Image source, Getty Images

Given that only Portsmouth and QPR have spent more time trailing in a Championship match this season, you'd think Bristol City would be lingering in the red zone with the bottom two.

But no, this is not the case. In fact, the Robins are sitting comfortably in 11th and only three points away from Blackburn Rovers in 6th.

Can we call them the comeback kings of the season? Maybe it's too early to say but should they falter to Preston North End at any point today, they will certainly have their chances to come back.

North End have only lost two league games under Paul Heckingbottom this season but that doesn't mean they've been buried under a mountain of wins.

The Lilywhites have drawn five games with only one team producing more one-point results in the Championship. That team - today's visitors, Bristol City.

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth have found the start to life back in the second tier a real struggle.

The south coast side are bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety and with just one win from their opening dozen games.

John Mousinho's team have also built up the bad habit of letting leads slip, they've already dropped 12 points from a winning position this season.

Hull City have winning issues of their own to contend with.

The Tigers have drawn eight of their past 13 games in front of their own fans and without a victory in their past four matches home and away.

Giulia Bould
Reporter, BBC Final Score

Both sides in this one have conceded more than they’ve scored this season and the two know they need a win to stay in touching distance of the Championship play-off spots.

Headlines off the pitch before kick-off have seen Sheffield Wednesday hit with a registration embargo for owing tax money.

While Watford are without their captain – Moussa Sissoko banned for three matches for headbutting Blackburn’s Lewis Travis last weekend.

Image source, Rex Features

By this date last year Sheffield Wednesday had just recorded their first league win of the season after their worst-ever start to a campaign.

Things have been far better this time around then, with the Owls mid-table with four wins from their opening 12 league matches.

It's been a while since Danny Rohl's side won at home though, with two draws and two defeats from their past four at Hillsborough.

Today's visitors Watford are welcome guests then. The Hornets are just outside the play-off places but have lost each of their past five league games away from Vicarage Road.

Image source, Rex Features

Consistently inconsistent Middlesbrough come up against disappointing Coventry at fortress Riverside.

Boro have found it difficult to get going properly so far this season having only managed to string together back-to-back league wins once.

But Michael Carrick's side are strong at home having lost just twice in their past dozen games and have kept six clean sheets in that run.

As for Coventry, they remain without a win on the road, taking just three points from a possible 18 and you have to go back to March for the last time they won successive league matches.

A 3-2 win over Luton last time out gives them hope today could be the day they get a second victory on the bounce and in Haji Wright they have an in-form striker whose five goals have been worth six points to Mark Robins' team this season.

These two clubs knows all about the riches and glory of the Premier League but the Championship quagmire seems to have got them stuck for now...

Richard Wolfenden
BBC Final Score

There’s an autumnal gloom over Loftus Road this afternoon, the perfect metaphor for QPR's season so far.

To continue the metaphor… (at a bit of a stretch) the clouds should clear once the Sunderland players come out to warm up as good luck has been really shining down on them this season.

Three points will be MASSIVE for either side today.

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QPR find themselves in a tough spot.

They are sitting in 23rd on the Championship table, just one point above basement dwellers Portsmouth and now have the arduous task of hosting the league leaders.

While Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris is off talking about his "good problems", QPR have a whole host of bad ones. Only Swansea have scored fewer league goals than them this season and as a result, they've only managed to scape together one solitary win.

The one piece of good news for QPR is that they recently faced a goliath and came out relatively unscathed, holding Burnley to a goalless draw.

Why should it be any different now that the mighty Sunderland are in town? Well, the Black Cats are also the most efficient attackers with the highest amount of goals in the league.

Worrying times for QPR, especially if Pompey get themselves ahead at Hull City and they fail to make an impact at Loftus Road.

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This has all the hallmarks of a classic with these two sides in the top six of the form guide across the last half a dozen games.

Since Omer Riza took over as interim boss only Sunderland and Leeds have earned more points than Cardiff with the temporary manager having overseen three wins, two draws and a defeat.

But for all that the Bluebirds are still only outside the Championship's relegation zone on goal difference and will have to contend with the division's top scorer today.

Borja Sainz has hit 10 league goals for Norwich so far this season with eight of those coming in his last seven appearances.

The Spaniard has been involved in 55% of Norwich's goals this season with the Norfolk club unbeaten in their last seven matches after a slow start to the campaign under new manager, Johannes Hoff Thorup.

Only Sunderland have scored more Championship goals than Norwich in this campaign so this is a big test for Cardiff's Riza revival.

Naz Premji
Final Score

Leeds could move up to second in the Championship with victory against Plymouth.

Wayne Rooney's team haven't kept a clean sheet so far this season in the Championship and are one of five teams across the English leagues to have failed to keep the back door closed.

The hosts are ticking along very nicely and Daniel Farke will be happy that his side are very much in the promotion mix.

Everything points to a home win but this is the Championship and stranger things have happened so there is hope for those Pilgrims fans making the long journey north.

The FA Cup first round is famous for the many shocks it produces and hopefully today's will be no different.

Plymouth coming away from Leeds with a win this afternoon might not quite compare to a non-league side knocking out EFL opposition but it wouldn't feel far off for their fans.

The Pilgrims have won just one of their past 20 league visits to Elland Road, way back in 1962, have won none of the past 10 league meetings between the two side and haven't won any of their past eight Championship matches away from Home Park.

Oh, and Leeds have kept seven clean sheets in their 12 league games so far this season, have lost just once and could go second with a win today.

Here's what's coming up for you:

• Cardiff City v Norwich City
• Hull City v Portsmouth
• Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle
• Middlesbrough v Coventry City
• Preston North End v Bristol City
• Queens Park Rangers v Sunderland
• Sheffield Wednesday v Watford

Image source, Rex Features

The first three Championship games of the day all delivered in one way or another.

What will the next seven bring us?

Let's see what we have on the slate shall we?

Kevin Gallacher
Former Blackburn striker on BBC Radio Lancashire

Blackburn were second best and that was down to a Sheffield United side that wanted to show exactly what they were about.

I though that the first half we matched them.

Chris Wilder certainly had a word at half time because the second half looked like men against boys, their front men causing us all sort of problems.

Ian Cranson
Fomer Stoke defender on BBC Radio Stoke

We will certainly take the result, after the first 20 minutes we played some really good stuff, but the second part of the first half was really shabby

Stoke allowed them to put pressure on us, by giving it away a bit too cheaply and enticing them to put the pressure on.

We will definitely take the three points but I think we could definitely play much better.

Image source, Rex Features

Easy does it as Sheffield United move up to second in the table with a comfortable win at Blackburn.

Harrison Burrows got his first for the club to put them a goal up at the break and sub Tyrese Campbell scored on the rebound soon after coming on to wrap up the points.

Ominously for the rest of the league that is now nine clean sheets in 13 Championship games for Chris Wilder's men.

Blackburn huffed and puffed but didn't have a single shot on target and they'll likely slip out of the top six by the end of today. One win in six for them now.

A first win for Swansea since September 21 and their first goals for 563 minutes.

Oxford's first home league defeat of the season but they came very close to stealing a point.

Zan Vipotnik ended the Swansea goal drought by converting Ronald's first-half cross.

The Slovenian missed a good second-half chance by forcing Jamie Cumming into a fine save but a second goal did arrive 10 minutes from the end with substitute Florian Bianchini running in behind the home defence to finish well.

Oxford rarely threatened but were handed a lifeline two minutes from the end when Dane Scarlett further garnished his growing reputation with a third goal in four games.

Greg Leigh then headed inches wide in stoppage time but a point would have flattered the home side who didn't do enough for long enough in the game.

Oxford are now eight games without a win and drop below Swansea in the table.

A controversial goal and a fabulous save decide a riveting second-half as Stoke end the day with three points and Derby go home frustrated and wishing there was a video replay.

First, Derby keeper Jacob Zetterstrom puts in one of the saves of his life to deny Bae Jun-ho's powerful header before the ball found itself on the other side of the pitch.

Stoke defender Ben Gibson then nodded the ball to the safety of his keeper - or did he? Viktor Johansson had strayed from his position and couldn't get enough of his fingers on the ball to stop it from strolling into the net.

Gibson then made up for his mistake by sealing the win with his header from a corner but not without controversy after Nat Phillips was sent to ground after a collision with Junior Tchamadeu.

Though Derby had their own luck after Phillip's dangerous tackle on Jun-ho went unnoticed earlier in the match to save him for a potential second yellow so perhaps all is fair in war at the bet365.

Final two subs from the away side.

Femi Seriki and Sam McCallum are on for the last couple of minutes.

Oh that's close, very, very close to an Oxford equaliser.

It's a wonderful cross from Will Vaulks but Greg Leigh's header is agonisingly wide of the post.

This ain't over folks.

Derby have FOUR minutes to try and claw their lead back.

Can they manage it?

Meanwhile Stoke send in Andre Vidigal - looking for a third are we, Narcis Pelach?