Michael Pearlman
BBC Sport Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium

Oooooof.

Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy has picked five centre backs tonight as he looks to contain West Brom, but there was absolutely no stopping that thunderbolt from Karlan Grant.

Cardiff could have picked nine centre backs and two goalkeepers and that was still going into the bottom corner.

A nightmare start for Cardiff in front of a sparse home crowd.

Might well be the battle of the long throw-in merchants in this one this evening.

Expect plenty of Will Vaulks and Darnell Furlong launching them into the mixer.

Vaulks is the first to oblige and Aden Flint heads narrowly wide for the hosts.

Another chance falls to Huddersfield. This time Danel Sinani slaps a shot over the bar, after Harry Toffolo's cross wasn't cleared.

Blackburn look half-asleep at the back, and the Terriers are steaming forward with menace.

Betty Glover
Squad Goals

Wigan have won five in a row. The last time they won six in a row was in 2014 and that run included two wins over Sheffield Wednesday.

Huddersfield come close to a goal in the first 30 seconds as Blackburn clumsily give the ball away.

Josh Koroma stood up a cross in the box which Danny Ward got connection with from a flick-on, but the header soared over the top.

Right then - it's game time.

Eyes down, we're under way!

Are you at a game this evening and cheering your side on to what you hope will be three points?

If so, hats off to you as it's currently torrential rain in my part of the world. You can share your match evening experience with us using #bbcefl

BBC Squad Goals presenter Sanny Rudravajhala is swapping the radio studio for the press box this evening and checking out one of the 12 fixtures in League One.

And he's picked the match-up between the division's two hotshots in Cole "The Goal" Stockton and Anthony Scully.

Image source, Rex Features

There's a dozen matches in League One that we'll be keeping across this evening as well as the action in the Championship.

It might be early doors in the season, but already we're beginning to see some front-runners for promotion in Wigan and Sunderland.

Only goal difference separates them while MK Dons and Plymouth are keeping on their coat-tails a point behind in third and fourth.

Wigan host Sheffield Wednesday this evening while Sunderland entertain Cheltenham Town.

MK Dons are at home to Fleetwood while Plymouth welcome Crewe.

Elsewhere, bottom of the table Doncaster travel to fellow under-performers Ipswich and third-from-bottom Charlton welcome Bolton.

Image source, Rex Features

An early midtable meeting at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this evening places 10th-placed QPR against 12th-placed Birmingham City.

After an encouraging start, QPR have been dealt a blow with three consecutive defeats while the Blues have won just once in their past five league games.

On-loan QPR striker Andre Gray will be hoping to maintain his run of three goals in his past five games.

Birmingham have been happy opponents for Gray having netted on his past two Championship appearances against them for Burnley in 2016 and Watford in March.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a long old haul from the west coast to the east, but Blackpool arrive in the city of Kingston-upon-Hull in good spirits having won their past two Championship games.

Both these sides came up from League One last season, with the Tangerines roaring into the second tier on the back of a remarkable second-half of the season surge.

They've maintained that upward trajectory too, to an extent, sitting comfortably in mid-table.

For Hull, the Championship has taken a bit more getting used to, despite their impressive League One title success last term.

Their opening day howking of Preston was their last win, and they've lost three on the spin.

Boss Grant McCann is looking to young talent like Keane Lewis-Potter, Matt Smith and Jacob Greaves to lift their form, in tandem with the likes of Mallik Wilks and Greg Doherty.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock is a Blade. Dyed-in-the-wool. He even managed his beloved Sheffield United, taking them into the Premier League during his six and a half years in charge. He's probably got 'Annie's Song' as his ringtone.

Yet, tonight, he'd love nothing more tonight than for Boro to take them to the cleaners, as they look to claw their way up the Championship table from their current 18th place.

It will be no small feat either if they do, as the boys from Bramall Lane have settled into second tier life after a sticky start with four wins in their last seven league and cup games.

Slavisa Jokanovic can inflict a third straight loss on Boro, something that hasn't happened before under wily Warnock's tutelage.

Image source, PA Media

Preston boss Frankie McAvoy will hope to have plenty to smile about after the visit of Stoke City this evening.

The Lilywhites come into this fixture off the back of four consecutive draws but what will be more encouraging is their six-match unbeaten run.

A frustrating goalless draw at Birmingham City was the latest stalemate for North End while Stoke picked up a comfortable 2-0 home win against Hull on the same afternoon.

Nick Powell netted one of those goals and the former Manchester United striker has been involved in four goals in his past four Championship starts (three goals and one assist).

Will he find another telling touch tonight?

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Brereton Diaz's newfound status as Chile's national hero has had a remarkable impact on his club side Blackburn Rovers.

Brereton Diaz has hit the ground running in 2021-22, scoring seven goals in 10 league and cup games, including a hat-trick in the 5-1 thumping of Cardiff at the weekend.

Tony Mowbray's side have lost just once this season and up in the top six, despite the loss of last season's top scorer Adam Armstrong to Southampton.

Huddersfield are just behind them in seventh, despite losing four of their nine games, although back to back defeats by lowly Forest and Swansea have halted their early rise.

Carlos Corberan's side haven't scored in those losses either, so there's plenty of pressure on Danny Ward, Danel Sinani and Co to come up with the goods up top tonight.

Image source, Rex Features

Second-placed West Brom head to south Wales and Cardiff, looking for a win to take them back top of the Championship.

The Baggies are unbeaten so far this campaign and preserved that record by coming from behind on Friday to beat QPR 2-1 at The Hawthorns.

Karlan Grant's second-half brace made that possible, a decent return for the man who had only netted once in his previous 27 matches.

Cardiff are coming off the back of a 5-1 reverse at Blackburn on Saturday, their third defeat on the bounce.

Mick McCarthy will be hoping they can arrest that slide and stretch their unbeaten home league record against West Brom to seven matches.

Right - let's give you the lowdown on this evening's fixtures...

Final Score

Image source, BBC Sport

As well as the action in the Championship and League One this evening, there's also a few matches in the group stage of the EFL Trophy.

And it's also match day two in the Champions League group stage and the place to hear reports and commentaries from those matches and to keep across the goals as they flash in is 5 Live Final Score.

You can follow it by tapping or clicking the play icon at the top of this page.

It's a midweek edition of BBC Squad Goals on BBC local radio this evening with a fresh line-up from the team as manager/producer Liam chooses to rotate his squad.

Betty Glover, Calvin Andrew and Pien Meulensteen will all be in the studio keeping their eyes on all the action and analysis on what it'll mean at both ends of the tables.

You can listen by tapping or clicking the play icon at the top of this page right now.

So the incentive for West Brom this evening - a win takes them back top ahead of Bournemouth who play on Wednesday.

Stoke and Blackburn also have chances to keep pace with the top two if they can pick up results on the road.

Image source, BBC Sport

Down the other end - only Hull are in action this evening of the early strugglers.

A chance for them to move out of the bottom three comes at home against Blackpool.

Image source, BBC Sport