Championship round up: Leeds stay top

None of the top four sides in the Championship won on Saturday, meaning Leeds United remained top of the table despite a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Derby County.

Bristol City and Swansea City, who started the day third and second respectively, played out a 0-0 draw, while Charlton Athletic suffered a second straight defeat, going down 2-0 at Wigan Athletic.

Preston North End, QPR and Nottingham Forest all gained ground towards the top of the standings with victories, while Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City and Hull City were also among the winners.

Sheffield Wednesday drew 1-1 with Fulham and Stoke City moved off the bottom of the table after a goalless encounter at Brentford.
 

FRUSTRATION FOR LEEDS

Other results meant Leeds stayed top even though they suffered frustration against Derby, the team with whom they were embroiled in last season's 'spygate' controversy.

Marcelo Bielsa's men led through Max Lowe's own goal, but Mateusz Klich fired wide with a penalty that would have sealed victory 20 minutes from time, while Patrick Bamford, who had won the spot-kick, squandered multiple opportunities.

Chris Martin then punished the hosts with a stoppage-time equaliser, finishing off a slick move completely against the run of play to score his first Derby goal since November 2017 and give his side their fifth draw in eight games.

 

21 September 2019

CHARLTON FALLING AWAY

Charlton lost a second straight game without scoring, as defender Chey Dunkley scored a double for Wigan to send Lee Bowyer's men down to seventh.

Dunkley netted in each half to follow up his goal at Hull last week, having failed to net in 39 Wigan appearances last season. The result ended a six-match winless league run for the hosts.

Swansea are still level on points with Leeds at the top after their draw at Ashton Gate. The Welsh side had Jake Bidwell sent off in the last-minute for a lunge on Niclas Eliasson.

CHASING PACK GAIN GROUND

Sean Maguire scored for a second straight week to give Preston a 1-0 win at Birmingham City, Alex Neil's men moving up to third - just a point behind the leaders - as a result. 

Nahki Wells' double – his second coming courtesy of a huge goalkeeping blunder from Bartosz Bialkowski – gave QPR a 2-1 win away to Millwall, ensuring Mark Warburton's men sit level with Preston.

Forest are one point further back after Ben Watson's first goal for the club ensured Barnsley were beaten 1-0 at The City Ground. It was the home side's only shot on target.

 

21 September 2019

NUHU DENIES FULHAM

Fulham remain in mid-table after Atdhe Nuhiu headed in a Sheffield Wednesday equaliser three minutes into stoppage time, cancelling out Tom Cairney's first-half opener.

Elsewhere, Ashley Fletcher's second-minute own goal gave Cardiff a narrow 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, Hull scored three times in the final 27 minutes to thump Luton Town 3-0 at Kenilworth Road and Blackburn Rovers won 2-1 away to Reading.

Sergi Canos had an effort cleared off the line as Brentford were frustrated by struggling Stoke.

 

21 September 2019