Image source, Shutterstock

That's your lot from us on another drama-packed Championship Saturday.

Head here for reports and reaction from all of today's action.

Head here for live text coverage of Nottingham Forest's game against Coventry in the Premier League.

We'll be back tomorrow for the Black Country derby between Wolves and West Brom from 12:00 BST, with Norwich v Bolton from 13:30 BST.

Until then, thanks for your company today and enjoy your Saturday evening.

Cheers!

QPR

QPR manager Julien Stephan spoke to BBC Radio London after his side, reduced to ten men for most of the game, fought back from two goals down against Preston to draw 2-2:

"I am very disappointed with the first half, not only the result but the lack of personality and character on the pitch. We do not have to accept that. It is not a question of quality or physical ability, but mindset and to be strong mentally when we experience some bad moments.

"At half-time we had some very strong words with the players. It was with one less player but, in fact, it was 11 v 11 with the fans and the atmosphere they created. It was outstanding and I want to thank them for that.

"The players did an outstanding second half with quality, intelligence and what we missed in the first half - we did not manage our emotion - we did so very well in the second half. The players must use this experience for the rest of the season.

"If we can play like we did in the second half, it will be difficult for the opponent to pick up points against us. We must create this momentum."

Preston North End

Preston North End interim manager Jason Euell spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after QPR's late comeback for a 2-2 draw:

"I've got mixed emotions [about the match], in terms of the position we found ourselves in so early on, maybe we were two-up too early.

"I'm disappointed that we had an opportunity to kill the game off which we didn't take – part of that is not being clinical enough in the opposition box. Allowing ourselves to be overtaken against 10 men is disappointing.

"I said to the boys afterwards it's a learning experience, being 2-0 up with a man advantage, its not as easy as people say it is.

"We have to be able to control our emotions, manage the game better, have the right mindset. We let the outside noise get the better of us, it's disappointing, but we've got a point."

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg spoke to BBC Radio Tees as his side snatched a point with a late equaliser at Birmingham City:

“There’s a lot of things that need to improve, but there are a lot of things that are very, very good.

“The first half was very good and I think it was poor from us in the second half. But that’s the thing, we need to work on how we understand the game and what is needed from us.

“We gave away so many set plays in the second half, so in that period of time they don’t do anything we just gave them away. They kept putting them in the box, and it builds the pressure with the crowd.

“When you summarise this [first eight games] the players have been brilliant, doing a lot of things good and we have scored a lot of goals. Everyone can see we need to concede fewer. But how do we do that, how do we defend better, how do we do better on the ball and how do be more clever?”

Swansea City

Swansea head coach Vitor Matos speaking to BBC Sport after their 2-1 win over Lincoln:

"I am really proud of the players, coming here and competing in a really hard place, against a really hard team in terms of competitiveness and physicality.

"I think it was a really good performance. We tried to impose ourselves from the beginning, which was not easy.

"I think in the first half we ended the first half much more composed, then we adjusted a few things at half-time but more [it was] about giving confidence to the players to keep pushing.

"Then we got the rewards and then it was surviving and fighting for the win."

Lincoln City

Lincoln head coach Tom Shaw told BBC Sport after their 2-1 loss to Swansea:

"Incredible first half I thought from our lads. These are a top side - I think they went top of the league today.

"It's a top team and we took it to them from the first minute. We wanted the game on our terms which I thought it was for 40 minutes.

"The last five minutes they just gave a warning of what they can do with their technical level and tactical level around our goal.

"Unfortunately we have just not been able to stick with it in the early part of the second half. The second goal is a little unfortunate with the deflection and the first goal we can do so much better.

"But from that point I thought we chased the game pretty well. The ball didn't quite drop for us but on the whole we are delighted with the level of performance today."

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire after their 2-2 draw with Portsmouth:

"A bit of frustration around it really, we got ourselves in front and we should have been able to see that game out.

"I just think we're a bit patchy at the moment, at our best in our moments we look like a really good football team.

"But I felt we probably showed them too much respect today, we allowed them to build into our attacking third too easily.

"I'm frustrated, but it's a point away at Portsmouth which is never an easy place to come to with the atmosphere that the supporters create.

"We have to get better, it wasn't a top performance from us, slightly below par I think."

Portsmouth

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho speaking to BBC Radio Solent after his side had to settle for a point against Blackburn:

"Ultimately we're really frustrated in there that we haven't won the game.

"The two goals that we concede are really poor and entirely preventable, particularly the second one where we shot ourselves in the foot.

"On the balance of chances in the game we had some really good opportunities and didn't put the ball in the back of the net.

"But to go 2-1 down we went a bit flat after that I think, but we got back in the game really well and at the back end I think a little bit more quality in certain areas and we do punish them.

"It's one that we wouldn't have taken before the game, but in the circumstances of going a goal behind we have to settle for the point and move on."

Burnley

Burnley manager Nicky Hayen told BBC Radio Lancashire:

Asked, will you be given time to turn things around? “I hope so, I don't know. I understand the frustration of the fans. I understand that they're really disappointed, also in myself, that they're fuming. So I completely understand that.

“I know how it goes in football, but I’ve said also there are a lot of reasons and you take this into account or you don’t. That’s up to other people to decide and it’s easy to see from the outside towards the players. If we have 11 players, everyone thinks they are fit and fresh and ready to go at 100%, but the reality is sometimes different.

“But I know I cannot claim a lot at the moment. I know I’m responsible for it and, OK, if they make the decision that it's not good enough, then we'll see.

“But I'm resilient. I'm always a fighter. I will keep on fighting and I’m 100% sure we can turn it around, but we’ll see what happens.”

Sam Fletcher
BBC Final Score commentator at St Andrew's

It’s another star performance against Birmingham for Middlesbrough’s 21-year-old Brighton loanee Amario Cozier-Duberry.

You won’t see his name on the scoresheet this time, after scoring in both of the last two, but, he was a creative engine on the right, contributing yet again.

An “assist” doesn’t credit him enough for the long stylish run he put in for the first goal. He showed great skill and determination skipping round multiple defenders to create an opportunity in the middle of the box for Max Arfsten.

Middlesbrough might have missed the chance to go top of the league - as they were at half time - and there is perhaps some work to do defensively.

However, there was an awful lot of quality on show as they rescued a point and again Cozier-Duberry stood out, even more impressive after playing 232 minutes in just the last week.

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham City

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies speaking to BBC WM after a late equaliser saw them share the points with Middlesbrough:

“It was a sickening way to drop points, being so close to the end. But there as a lot to like about us today.

“I said to the players in there that as much as it hurts, and it will hurt, we have to stay really positive and take lot from these first eight games.

“We played some of our best football in the first half that we have this season at home. We then conceded a few chances, but the game was there for us.

“The way they started [the second half] was magnificent, it got the crowd up. We deserved our goals and were on the up.

“It showed great character again. I’m just gutted for the player that they couldn’t get the win in the end."

On the fumbled ball from Beadle that led to Boro’s late leveller: “Some players were telling me it was in his hands, he thinks it was, but it was one of those situations where it was very unfortunate.

"James has been superb this season and I must say he has saved us lot of times. He has made big saves and is a super keeper, it’s just one of those unfortunate things that can happen and it cost us today.”

Adam Cottier
BBC Final Score commentator at Turf Moor

There was one moment of real quality in this game and it came from the directness and technical ability of Fuseini to score his stylish leveller.

There was audible anger from Burnley fans at the end. Nicky Hayen had changed his left-back late and it may have been a reason why Derby were given their late chance.

Derby County

Derby boss John Eustace speaking to BBC Radio Derby after earning a late point against Burnley:

"I'm delighted for Mo [Fuseini]. What a fantastic finish. We knew he would come on and impact today and I'm delighted that he did.

"I thought we deserved more out of the game and that our effort was excellent. Burnley want to dominate possession and they get into some awkward areas and positions, but we knew that the longer we stayed in the game we would get opportunities.

"I thought the draw was the least we deserved. We created some fantastic chances. I am delighted to have stopped the defeats, but I'm also frustrated we couldn't take all three points."

Tom Gayle
BBC Radio 5 Live and Final Score reporter

Wrexham do have the last laugh following their online Spygate banter in the build-up.

It appeared to be more relief than celebration from Phil Parkinson, his players, and the their supporters. They finally get a first home win of the season.

The body language of the Southampton players was telling as they all sheepishly clapped the away supporters before heading down the tunnel. They know this was a game they should not have lost.

Southampton

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert after a late own goal handed Wrexham a 2-1 victory:

"I think it's a game you can never lose. We controlled the game for large amount and in the end we are talking about one corner and one flick off a long ball.

"There was everything in this game to go up, everything in the game to win.

"It always hurts when you go into the break with a defeat but we are going to shake this off and go again."

Image source, Shutterstock

• Since the start of December 2025, only Southampton (66 incl. four-point deduction) have earned more points in the Championship than Swansea City (64 – W19 D7 L10).
• Middlesbrough have earned more points from losing positions than any other side in the Championship this season (8), five of which have come across their last three games.
• Burnley (D4 L4) are the third side relegated from the Premier League the season prior to fail to win any of their opening eight games of a Championship season after Fulham in 2014-15 and Huddersfield Town in 2019-20.
• Konstantinos Mavropanos has scored in each of his last three league games, while he has four overall this season, as many as across his first 90 league appearances in English football.
• Dennis Cirkin's red card for QPR (14:41) is the earliest a player has been sent off in an EFL Championship game since Caleb Okoli for Leicester City against Charlton Athletic in January last season (14:16), while it’s only his second red card in the Football League and first since April 2023 for Sunderland.

Mark Elliott
Stoke City commentator on BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City produced two goal of the season candidates to find a way past Sheffield United and head into the elongated international break in the best possible way.

The Championship can consider itself warned about the quality Jack McGlynn has when it comes to shooting from anywhere inside 35 yards from goal.

In following up the one he scored with his weaker right foot at Watford with a screamer with his left, McGlynn announced himself as a legitimate goal scoring midfielder in this division just weeks after his move from MLS.

What might help him to continue to fly under the radar is the fact that Sam Gallagher outdid him a few minutes later from a similar distance from goal.

Ethan Galbraith’s commitment to finding a forward pass makes Stoke far more dangerous but his ball over Gallagher’s shoulder left him with a lot to do.

The touch under pressure was perfect and the strike was even better, further underlying the fact that he possesses a mix of brute force and subtlety that few players in the second tier can boast.

Justin Devenny and Galbraith have come up with decisive moments in recent weeks, as has Eric Bocat and the depth of quality available to Mark Robins only improved further with the return of Junior Tchamadeu off the bench after injury.

It’s three weeks until Stoke play again at Bolton but everyone involved from fans to coaches and players can enjoy the break in matches at the right end of the Championship table after a run of form that gives cause for genuine optimism.

Sheffield United

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield after losing 2-1 to Stoke after taking the lead through Kalvin Phillips:

“It’s a difficult one to take really. I thought we did a lot of things right, we limited them to next to nothing and got the shape right out of possession.

“Going 1-0 up we felt pretty comfortable going into the last 10 minutes and never really felt on the backfoot.

“Then you see what’s happened – it’s two unbelievable goals from them. And that’s the way it is at the moment.

“We could, quite easily in my opinion, have came away with a lot more in the last two games. We could have won last Sunday [a 1-0 defeat by Wolves] and today.

"But it’s fine lines, small details and a couple of things that have gone against us today in terms of the quality of their goals from 30 or 35 yards.

“We are obviously disappointed that we’ve not taken any points from the past two games. It’s hard to take because I believe the player deserved a lot more than zero points."

Stoke City

Stoke City boss Mark Robins speaking to BBC Radio Stoke after their 2-1 victory over Sheffield United:

“It those goals don’t deserve to win a football match, I don’t know what level of quality does.

“That is a testament to Sam Gallagher, to work the way he has done after having to keep coming back from disappointment of injuries, that is a sheer demonstration of brute force, power and quality. It was unbelievable, what a goal.

“The first goal was good enough, that is Jack all over, but we worked really hard to get back on level terms after conceding what we felt was a real giveaway.

“It’s good to see us being able to compete against teams that we haven’t been able to so far, that should give them a load of confidence and belief that we can really go and play and make an impact at this level.”

Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones speaking to BBC Sport after their loss against Cardiff City:

"It's an unrecognisable performance to what we normally do. We got out-worked, out-battled, out-ran, out-passed and out-thought.

"Ironically we have had three massive chances in the game, but that would have only papered over the cracks of a really poor performance.

"They play pretty consistently, they're a good side, but we were inept today with how we pressed and our work-rate.

"It's an unacceptable performance from us out of possession which is why we've conceded how we have."