Swansea City

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West Ham United are celebrating winning both the Championship's manager and player of the month awards for September.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo oversaw an unbeaten run last month which produced four wins from their five league games in which they scored 18 goals.

Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos had a prolific September for the Hammers, scoring four goals while also helping them keep two clean sheets as they moved up to second place in the table.

"I am delighted to win this award, but it was an excellent team effort this month," said Mavropanos.

"We had some good results, went on a good run, and obviously this award means that we are doing something good with the team.

"I am the one who has been given the award this time, but it could have been any of my team-mates, and I am just really happy that we are in a good way right now."

Lincoln head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos and Mark Robins of Stoke City were also nominated for the manager award.

Swansea City could be off the top of the table by the time they meet Norwich City on Saturday (12:30 BST).

A victory for West Ham over QPR on Friday night (20:00 BST) would send the Hammers to the summit at the expense of the Swans.

• Swansea City have won their past three home league matches against Norwich City since a 1-0 defeat in the 2022-23 season under Russell Martin.

• Norwich have won just one of their past seven league games against Swansea, a 5-1 home victory in January 2025.

• Swansea have picked up 17 points in their eight Championship matches this season (W5 D2 L1), their best start to a season since 2019-20, when they also had 17 points.

• No side has conceded more goals in the Championship this season than Norwich (17), who have lost both of their past two games 4-3 against Middlesbrough and Bolton. They are the first side in the top four tiers to lose consecutive league games despite scoring three goals since Newcastle in December 2012, while no side has lost three on the bounce when scoring at least three times.

• This season in the Championship, Norwich's Ben Chrisene is one of only two defenders in the competition to record more than 20 tackles (21) and more than 30 possession duel wins (33), alongside West Brom's Callum Styles.

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Lincoln City head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos, Mark Robins of Stoke City and West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo have been nominated for September's Championship manager of the month award.

Cohen and Shaw oversaw a run of eight points from five games for newly-promoted Lincoln last month, including away wins at Preston and Bristol City.

Matos won August's award and is in the running again as Swansea took 10 points in September to move to the top of the Championship table.

Stoke City recovered from losing their opening three games of the season under Robins to go unbeaten last month with four wins from their five outings and move up to seventh place.

West Ham boss Nuno's side rattled in 18 goals in their five matches in September with only Millwall preventing them from taking three points in a 2-2 draw at The Den.

The winner will be announced at 06:00 BST on Friday, 9 October.

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Eom Jisung's excellent start to the 2026-27 season reached another level after he scored the winning goal as South Korea clinched the Asian Games football title.

The Swansea winger scored the only goal as South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 in Aichi to win their fourth successive Asian Games crown.

Eom, who starred for Championship leaders Swansea before international duty, scored four goals and notched three assists during the competition.

His impressive Asian Games campaign included an opening game hat-trick against Qatar and a composed finish to seal victory in the final.

Eom finishes as the tournament's joint-top goalscorer alongside Uzbekistan's Sardorbek Bakhromov.

By becoming an Asian Games champion, the 24-year-old has secured an exemption from mandatory service in South Korea's military.

Able-bodied South Korean males are typically required to undertake between 18 and 21 months of military service before turning 28.

However, the government rewards Asian Games champions and Olympic medallists with a service exemption, bar basic training which lasts less than a month.

Eom featured for his country at the World Cup over the summer and was selected as one of three over-age players for this competition.

Swansea return to Championship action when they host Norwich City in an early kick-off on Saturday, 10 October.

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Swansea City's table-topping squad are unlikely to have gained much rest during the international break with almost an entire side in action for their nations over the last week.

That included some team-mates going head-to-head as Stephen Welsh got the better of Zan Vipotnik in Scotland's goalless draw with Slovenia, and while Stephen Eustaquio was part of the Canada side that bettered Chile with Lawrence Vigouroux in goal.

Summer signing Welsh won praise on his debut in the Nations League goalless draw with Slovenia that saw Vipotnik come off the bench, but fail to score.

Strike partner Adam Idah was on target as the Republic of Ireland beat Israel, his first international goal in a year.

Ben Cabango played 70 minutes in Wales' defeat by Portugal in Lisbon before missing out against Denmark, while eye-catching young defender Filip Lissah has been in action for Czech Republic's Under 21s.

Away from Europe's Nations League games, Marko Stamenic skippered New Zealand to a 3-0 friendly win over China with Elijah Just coming off the bench, having both been replacements in a 2-2 draw with Palestine. They will now play in Japan's Kirin Cup, with Panama first opponents.

Esquatio's Canada, meanwhile, have games with Peru and rivals USA – the latter just three days before Swansea return to Championship action against Norwich.

Likewise, Vigouroux's Chile have games with the US and Mexico before being able to travel back to south Wales.

And Eom Jisung's Asian Cup experience continues. He was named as one of South Korea's overaage players for the ongoing Under-23 tournament, the winger helping his side reach the semi-finals.

Joseph Opoku, who like Just and Eustaquio scored at this summer's World Cup, was not named in the Ghana squad for their African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Join Chris Wathan and BBC Sport Wales reporter Gareth Vincent as they review Swansea City's first eight games of the Championship season.

Listen on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

How are Grimsby Town and Swansea City linked through their recruitment and analysis?

In the newest episode of the 72+ podcast, Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Cambridge United boss Neil Harris find out in conversation with Grimsby CEO Polly Bancroft, who talks Jamestown Analytics, club growth, ambitions and what it's like to be one of the few female chief executives in the EFL.

That's after the panel are joined by Adam Blackmore, BBC Radio Solent's sports editor, to chat Spygate, the looming verdict over Tonda Eckert and how the club is feeling in this decisive week.

There's also discussion and debate on Championship table-toppers Swansea City and League One strugglers Peterborough United.

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Vitor Matos will keep fingers crossed until Swansea City's players are reunited having been left with a skeleton squad to work with during the international break.

The Championship leaders are without 13 first-team players due to national team call-ups during the elongated international window.

They also have three players – Josh Key, Ross Stewart and long-termer Cameron Burgess - in the treatment room, meaning Matos may have as few as nine senior players to work with at times during the break.

Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux, defenders Ben Cabango and Stephen Welsh, midfielders Stephen Eustaquio, Marko Stamenic, Eli Just and Eom Jisung and strikers Zan Vipotnik and Adam Idah have all been called up for senior international duty.

On top of that, Filip Lissah, Jeremy Monga, Tago Parente and Joseph Opoku are away for youth internationals.

"Three weeks without most of the players - that will of course give us a little bit time to think about consistency," said Swansea head coach Matos.

"It will not be easy having them away for so long."

Swansea, who have lost only one of their eight league games so far this season, return to Championship action when Norwich City visit south Wales on Saturday, 10 October.

While Key is expected to be out for a number of weeks, Swansea hope Scotland striker Stewart will return to training at some point during the international lay-off.

"We need to take care of the players who stay here, keep developing them," Matos added.

"Of course, working on dynamics is not as easy, but you can still refine a few aspects, you can still take care of the players.

"And then some players will only return on Thursday [before Norwich], which means then we have Friday and then we have a game on Saturday so not ideal, but you just have to put up with it. That's the truth."

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BBC Final Score

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Vitor Matos has led Swansea City to the top of the Championship table in the first international break and there is a real sense that this could be the season the Welsh side could return to the top flight after nearly a decade away.

From their opening eight games in the league, they have five wins, two draws and just one defeat and they sit two points clear of favourites West Ham.

When you look at the Swansea team, there is a real mix of youth and experience and they look strong all over the pitch.

Last season's top scorer in the league, Zan Vipotnik, hasn't really got going, but it's not hindered the Swans' progress with others in the frontline getting the goals to fire them to early success.

Matos worked with Jurgen Klopp and you can see the hallmarks of that kind of style with a fast pressing team who are up and at their opponents from the get-go.

Make no mistake though, they can mix it up too as they showed at the weekend when they had to battle and come from behind at Lincoln City to seal their latest victory.

It's been a while since a Welsh side graced the top flight and maybe just maybe that could change this season if Matos and co can continue and build on their great start to the campaign.

Whatever happens, one thing is for sure - Swansea are going to be a great side to watch this season.

We asked for your views after Swansea City climbed back to the top of the Championship table thanks to Saturday's 2-1 victory at Lincoln City.

The Swans fell behind to a first-half Imps penalty, but goals early in the second half from Moussa Yeo and Joseph Opoku meant Vitor Matos' team secured a fifth win in eight league games this season.

Here are some of your opinions.

Michael: Ground out a win when you're not on form - the sign of a good side aiming for promotion.

Leighton: Hard-fought victory but did well to get all three points against an old Wimbledon-style team. Nobody will like going there. Give them credit they made it the scruffiest game of football I've seen in a while. Not to moan but the ref was awful - but he was awful for both teams. Keep it going Swans.

Geraint: Believe, keep going - things are looking up. Train hard, eat good and march on. Big three points in the bag on the road.

Stephen: Maybe teams will be less happy to let us have the ball now. Gritty win away, always welcome. Uppa Swans.

Michael: Outfought and outclassed Lincoln in the second half and deserved the win.

Swansea City's Vitor Matos reflects on his side's 2-1 win over Lincoln City, which leaves the club top of the Championship heading into the international break.

The latest news and views on the Swans in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

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Vitor Matos reckons Stephen Welsh deserves his first Scotland call-up based on his impressive start to life at Swansea City.

Welsh joined Swansea on a free transfer in the summer having been allowed to leave Celtic despite having a year to run on his contract with Scottish giants.

The centre-back arrived in Wales with the challenge of breaking into a Swansea side where Ben Cabango and Cameron Burgess were regulars at the heart of defence last season.

But after Burgess suffered a long-term Achilles injury in the opening game of 2026-27, Welsh has seized his chance in some style.

The 26-year-old has played in all seven of Swansea's league matches this season, with his fine form earning him a place in Sebastien Pocognoli's first Scotland squad.

"I think he's performing really, really well," said Swansea head coach Matos.

"He fits straight into the style and in the group as well.

"[I am] really happy for him, really happy that he can fulfil that goal or dream [by being called up by Scotland], and then wish him all the best on the time with the national team."

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Welsh will hope to sign off before the international break on a positive note when Swansea take on Lincoln City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

He will then join up with Scotland for Nations League matches against Slovenia (home and away), North Macedonia and Switzerland.

Welsh made 70 senior appearances during his long spell at Celtic, joining Swansea having impressed while on loan at Motherwell last season.

Matos reckons there is more to come from the former Scotland Under-21 cap.

"[He is] really good offensively, like I said in the beginning when we signed him," he added.

"He's a player with right foot playing on the left side, but he coped so well with that.

"Of course, he knows that there's things we can always improve, but that's the culture, let's say, of the club where we are now."