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Showing posts with the label Championship

Sunderland revive automatic promotion hopes

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Sunderland 1 - 2 Sheffield Wednesday Sunderland reignited automatic promotion chances with a crucial win at Sheffield Wednesday, thanks to a brace from Eliezer Mayenda. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - Hillsborough After back-to-back defeats against Leeds United and Hull City, the Black Cats desperately needed three points. They took the lead in controversial fashion during the first half, as Mayenda appeared to control the ball with his arm before slotting home. Wednesday hit back early in the second half through Callum Paterson’s header, but 19-year-old Spanish forward Mayenda, starting in place of top scorer Wilson Isidor, nodded in the winner to secure a vital victory. Sunderland remain fourth in the Championship, five points behind second-placed Sheffield United, though they have played a game more. For Sheffield Wednesday, it was a third consecutive defeat, leaving them 13th in the table, six points adrift of the play-off spots. Their hopes of breaking into the top six are n...

Another late winner for Leeds United

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Sheffield United 1 - 3 Leeds United Leeds United produced a remarkable late comeback for the second game in a row to win at Sheffield United and move five points clear at the top of the Championship. Author - Oliver W Stadium - Bramall Lane The away side took the lead in the first half when Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier palmed the ball into his own net after tipping Callum O'Hare's header on to the bar and then seeing Tyrese Campbell's follow-up hit the post. Leeds were much improved after the break and deservedly levelled when Junior Firpo's thumping header from Dan James' cross flew past Michael Cooper in the home goal. EFL: 2024/2025 Ao Tanaka managed to head Leeds into the lead in the 89th minute after Firpo had flicked on a corner. There was more drama to come. With the Blades still stunned, Joel Piroe thumped home a superb third from 20 yards moments later. Leeds are on a great run and are now unbeaten in 16 Championship games. They are seven points clear...

Are Luton Town destined for another relegation?

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 Watford 2 - 0 Luton Town Watford put an end to a miserable run of five straight home defeats with a convincing win over struggling Luton Town in the M1 derby at Vicarage Road. Author - Jack L Stadium - Vicarage Road Tom Dele-Bashiru opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Mamadou Doumbia was brought down, before Edo Kayembe doubled the lead with a simple tap-in. Luton, who had won just once in their last 26 away games across two seasons , failed to register a single meaningful shot on target in the first half. Manager Matt Bloomfield is still searching for his first victory since taking charge in mid-January. Despite a winter transfer window overhaul, his squad remains a work in progress, with some players still adjusting to English football and others making the step up from League One, just as Bloomfield himself has. He had hoped for a quick turnaround, but that has yet to materialise. The win lifts Watford to ninth in the Championship, just three points off the play...

A perfect Friday night for Burnley

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Burnley 4 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday Burnley made it 12 straight league clean sheets in a row and went two points behind second-placed Sheffield United. However, this wasn't as straightforward as the scoreline suggests. Author - Jack L Stadium - Turf Moor Wednesday have now conceded 16 without reply against teams in the top five this season and will wonder how they didn't go ahead during a dominant display. This was obviously before Marcus Edwards' 43rd-minute opener.  The away side had several good chances to make it 1-1 before Josh Brownhill and Connor Roberts struck from Jaidon Anthony's crosses. In the final moments of the game, Manuel Benson struck a goal-of-the-season contender with his weaker right foot from outside the box to compound the visitors' misery. Burnley extend their unbeaten league run to 21 games in style and are really dreaming of promotion and a return to the Premier League. A closer look at what happened Marcus Edwards was handed his firs...

Head coach leaves Swansea

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Luke Williams has departed Swansea City after an awful run of form that saw them lose seven of their last nine matches. Williams leaves after just over a year in charge, with the Swans sitting 17th in the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games remaining. His departure is accompanied by the exits of assistant head coach Ryan Harley and first-team coach analyst George Lawtey. Author - Mark Milward Assistant head coach Alan Sheehan has been placed in temporary charge for a second time, with the club confirming that the search for Williams' successor is "already under way."  Sheehan will be supported by coach Kristian O’Leary and goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson as Swansea prepare for Saturday’s home clash with Blackburn Rovers. Williams was interviewed after that recent defeat to Stoke A dramatic decline Williams’ exit comes after a dramatic downturn in form since the start of 2025. At the turn of the year, Swansea looked well positioned for a p...

A nightmare start for Derby's new manager

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QPR 4 - 0 Derby County Derby County endured a humbling return to the Championship relegation zone after a crushing defeat at QPR in John Eustace’s first game back in charge. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - Loftus Road A stunning strike from Ilias Chair set the tone before Koki Saito’s second goal of the season gave the hosts full control by half-time. Chair then doubled his tally from close range, and Ronnie Edwards marked his loan spell from Southampton with a debut goal, heading in QPR’s fourth. Jerry Yates thought he had grabbed a late consolation, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside, as Marti Cifuentes’ side emphatically ended a run of two successive defeats. Eustace’s nightmare start  The new managee barely had time to settle back into the dugout following his move from Blackburn Rovers, confirmed just a day earlier, before witnessing his side’s frailties exposed. After a quiet opening spell, Derby fell behind to a spectacular long-range effort from Chair...

QPR boost promotion hopes

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QPR 2 - 1 Blackburn Rovers Jack Colback fired home a stunning winner in the 76th minute to lift Queens Park Rangers to within three points of the Championship play-off spots with a hard-fought victory over Blackburn Rovers. Author - Craig H Stadium - Loftus Road QPR v Blackburn highlights - www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE1I... eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/p/efl-202420... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 5 February 2025 at 20:50 In a pulsating, end-to-end contest, substitute Colback struck first-time from the edge of the box to seal Rangers' first points in three games, continuing their resurgence since December. QPR had taken the lead early on when Ilias Chair’s inviting free-kick was glanced in by Michael Frey, netting his seventh goal of the season. Blackburn, however, responded strongly after the break, with Tyrhys Dolan levelling from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half following a foul by Koki Saito on Callum Brittain....

Burnley and Leeds show defensive strength

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Burnley 0 - 0 Leeds United Burnley secured their 20th clean sheet of the season with a lacklustre goalless draw against Championship leaders Leeds in tough conditions in east Lancashire. Author - Oliver W Stadium - Turf Moor View from the crowd. Thanks to our friends at GMCR Football for the picture. Both sides struggled to carve out clear chances, and it wasn’t until the 89th minute that either goalkeeper was tested, with Burnley’s James Trafford tipping Dan James’ effort over the bar. Scott Parker’s Clarets, sitting third in the table, have now gone over 10 hours without conceding a league goal – a defensive run stretching back to 21 December. Yet, in this rain-soaked contest, their attack lacked the same resilience, with Zian Flemming’s misjudged header from Jaidon Anthony’s first-half cross their only real opportunity. The draw keeps Leeds two points clear at the top of the table, extending their unbeaten run to 11 matches, while second-placed Sheffield United remain in pursuit...

Jonjo Shelvey moves to Burnley

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Will the former Liverpool player make a difference to Burnley? Burnley have secured the services of former Newcastle United and England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on a deal running until the end of the season. Author - Jack L Shelvey playing for Newcastle United back in 2016 The 32-year-old joins as a free agent after his contract with Turkish Super Lig side Eyupspor came to an end. A five-cap England international, Shelvey also had a stint in Turkey with Caykur Rizespor. He arrives at Turf Moor after spending time on trial with the Championship club earlier this month. EFL: 2024/2025 Shelvey began his career in Charlton Athletic’s academy before moving to Liverpool, where he made 65 appearances. He left Liverpool in the summer of 2013 to sign for Swansea City, where he went on to play all but six games in the top-flight during his first season in South Wales. After three years with Swansea, scoring 10 goals in just under 100 appearances and gaining an additional five England caps, S...

Shenfield United boost promotion chances

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Sheffield United 2 - 0 Norwich City Harrison Burrows scored twice to propel Sheffield United back to the top of the Championship table following a commanding 2-0 win over Norwich City at Bramall Lane. Author - Craig H The Blades took the lead midway through the first half when Burrows pounced on a loose clearance, chesting the ball down before unleashing a powerful shot that ricocheted off both posts and into the net. The 23-year-old later doubled the advantage with a clinical penalty, dispatched into the bottom corner after Sam McCallum was brought down by a clumsy challenge from Ben Chrisene. This win marked Sheffield United’s 10th home victory of the season, sending Chris Wilder’s side two points clear of Burnley, who drew with Sunderland, and Leeds United, who host Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. Click here for more news from across the English Football League A closer look at what happened in Sheffield Despite fielding a depleted squad with just 15 fit first-team players, Nor...

Hull and Leeds produce a Championship classic

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Hull City 3 - 3 Leeds United Abu Kamara was the hero as his two goals helped struggling Hull City come from behind and take a point at home to the Championship leaders Leeds United. Author - Jack L After a difficult week for the forward, Kamara opened the scoring before lashing home a late equaliser. Ao Tanaka equalised for Leeds straight after the interval, Dan James converted a Jayden Bogle cut-back and Joel Piroe accepted a gift from home goalkeeper Ivor Pandur to put the visitors in control before some late drama. Joao Pedro gave home fans hope when he touched in with nine minutes to go and the comeback was complete in the 89th minute when Kamara fired home after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the area. With Leeds having won eight of their previous 11 league games and heading the Championship table, few would have expected relegation-threatened Hull to derail the visitors' promotion charge, but Kamara gave them a shock lead inside the opening five minutes. Late eq...

Portsmouth ease to win over Swansea

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Portsmouth 4 - 0 Swansea Portsmouth climbed out of the Championship's bottom three with a commanding victory over Swansea City at a rain-soaked Fratton Park. Author - Jack L Josh Murphy's crisp first-time strike put the hosts ahead in the 22nd minute, and Paddy Lane doubled their advantage just seven minutes later, capitalising on defensive uncertainty. Swansea briefly looked like mounting a second-half comeback, with Josh Tymon rattling the woodwork, but Ryley Towler’s well-placed header eased any nerves for Portsmouth. A costly error by Cyrus Christie then allowed Colby Bishop to seal a resounding win. While John Mousinho’s side have struggled away from home this season, their improved form at Fratton Park has reinvigorated their fight to avoid a swift return to League One. Pompey have now claimed 13 points from their last five home games, scoring 14 goals in the process. For Swansea, it was a torrid afternoon as defensive lapses contributed to their heaviest defeat of...

Late equaliser denies Leeds at Elland Road

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Leeds United 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers Danny Batth's injury-time strike salvaged a dramatic point for Blackburn Rovers, cancelling out Pascal Struijk’s late penalty in a gripping finale that left Leeds United frustrated at Elland Road. Author - Jamie P Struijk had calmly slotted home from the spot after substitute Mateo Joseph was deemed to have been brought down by Dominic Hyam, in what looked set to be the winner in a game otherwise short on clear chances. But just two minutes later, Batth pounced on a flicked Hyam header at the back post to steer the ball home, denying Leeds a 10th straight home league victory and keeping Blackburn’s promotion hopes alive. The result means Leeds maintain a three-point cushion at the top of the Championship but missed the chance to extend their lead further over Sheffield United, who lost to Sunderland. The home side almost snatched all three points deep into 11 minutes of stoppage time, only for Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears to produce a stunn...

Sunderland show promotion credentials

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Sunderland 2 - 1 Sheffield United Sunderland kept their push for automatic promotion alive with an entertaining victory over third-placed Sheffield United, who are now winless in three matches. Author - Ajay  The visitors squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead when Kieffer Moore’s poorly struck penalty was saved by Anthony Patterson in the Sunderland goal. Eliezer Mayenda then capitalised on a defensive mix-up to put the Black Cats ahead, but Luke O’Nien’sown goal levelled the scores. However, Wilson Isidor’s composed finish ensured Sunderland went into half-time in front after a chaotic opening 45 minutes. Sheffield United dominated possession after the break but couldn’t find an equaliser, with Rhian Brewster firing wide and Sunderland surviving a late scramble in their box. The result sees Sunderland remain fourth in the table and they are now just two points behind second-placed Burnley. Meanwhile, Sheffield United, who were three points clear at the top at Christ...

Windass stunner helps Sheffield Wednesday

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Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 2 Derby County Josh Windass scored an extraordinary goal from deep inside his own half as Sheffield Wednesday cruised to a convincing victory over Derby County in the Championship. Author - Chris C Windass picked up the ball in his own defensive third and unleashed a stunning strike from over 60 yards, sailing it perfectly over Derby’s goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. Barry Bannan, Djeidi Gassama, and Anthony Musaba also got on the scoresheet for the Owls, while Jerry Yates and Ebou Adams managed consolation goals for the Rams. A closer look at what happened as Wednesday move up the table The breakthrough came after lively wing-back Gassama exposed the lack of pace in Derby defender Sonny Bradley, delivering a low cross that left Bannan with a simple finish. Derby initially struggled but began to find their rhythm. Efforts from Kane Wilson and Nat Phillips forced good saves from Wednesday keeper Jack Beadle, while Yates hit the post just before half-time...

Rooney departs Plymouth after poor run of form

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What next for an English football legend? Head coach Wayne Rooney has parted ways with Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle by mutual consent. Author - Peter Grainger The video below shows Rooney’s reaction after a recent defeat against Norwich City. The 39-year-old former England captain managed only four league victories while suffering 13 defeats in 23 Championship matches since taking charge of the Pilgrims in May. His departure leaves the club rooted to the bottom of the table. Rooney arrived at Home Park just four months after being sacked by Birmingham City, where his short 83-day tenure saw nine defeats in 15 games. Sunday's 2-0 loss to Oxford United , which extended Plymouth's winless run to nine matches, was met with boos from the crowd. It marked their sixth defeat in that run, which began in early November. Under Rooney’s leadership, Plymouth have struggled at both ends of the pitch. They’ve scored the joint-fewest goals in the Championship and conceded mor...

West Brom start new era with a draw

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Sheffield United 1 - 1 West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion secured their first point since Carlos Corberán's departure on Christmas Eve, courtesy of Karlan Grant’s late first-half equaliser against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Author - Peter Grainger Sheffield United initially took the lead through homegrown talent Andre Brooks, who netted a beautifully crafted first goal for the club. Despite the draw, the injury-hit Blades returned to the top of the Championship, at least temporarily, ahead of Leeds United’s late kick-off at Derby. However, just as in their 2-2 stalemate at The Hawthorns three weeks earlier, Sheffield United’s hopes of victory were dashed by another deflected goal involving Tom Fellows. For the managerless Baggies, the result capped off a mixed 2024. They end the year in eighth place, 13 points adrift of the top spot, having led the league back in mid-September. This was their 12th draw in 24 league games, following a four-match streak of two win...

Stoke dismiss Pelach after three months in charge

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Stoke City have made a big decision as they head into 2025 They have parted ways with head coach Narcis Pelach just 19 games into his tenure. Author - Lee Poxen Pelach, who replaced Steven Schumacher on 18 September with a three-year deal, managed only three Championship wins, the most recent coming on 6 November. Stoke currently sit 19th in the table. Interesting news. More reaction coming up on https://t.co/CizyD3ifp5 https://t.co/mackj7PU3C — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) December 29, 2024 The Potters suffered a 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Boxing Day , a match that saw the 36-year-old face criticism for his frequent tactical adjustments. Former Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross will step in as caretaker manager for Sunday’s home fixture against Sunderland, supported by Alex Morris, Dean Whitehead, and Darren Behcet from the backroom staff. Goalkeeper coach Paul Clements and performance analyst Harrison Glew have also left the club. Both Clements and Whitehead joined ...

Frank Lampard's Coventry thrash Wayne Rooney's Plymouth

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Coventry City 4 - 0 Plymouth Argyle On Boxing Day, Plymouth Argyle endured yet another heavy away defeat in the Championship, as Wayne Rooney lost his first managerial clash against former England teammate Frank Lampard.  Lampard’s Coventry City dominated the injury-hit Argyle, scoring all their goals before the break. Author - Craig H  A bad day for Plymouth but their fans still created a fantastic atmosphere at Coventry. eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com [image or embed] — SuperNewsAffiliate ( @supernewsaffiliate.bsky.social ) 27 December 2024 at 21:37 Tatsuhiro Sakamoto opened the scoring early on, before a recalled Josh Eccles doubled the lead 20 minutes in. Coventry then put the game out of reach with two quickfire goals just before half-time. In-form Ephron Mason-Clark netted his fourth goal in six games since Lampard’s arrival, while Eccles added his second of the match – and tripled his season tally – to round off the first-half rout. This marked Lampard’s third win...

Rowett starts life at Oxford United with a win

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Oxford United 3 - 2 Cardiff City Gary Rowett made an ideal start as Oxford United manager, guiding his side to a crucial 3-2 victory over relegation rivals Cardiff City at the Kassam Stadium.  Author - Peter Grainger This dramatic Boxing Day clash saw former Cardiff players Mark Harris and Ciaron Brown haunt their old club, as Oxford moved out of the Championship relegation zone while deepening Cardiff's survival woes. A closer look at what happened The match began tentatively, with both sides showing the nerves of a relegation six-pointer. Cardiff looked the more dominant early on, with Chris Willock’s deflected shot hitting the crossbar and Yakou Meite failing to capitalise on the rebound. Yet despite enjoying more possession, the visitors lacked the cutting edge to break through. Oxford punished Cardiff’s inefficiency when their first real chance of the game fell to Mark Harris. The former Bluebird latched onto Przemyslaw Placheta’s precise cross and slotted home from clo...