Image source, Rex Features

September has been an incredible month in the Championship. We will miss it.

Thrills and spills at every turn and it looks very much like we are set for an almighty tussle at the top as the nights drawn in and those clocks go back.

West Brom and Sunderland juggled the hot potato of top-spot this afternoon and it is the former who end the month top of the pile despite Sheffield Wednesday ending their unbeaten start.

We're down to two unbeaten teams, Sheffield United, and the surprise package of John Eustace's Blackburn, who go to bed tonight a point off the summit.

We're done for the day but rest assured, we aren't leaving you to go EFL cold turkey.

If you are hungry for more action today then Barnsley v Stockport is on our specials board at 19:45 BST this evening.

Then tomorrow afternoon we will be back for all the build-up and action from Swansea v Bristol City (15:00 BST kick-off).

Thank you for your company today.

We'll see you soon.

Image source, Rex Features

• Hull City’s 4-1 win against Cardiff City now means that they have won each of their past seven league games against them, their longest ever run against the Bluebirds and their longest active streak against any EFL side.
• Millwall are now unbeaten across their past 11 league matches against Preston North End following today’s 3-1 win, their longest ever run against the Lilywhites (W7 D4). The Lions’ Romain Esse scored his fourth Championship goal since the start of last season and among teenagers, only Jordan James (8) and Jobe Bellingham (7) have scored more in that time.
• With his treble against Derby Couty, Borja Sainz became the first Norwich City player to score a league hat-trick since Teemu Pukki against Huddersfield Town in April 2021 and first to do so away from home since James Maddison against Hull City in March 2018.
• Blackburn Rovers have gone unbeaten in their opening seven games of a league campaign (W4 D3) for the first time since the 1994-95 Premier League season (W5 D2) and for the first time outside the top-flight since 1989-90 in the second tier (W3 D4).
• Ben Doak scored his first senior goal against Stoke City; at 18 years and 322 days old, he is the youngest Middlesbrough player to score an EFL goal since Josh Coburn v Peterborough United in October 2021 (18 years, 314 days).

Portsmouth

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:

“It was a really good game of football, we competed really well, and I think if we’d have come away with the win no-one would have been shocked.

“It goes to show that we’re building week-on-week. I’ve been much more pleased with the performances in the last three weeks.

“We’re going away up to Stoke on Wednesday and it’s going to be a very difficult tie with them having a new manager.

“It’s time for us to keep building on those performances and try to get a few more points on the board.

“Wednesday is a great chance to do it. We have to do a bit more than we did today - we weren’t quite good enough to get the win but it was certainly a positive performance."

Millwall

Millwall boss Neil Harris speaking to BBC Radio London:

“Overall I’m delighted, we’ve been so good this season.

“It’s really pleasing to stand here after the result and I’m delighted with the way we played, we dominated the first half.

“We could have handled the final 10ish minutes better, which ultimately ended up with the red card and goal conceded but I’m really happy.”

Oxford United

Oxford United boss Des Buckingham speaking to BBC Radio Oxford.

“This was a Premier League side less than six months ago,”

“It’s a big jump already but we’ve shown already in the games we’ve had now is that if we stick true to what we’re trying to do then we’ll put ourselves in a good position to get a result.

“We knew this was going to be a very tough test at home and I just told the players they can be very proud of how they have worked to get at least a point here."

Burnley

Image source, PA Media

Burnley head coach Scott Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We're a bit disappointed, a bit frustrated in the end.

"They're a good side that are unbeaten at home, three wins at home. A real dogged performance from them, a stubborn team that we needed to break down and they are well organised.

"Today was always going to depend on our chances and when they did come, we didn't manage to score and that's the frustrating part.

"But while we're frustrated we didn't take the three points, we come out of here with a point and we move on."

Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl on how going forward consistently taking points is key for the Owls:

“We defended very well as a team, very compact. All three goals we scored were fantastic.

“Today again, some phases where we dropped a little bit, but then we came back. For me, just a small step today. For us it’s about consistently taking points, but more important for me is to have consistently a high performance.

“We missed at 2-0 some chances. We had the chance for a 3-0 or 4-0. Then the game is over. We didn’t (take them).

“All in all we need a team performance every day, every weekend. It’s just about the team. Team first was the clear message today."

West Bromwich Albion

West Brom boss Carlos Corberan on the pain his players are feeling following their first loss of the season:

“The level of pain that I have or my players have now is huge, because of course it’s the first defeat.

“You cannot be thinking that you are not going to have a defeat in the Championship, but at the same time we wanted to extend the momentum of the team.

"When you don’t show your level, you give the opponent the option to beat you, because they were doing the game that we expected them to do – with pressing, with balls in behind. We didn’t manage the situation, but especially we didn’t manage well, the end of the game in attack.

“The most important thing that I can say to my players today is to not waste minutes of football."

QPR

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes acknowledged his team's plans were undone after Jonathan Varane was sent off shortly before the break:

"I think it was a decent first half of football, with two teams trying to play positive football.

"I think we started the game actually pretty well against a team that has done really well at home. We didn't concede more than one action, and got a clear one with Smythy [Paul Smyth] at the beginning of the first half.

"It's disappointing because we had some ideas on how to improve in the second half, we were almost ready to go to the changing room, and yes, a red card is definitely a game changer."

Derby County

Derby boss Paul Warne split on VAR after Norwich goal given despite replays showing ball had gone out of play before Borja Sainz's first:

“Would I like to see it (VAR) after today? Of course. But I don’t know. I just think the game is getting more and more complicated.

“We are talking about inches here and there but even though I would have liked it today, you could argue our second goal was offside. If you do have VAR, it is still someone’s opinion."

(After Derby's second goal) “I thought ‘here we go,’ it was like a game from the 1980s. I was going to send the goalkeeper up and I thought we were going to score a third but when it’s not your day, it’s not your day.”

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn boss John Eustace:

"I thought we were very good. First half, QPR frustrated us, but we played some good progressive football, had a couple of half chances, kept the ball really well.

"Obviously going down to 10 men, it was more evident that we could play around them and hurt them on the sides, and it was pleasing to get the two goals."

On Lewis Travis: "He's an outstanding leader. He's a leader of men. He's got the respect of the whole building.

"All the fans love him. I couldn't wait to start working with him when he came in."

Norwich City

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup to BBC Radio Norfolk on hat-trick hero Borja Sainz:

"Borja Sainz is a great finisher and gets himself in so many good positions.

"There are also moments in the game when I am not pleased (with him) - he gave the ball away too easy, but it's important for us that we have that threat up front.

"There were also two assists from Josh (Sargent), which is as important as scoring goals and we are the first team to score just one goal on this pitch this season, and we got three which I'm happy about.

"It's difficult against teams who invest so much in set-piece situations and you really have to be strong in that area of the game."

Image source, Rex Features

Friday

Plymouth 3-1 Luton

Saturday

Blackburn 2-0 QPR

Derby 2-3 Norwich

Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 West Brom

Hull City 4-1 Cardiff

Leeds 3-0 Coventry

Middlesbrough 2-0 Stoke

Millwall 3-1 Preston

Oxford United 0-0 Burnley

Portsmouth 0-0 Sheffield United

Watford 2-1 Sunderland

You can read reports from all of the second tier games so far this weekend by clicking here.

Steve Ogrizovic
Ex-Coventry City goalkeeper on BBC CWR

Coventry City didn't have the answers.

Mark Robins shuffled the pack before the start of the game with seven changes.

Coventry struggled in the first half, in particularly with Leeds' speed of play and tempo in and out of possession.

Leeds were far more aggressive, they had a higher press, they were winning the ball and actually forcing Coventry into lots of turnovers - all that meant Leeds could get forward and make opportunities.

The way Leeds bossed the first half, it was actually a positive result for Coventry only being 1-0 down at the break.

Guy Whittingham
Former Portsmouth manager on BBC Radio Solent

It's a good draw for Portsmouth, against a very good Sheffield United side.

I think the key is competing against a very good Sheffield United side with very good players, but Portsmouth have shown they can compete. And that is what you need to be able to do week in, week out.

Simon Oxley
Watford commentator on BBC Three Counties Radio

You just never know with the Championship!

Watford gritted their teeth and got on with it, they were able to see out the corners at the end and bounce back after the defeat by Norwich.

Sunderland never really opened Watford up.

The most unpredictable league in the world... the Championship, ladies and gentlemen.

Leaders West Brom lost to Sheffield Wednesday earlier but neither Sunderland not Burnley could capitalise and take over at the top - the Black Cats lost late-on at Watford while Burnley were frustrated at Oxford.

It's a good day for the Clarets' local rivals Blackburn who are just a point off the top - and the top Lancashire side - after their lunchtime win over QPR, while Leeds gained ground with a comfortable home win over Coventry.

Sheffield United were another team held to a stalemate at Portsmouth to lose ground while Watford, Middlesbrough and Norwich are within striking distance of the top-six after useful wins.

A good day to be a Sheffield Wednesday fan, you'd say.

The Owls surprise lunchtime win over West Brom meant they could sit back and relax, reading the BBC Sport live text, no doubt, and watch the five teams in action below them struggle.

Second bottom Portsmouth were the only ones to pick up a point, from a goalless draw at home to Sheffield United, as creditable as it was.

Cardiff did go ahead early on at Hull, just their second goal of the season, but their joy was short-lived and they ended up losing 4-1 to continue their worst start in more than two generations.

Image source, Rex Features

• Sunderland miss the chance to go top as they fall to a 2-1 defeat at Watford.
• Leeds move up to fifth with a comfortable 3-0 win over Coventry.
• Burnley play out a 0-0 draw with Oxford and fellow relegated side Sheffield United also play out a goalless draw as they're held by winless Portsmouth.
• Middlesbrough get back on the winning trail with a 2-0 success against Stoke City and Millwall cruise to a 3-1 victory over struggling Preston.
• Hull City mark their 120th birthday in style by battering bottom side Cardiff City 4-1.

Headlines coming up.

Give this post a thumb up if you're pleased with your side's efforts today and down if... you're less than impressed.