, Opta/Rex Features

Southampton's convincing defeat at Hull extended their winless run to five matches as Will Still's side slipped to 19th in the table.

Stoke's defeat at QPR means Middlesbrough will end the day with a four-point lead at the top, with Bristol City taking on Oxford United at Ashton Gate tomorrow.

Chris Wilder's Sheffield United return ended in defeat with Tanto Oloafe's 90th-minute for Charlton, while cross-city rivals Sheffield Wednesday sealed their first win of the season at Fratton Park to lift them over Oxford and within a point off 17th place.