Championship Roundup: Sunderland Maintains Perfect Start Against Portsmouth – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP Championship Roundup: Sunderland Maintains Perfect Start Against Portsmouth – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP
Championship Roundup: Sunderland Maintains Perfect Start Against Portsmouth – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP

August 31, 2024

Championship Roundup: Sunderland Maintains Perfect Start Against Portsmouth – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunderland continued their flawless start to the Championship season with a commanding 3-1 victory over Portsmouth. The Black Cats, boasting a 100% record, conceded their first goal in nearly seven hours during stoppage time but remained in control throughout the match. An own goal from Zak Swanson, coupled with close-range efforts from Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle’s brilliant finish on a counterattack, marked Sunderland’s best start to a season in 99 years, with four consecutive wins.

West Brom also climbed into the top two, maintaining their unbeaten run with a 1-0 win against Swansea at The Hawthorns. Jayson Molumby scored his first goal in 16 months, finding the net in added time at the end of the first half. Albion dominated the opening period and could have easily scored more. Still, Swansea came alive in the second half, creating several chances.

Ten-man Blackburn held off a determined Burnley in a fiery East Lancashire derby to earn a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor. Despite a red card for Rovers striker Makhtar Gueye for two bookings, Blackburn managed to level the score after Lyle Foster’s first-half header was canceled out by Andreas Weimann’s long-range strike.

Unbeaten Leeds handed Hull their first league loss of the season, winning 2-0 with second-half goals from Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe. Joseph turned in a left-wing cross from debutant Manor Solomon in the 63rd minute. At the same time, Piroe sealed the victory with a composed finish from Junior Firpo’s cross nine minutes from time. Daniel Farke’s side is now unbeaten in four league matches.

Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough secured their first away league victory with a 2-0 win at Cardiff, thanks to two second-half goals from Matt Clarke and an own goal by Aaron Ramsey. This victory marked a quickfire double over Welsh teams this season, following their 1-0 home win against Swansea on the opening day.

The defeat leaves Cardiff at the bottom of the table with just one point from four games, trailing Luton Town on goal difference. Luton suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to QPR on Friday night, with Jimmy Dunne’s first-half own goal putting the Hatters ahead. Nicolas Madsen equalized for QPR at the hour mark before Michael Frey scored the winner shortly after.

In another match, Tyler Goodrham’s stunning 25-yard strike helped Oxford come from behind to beat Preston 3-1, handing new manager Paul Heckingbottom his first defeat. Preston took an early lead through Danish striker Emil Riis, but Mark Harris equalized for Oxford in the 20th minute. Goodrham turned the tide with a brilliant curling effort eight minutes into the second half. 

The match shifted further when visiting defender Liam Lindsay received a second yellow card, allowing Greg Leigh to seal Oxford’s victory with a third goal.

Derby ended Bristol City’s unbeaten start to the season with a convincing 3-0 win. Despite creating several chances, City couldn’t find a way past Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, who made key saves, including two from Sinclair Armstrong. Dutch midfielder Kenzo Goudmijn scored his first goal for Derby to cap off a strong performance.

Zetterstrom produced another stellar save from Armstrong early in the second half, allowing Derby to capitalize when Kayden Jackson scored his second goal in as many matches, following his winner against Middlesbrough two weeks prior. Midfielder David Ozoh, on loan from Crystal Palace, capped a strong performance with his first goal for County in the closing minutes.

Borja Sainz’s second-half strike secured Norwich’s first league win in another match, edging out Coventry 1-0. Sainz’s heavily deflected shot in the 49th minute left Sky Blues goalkeeper Oliver Dovin wrong-footed, earning all three points for the Canaries.

Josh Coburn immediately impacted his debut as Millwall commemorated their season’s first league victory with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at The Den. Coburn, who joined on loan from Middlesbrough just days earlier, opened the scoring and assisted Duncan Watmore for the second goal. Captain Jake Cooper then headed in a late third to seal the win for the hosts, while the Owls suffered their third consecutive league defeat without finding the net.

Meanwhile, Steven Schumacher returned to his former club Plymouth for the first time as Stoke manager, emerging with a narrow 1-0 victory. Dutch forward Million Manhoef’s determination paid off in the 83rd minute when he fired in the winning goal from the right edge of the penalty area.

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Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.