The Championship reaches its final round before the international break on Saturday, with nine matches spread across the afternoon and plenty already at stake after an eventful opening month.
The headline fixture is unquestionably at The Den, where Millwall and West Ham renew one of English football’s fiercest rivalries for the first time in 14 years. Elsewhere, early leaders and promotion hopefuls are beginning to emerge, while several clubs expected to compete much higher up the division already find themselves needing results.
From West Ham’s trip across London to Wrexham attempting to recover from a six-goal hammering, here is our look at Saturday’s Championship programme.
Cardiff City vs Charlton Athletic – 12:30
Cardiff return home looking for a response after last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Bolton ended a three-match winless sequence without the improvement they wanted. The Bluebirds have already shown some encouraging signs this season, but their last three league games have produced draws against Sheffield United and Stoke either side of defeats at QPR and Bolton.
Charlton have been particularly difficult to break down recently. After being thrashed 4-0 at Stoke, the Addicks responded with successive goalless draws against QPR and Portsmouth and will travel to Wales knowing another disciplined performance can give them a platform.
Neither side arrives with much attacking momentum, so this could develop into a game where the opening goal assumes enormous importance.
Our prediction: Cardiff City 1-0 Charlton Athletic.
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Millwall vs West Ham – 12:30
The fixture of the weekend needs very little introduction.
Millwall and West Ham meet competitively for the first time since 2012, renewing a rivalry whose roots stretch back well over a century. The Den will inevitably provide an intense setting, with extensive security arrangements in place for a derby that carries significance far beyond the league table.
On the pitch, West Ham arrive in outstanding form. The Hammers have climbed to the top of the Championship and followed a dramatic 3-2 victory at Bolton by dismantling Wrexham 6-0 at the London Stadium last Friday.
Millwall’s recent results have been considerably less convincing. A 5-1 loss at Southampton was followed by a 3-0 home defeat to Wrexham before Blackburn beat them 3-1 last weekend.
Form makes West Ham the stronger side, but this is hardly an ordinary away fixture. Millwall will attempt to turn The Den into exactly the kind of environment where league positions become temporarily irrelevant.
Our prediction: Millwall 1-2 West Ham.
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Stoke City vs Sheffield United – 12:30
Stoke have quietly put together one of the more encouraging starts in the division and return home after an excellent 2-1 victory at Watford.
That followed a 1-1 draw at Cardiff and an emphatic 4-0 demolition of Charlton, giving the Potters seven points from their last three Championship matches.
Sheffield United have found life rather less comfortable. Victory at Blackburn briefly suggested they might be turning a corner, but a 1-0 home defeat to Wolves last weekend immediately halted that progress.
Stoke’s recent defensive improvement and home advantage make this a difficult assignment for the Blades, particularly if the hosts can reproduce the intensity shown against Charlton.
Our prediction: Stoke City 2-1 Sheffield United.
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Birmingham City vs Middlesbrough – 15:00
This could be one of the afternoon’s most entertaining contests.
Birmingham returned to winning ways in impressive fashion last weekend, beating Derby 2-1 at Pride Park after previously taking a point from Wolves and suffering a narrow defeat at Norwich. Their ability to compete in close matches has kept them within touching distance of the upper reaches of the table.
Middlesbrough arrive having been involved in one of the games of the Championship season so far, edging Norwich 4-3 at the Riverside. Their attacking quality is obvious, although conceding three at home also demonstrated why they remain capable of making life unnecessarily complicated for themselves.
With both teams carrying genuine attacking threat, chances at either end would be no surprise.
Our prediction: Birmingham City 2-2 Middlesbrough.
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Burnley vs Derby County – 15:00
Few would have expected Burnley to approach this fixture in such desperate need of a victory.
The Clarets were beaten 3-1 at Swansea last weekend and are now on a lengthy winless run. Head coach Nicky Hayen acknowledged this week that the start has fallen well below expectations, while captain Kyle Walker described himself as “desperate” to deliver three points before the international break. Burnley have also lost Aaron Ramsey for around six weeks with a hamstring injury.
Derby have problems of their own. Consecutive home defeats against West Brom and Birmingham have left them needing a response, making this an unexpectedly important early-season contest at Turf Moor.
Burnley’s quality suggests the poor run has to end eventually. Whether the pressure surrounding the team helps or hinders them on Saturday may determine this one.
Our prediction: Burnley 2-1 Derby County.
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Lincoln City vs Swansea City – 15:00
Newly-promoted Lincoln continue to demonstrate that they have no intention of merely making up the numbers in the Championship.
A 1-0 victory at Preston last weekend maintained their competitive start following promotion, while they also held Southampton to a 1-1 draw earlier this month.
Swansea represent a considerable test. After losing 3-1 at Southampton, they responded by beating Burnley 3-1 and have shown enough during the opening weeks to suggest they can become genuine contenders towards the top of the division.
Lincoln’s home environment should ensure this is uncomfortable for the visitors, but Swansea possess enough technical quality to punish any drop in concentration.
Our prediction: Lincoln City 1-2 Swansea City.
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Portsmouth vs Blackburn Rovers – 15:00
Two clubs in the lower half meet at Fratton Park knowing victory could substantially improve the picture going into the international break.
Portsmouth earned a useful point from a goalless draw at Charlton last weekend and have generally proved difficult to dismiss, even if their early results have lacked consistency.
Blackburn produced a much-needed response by beating Millwall 3-1 after successive defeats against Preston and Sheffield United.
That victory should restore some confidence, but Fratton Park remains an awkward place to visit and there is little between these teams on the evidence of the opening weeks.
Our prediction: Portsmouth 1-1 Blackburn Rovers.
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QPR vs Preston North End – 15:00
QPR have quietly developed into one of the Championship’s more difficult sides to beat.
After defeating Cardiff 2-1, Rangers collected successive away draws against Charlton and West Brom, with their defensive organisation becoming an increasingly important feature of their start. They have conceded only five league goals, putting them among the Championship’s strongest defensive sides.
Preston arrive in much greater difficulty. Defeat at home to Lincoln followed losses against Watford and Charlton, extending a worrying run for a side struggling to generate momentum.
Loftus Road is unlikely to provide much relief. QPR may not overwhelm opponents, but their ability to keep matches under control gives them an excellent opportunity to collect another three points.
Our prediction: QPR 2-0 Preston North End.
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Wrexham vs Southampton – 15:00
Wrexham could hardly have asked for a more important opportunity to respond after last Friday’s humiliation at the London Stadium.
The 6-0 defeat to West Ham was their heaviest setback of the season and represented an extraordinary reversal after they had previously won 3-0 at Millwall and drawn with both Swansea and Burnley.
Southampton arrive in much stronger attacking form. A 3-1 victory over Swansea was followed by an emphatic 4-1 success against Bristol City, with the Saints beginning to produce the sort of football expected from one of the division’s promotion contenders.
Cyle Larin has been particularly influential and enters the weekend as the Championship’s leading scorer with seven goals.
Wrexham are likely to produce a reaction in front of their own supporters, but Southampton’s attacking quality makes this a particularly difficult fixture in which to recover from last week’s collapse.
Our prediction: Wrexham 1-2 Southampton.
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A Saturday that could reshape the early table
Seven rounds are nowhere near enough to define a Championship season, but patterns are beginning to emerge.
West Ham have established themselves at the top, Swansea and Middlesbrough are demonstrating promotion credentials, while clubs such as Burnley and Sheffield United already have ground to recover. Newly-promoted Lincoln have adapted impressively, and Wrexham now face an important test of character after their first major setback.
The beauty of the Championship is how quickly that picture can change. With nine games on Saturday and 27 points available, the table could look very different by five o’clock.