Middlesbrough's turn to be offside this time.

Ryan Giles got in out wide and whizzed the cross from the left, but the flag goes up just as Josef Bursik gets the ball from Riley McGree regardless.

Jacob Brown is a useful outlet for Stoke, with Ben Wilmot trying to pick him out and put him away but the striker is offside.

Tentative start.

First chance goes Middlesbrough's way, with the first play from the kick-off.

Wing-back Ryan Giles skips forward and tests Josef Bursik with an effort that deflects wide.

It's up and running at the Bet365 Stadium by the way.

The rest of our games go from 20:00 BST of course.

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After four seasons of sinking in the clotting quicksand that is League One, Sunderland finally returned to the Championship in 2022-23, and under former promotion winner Alex Neil, they've looked right at home with an unbeaten start.

Only Seny Dieng's injury-time equaliser against QPR on Saturday denied them a second win of the season, although injury to summer signing Dan Ballard has left a sour taste for the Wearsiders.

Their opponents tonight, Sheffield United, came within a play-off semi-final shoot out of Wembley last term.

Paul Heckingbottom has had to pick them up this off-season, and despite some pleasing recruitment such as Reda Khadra, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Tommy Doyle, they've won just once.

It's largely been week on week improvement though, and the Bramall Lane crowd tonight should crank up the atmosphere.

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With three points and two points respectively from a possible nine to kick off the new season, both Stoke and Middlesbrough are finding their pre-season promotion ambitions misfiring early doors.

Michael O'Neill's Potters and Chris Wilder's Boro had spells of flirting with the top-six last season before the former fell away and the latter just missed out.

Recruitment has been ambitious for both, such Dwight Gayle making his way to the Bet365 Stadium from Newcastle plus big ex-Cardiff centre-half Aden Flint, and Middlesbrough adding Marcus Forss from Brentford, West Brom's Alex Mowatt and Wolves winger Ryan Giles.

Who will get the job done in the Potteries? Surely someone's season will get up and running here?

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West Brom were tipped to challenge for promotion from the Championship this season, while Cardiff were among those slated by the predictors to finish bottom-half.

The current form of both sides has made a mockery of this, albeit three games in, as Steve Morison's Bluebirds - a defeat by Reading aside - have won twice so far, and a win tonight could lift them to second in the table. West Brom are yet to pick up a win.

Steve Bruce knew the pressure when he took over at the Baggies and he will not be happy with draws with promotion rivals Middlesbrough and Watford and a defeat by leaders Blackburn to start.

However, they do have quality such as Jed Wallace within their ranks, and a strong support at home. Cardiff will be ready.

Image source, Rex Features

Considering he won the Champions League, Uefa Cup, Serie A, Eredivisie and numerous domestic cups as a player, Jon Dahl Tomasson's short spell as a player in England was something of a damp squib, with just four goals in 34 games at Newcastle.

Thankfully for the Dane, as a manager, it's been a glorious first few games in charge at Blackburn, who possess the EFL's only remaining 100% record with three wins from three.

He's tapped into the well of goals that is Ben Brereton Diaz, got skipper Lewis Travis thrashing them in from everywhere and made some smart pick-ups too like Peterborough midfielder Sam Szmodics and full-back Callum Brittain from Barnsley.

Standing in their way tonight are Paul Ince's Reading, who were spanked 4-0 by Rotherham at the weekend, having acquired an impressive win over Cardiff in the previous league game.

Ince has kept faith with Joe Lumley between the sticks despite a couple of howlers in South Yorkshire.

Hello then, on this Wednesday evening, and welcome to four games of Championship-stamped quality.

One gets off at 19:45 BST, the others go from 20:00 BST. Let's set the scene.

Image source, Rex Features

From sweltering sunshine to sopping wet rain, the past few days have been a mixed bag for the weather.

But while the temperatures have cooled, the EFL just keeps raising the mercury.

So, get your towel in the freezer and your drinks on ice. Here we go.