After the season’s first international break, EFL Championship football returned this weekend with a slate of crucial early matches. Four games in, and some teams were still on the hunt for their first point of the new campaign, while others remained unbeaten. Here’s everything you need to remember from the EFL Championship’s fifth matchweek of the season.
Jaden Philogene nets stunning hat-trick in Ipswich Town’s first win
It was a clash of underperformers on Friday night as last year’s playoff finalists, Sheffield United, traveled to Portman Road to face recently relegated Ipswich Town, both sides hunting for their first win of the season.
Ipswich Town quickly showed their intent, breaking from back to front in the opening minute of the match and finding Jaden Philogene on the left, who cut in for a tame effort on his right foot.
But in the 20th minute, Philogene picked up the ball in the same area and cut in to beat former Everton defender Ben Godfrey. This time, he fired his shot low into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0.
That was the key moment of the first 45 as the two sides went in for half-time at 1-0, with Ruben Selles’ Sheffield United yet to fashion a shot on target.
Philogene made it 2-0 early in the second half, cutting in on his right foot again and floating past two defenders before drilling it into the bottom left corner from just outside the box.
Sheffield United improved slightly in the aftermath, getting their first shot on target in the 59th minute. But they made their own problems, as just a minute later, a miscued touch from Harrison Burrows sent George Hirst through on goal. Hirst, despite his first touch taking him wide, finished through the legs of goalkeeper Michael Cooper.
Hirst thought he had his second just one minute later, but the linesman’s flag stopped his celebrations. However, Philogene quickly made it four in the 68th minute, and it was the best of the bunch.
This time, picking the ball up outside the penalty area and teasing Godfrey with a stepover before going left and rifling a shot across the keeper with his weaker foot.
It was Philogene’s replacement, Jack Clarke, who got the home side’s fifth goal. Clarke capitalized on indecisive clearances to win the ball in the Sheffield United penalty area before slotting the ball through the keeper’s legs.
Kieran McKenna will be thrilled that his side finally earned their first EFL Championship win, and in such style. But for Sheffield United, this performance caps off a disastrous tenure for Ruben Selles, who was sacked following the defeat. Reports indicate that Chris Wilder, who only left the club in June, will return to manage the Blades.
Middlesbrough leaves it late but remains unbeaten
Rob Edwards’ league leaders, Middlesbrough, traveled to fellow promotion hopefuls Preston North End on Saturday, the home side hoping to bounce back after their first league defeat of the season at Portsmouth before the break.
It was the home side who struck first, when Aston Villa loanee Lewis Dobbin struck a wonderful left-footed effort from outside the box which flew into the top left corner, his first EFL Championship goal this season.
That was the only shot on target in the first half, with the sides going in for the break at 1-0. Rob Edwards brought on new Slovakian striker David Strelec at half-time with the hopes of adding additional threat up front.
His addition helped stretch the lines and provide an extra outlet for link-up play in the final third, and Middlesbrough looked much more threatening early in the second half.
They eventually got their equalizer in the 72nd minute. 18-year-old substitute Sverre Nypan fashioned the chance with some brilliant dribbling to get clear of two defenders in the box. His cross found Tommy Conway, who couldn’t get a shot off, but the ball fell to Matt Targett at the back post, who volleyed home unmarked.
Preston had created hardly anything in the second half, but won a corner in the 88th minute with one of their only forays into the Middlesbrough area. The cross whipped in by Ben Whiteman found the head of Jordan Storey, who’d been defensively brilliant all game, and headed past the keeper to give his side the lead against the run of play.
It looked as if Middlesbrough’s unbeaten run would come to an end, but the away side won a corner in the 92nd minute for what looked to be their last chance at an equalizer. The corner caused chaos in front of the goal; the initial effort from Luke Ayling was cleared off the line, but it was back out to Sontje Hansen, who volleyed towards the goal. Initially saved again, the ball bounced over the keeper and just barely crossed the line.
Disappointment for Preston North End, but a deserved equalizer for Middlesbrough, who controlled possession and created twice as many shots. Edwards called it “a typical Championship game” and praised his side, who remain top of the EFL Championship, for their resilience in his post-match comments.
QPR jump Wrexham after convincing away win
Two sides with the same record came up against each other when Queens Park Rangers traveled to Wrexham on Saturday. Both sides were coming off a first EFL Championship win of the season after two losses and a draw in their opening three.
After some opening pressure from the hosts, Queens Park Rangers began to work the ball into space on the right-hand side and create chances. Jimmy Dunne put the ball in the net from a corner in the 25th minute, but was judged offside.
QPR launched a long throw into the box in the 33rd minute to Richard Kone, who directed the ball towards goal, where a mix-up between goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and Conor Coady saw the ball bounce off the defender into the goal.
Kone got his goal just before halftime, a four-pass move slicing through the center of the Wrexham team from the goalkeeper all the way up to the 22-year-old. Kone took two touches before firing a right-footed effort into the top corner from outside the box for his third goal in four games.
Wrexham started the second half with more intent, keeping the ball in the QPR half of the pitch for longer periods of sustained attacking play. They capitalized in the 66th minute when Lewis O’Brien’s corner found the head of Kieffer Moore, the big Welshman heading in his fifth goal since joining Wrexham.
Wrexham looked more likely to get the next goal, continuing to pin QPR back in their own box. But in the 75th minute, Rumarn Burrell showed off his pace when Jimmy Dunne cleared the ball from his own box all the way into the Wrexham final third. Burrell beat both defenders to the ball and chipped the goalkeeper to put an end to Wrexham’s comeback hopes.
For QPR supporters, it was a much-needed away win where both summer signings, Burrell and Kone, were crucial in all three goals. While for Wrexham, defensive issues will again make the headlines, as QPR capitalized on some weak attempts at clearances and space behind their back three.
EFL Championship MD4 results
( ) = League position
- (14) Ipswich Town 5-0 Sheffield United (24)
- (18) Charlton Athletic 1-1 Millwall (13)
- (22) Oxford United 2-2 Leicester City (4)
- (8) Preston North End 2-2 Middlesbrough (1)
- (6) Coventry City 1-1 Norwich City (10)
- (23) Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Bristol City (3)
- (2) Stoke City 1-0 Birmingham City (11)
- (7) Swansea 2-2 Hull City (20)
- (17) Watford 0-1 Blackburn (16)
- (5) West Brom 0-1 Derby County (19)
- (21) Wrexham 1-3 Queens Park Rangers (12)
- (15) Southampton 0-0 Portsmouth (9)
