It took just five games for the first EFL Championship manager to lose their job. Sheffield United dismissed Ruben Selles following his pointless start to the season with a team initially favored for promotion. It’s a reminder of the unpredictability that makes the EFL Championship such thrilling viewing. That thrilling viewing continued in matchweek six. Here’s what you need to remember if you missed any of the action.
Middlesbrough top West Brom and extend gap to four points
Unbeaten Middlesbrough faced arguably their toughest test of the season so far when West Bromwich Albion traveled to Riverside Stadium on Friday night. Rob Edwards’ Middlesbrough dropped their first two points of the season last time out, salvaging a point with a late equalizer at Preston North End.
Meanwhile, despite losing their first match of the campaign at home to Derby County last weekend, Ryan Mason’s team had the chance to go level on points with Middlesbrough if they managed a win.
The game was well-balanced early on. West Brom controlled possession while Middlesbrough pressed high and attempted to create chances off turnovers in the West Brom final third.
West Brom failed to create much with their possession, struggling to play out of the Middlesbrough press. The home side took the lead in the 26th minute when new signing David Strelec turned in his first goal for his new side. The Serbian striker scored via Luke Ayling’s flicked-on header from a long throw-in routine.
The second half continued in the same vein. West Brom increased their share of possession but looked less threatening than the home side when they had the ball.
Middlesbrough got their second on the hour mark. It was a brilliant 17-pass move from their back three up to the front line, cutting through the compact West Brom defense with tight passes.
The ball eventually fell to Tommy Conway in the box, who crossed to Hayden Hackney. Hackney showed great awareness to back-heel the ball into the onrushing Kaly Sene. The substitute forward became the second player to open his Middlesbrough account on the day with a nice first-time finish.
Middlesbrough were happy to sit back on their two-goal lead, and it nearly cost them. West Brom got one back in the 89th minute. Aune Heggebo also got his first EFL Championship goal for his new club when he headed in Michael Johnston’s cross.
But it was too late for Ryan Mason’s side. Middlesbrough extended their gap on the rest of the table to four points.
Windass scores a brace as Wrexham beat Norwich City
It was the first time since 1982 that Norwich City played Wrexham when the Welsh side traveled to Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon. It was also a chance for Wrexham to bridge the three-point gap between themselves and Norwich City.
Liam Manning’s side were looking to get their first points of the season in front of their home crowd. All seven of their EFL Championship points this season had been earned in away fixtures.
It was end-to-end in the first half, with both sides stretching each other’s back lines with through balls in behind to the strikers. But it was Norwich who got the opener in the 39th minute. Matej Jurasek chipped a through ball into Jack Stacey, who slotted it past the keeper. The Wrexham defence was punished again for leaving gaps in behind their back three.
However, the visitors got off to a flyer in the second half, unlocking the Norwich City defence with a long diagonal into Issa Kabore. The winger crossed the ball into Josh Windass, and the 31-year-old fired home to level it.
Wrexham pushed on for the go-ahead from there, piling pressure on the Norwich back-line. In the 54th minute, another diagonal out to Kabore gave the winger space to pick his cross. The Senegalese found wing-back Ryan Longman unmarked at the top of the box, who squeezed it under the keeper to make it 2-1.
Wrexham took advantage of a stunned Norwich City. Josh Windass got the ball on the left flank a few minutes later and cut in on his right foot, whipping a shot into the top right corner. It capped off a brilliant second-half comeback for the visitors.
The Carrow Road crowd greeted the third goal with a chorus of booes after watching their side throw away a 1-0 lead in just 12 minutes.
The home side did eventually get one back after controlling possession for the rest of the half. Jovon Makama tapped in a spilled save from the Wrexham keeper in the 94th minute, but it came too late.
“When the pressure increases, like it did when we conceded so early in the second half, how do you respond? You need people then to step up and be counted,” said Norwich manager Liam Manning. “What you don’t do is go and give another goal away so easily and so quickly. That’s why it hurts and why I’m so frustrated.”
Oxford United climb out of the relegation zone with an upset win at Bristol City
Bristol City were heavy favorites when they hosted Oxford United on Sunday. The home side was unbeaten and sitting third in the league, coming off a convincing 3-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the visitors were still without a win. Gary Rowett’s side had just two points from their first five games and sat in the bottom four.
Oxford aimed to play directly into their forwards with long balls and then tried to punish Bristol with set pieces in their area; it worked a treat.
Oxford won a free kick on the right flank in the 19th minute. Brian De Keersmaecker played a perfect ball just behind the Bristol defensive line, where striker Nik Prelec dove in to head home the goal on his first start for the club.
Bristol controlled possession for the remainder of the first half, but their only chances came from corners, with the away side defending well in open play.
Bristol City seemed to switch off just before the half-time break. Oxford won a corner in the 47th minute from a long ball played up from their goalkeeper. The initial corner was cleared, but only out to Polish right midfielder Przemyslaw Placheta. Placheta took one touch before thrashing a strike into the top left-hand corner, stunning the home side just before the break.
Bristol struck back early in the second half in much the same fashion. Scott Twine’s corner was cleared out to Anis Mehmeti, who hit a thundering shot from way outside the box, which clattered in off the crossbar.
Oxford didn’t capitulate after conceding; in fact, they seemed to improve. In the second half, the visitors won 74% of aerial and ground duels, and outperformed the home side in tackles, interceptions, and clearances.
They were rewarded for their efforts in the 89th minute from yet another set piece. De Keersmaecker delivered another brilliant free kick, and Gregory Leigh’s glancing header helped it into the back of the net.
It capped off a fantastic team performance from the visitors, earning them a much-deserved first EFL Championship win of the season.
EFL Championship MD6 results
( ) = League position
- (1) Middlesbrough 2-1 West Bromwich Albion (7)
- (8) Birmingham City 1-0 Swansea City (11)
- (4) Leicester City 0-0 Coventry City (6)
- (9) Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Stoke City (2)
- (18) Blackburn 1-0 Ipswich Town (17) – ABANDONED
- (22) Derby County 0-1 Preston North End (5)
- (14) Hull City 3-1 Southampton (19)
- (15) Norwich City 2-3 Wrexham (16)
- (13) Portsmouth 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday (23)
- (24) Sheffield United 0-1 Charlton Athletic (12)
- (3) Bristol City 1-3 Oxford United (20)
- (10) Millwall 1-0 Watford (21)
