Championship (England)

Bellingham, who spent his formative years at Birmingham where Francis also made his name as a teenager, thanked him for the guidance he had provided.

In a post on his official Twitter account, the 20-year-old said: “A very sad day for @BCFC and all of football. Beyond legendary, a trailblazer, a great and an icon of the game.

“The only thing that could exceed his quality and accolades on the pitch was his class off it. Thank you for all the guidance and the benchmarks you set. Rest in peace, King Trevor!”

Bellingham was one of a series of current and former players to pay their respects to Francis after a spokesman for the family confirmed on Monday the former Birmingham, Nottingham Forest and England striker had died following a heart attack.

He became Britain’s first £1million player when he joined Forest in 1979 and he went on to score the club’s winner in the European Cup final later that year.

John McGovern, who lifted the trophy as Forest captain, said in a video interview tweeted by the club: “I’d be describing him as a footballer, absolute top class, but as a person he would probably be up there as well.

“My condolences certainly go out to his family because this is one of the game’s nice guys.”

Another former team-mate at Forest, Martin O’Neill, said on social media: “Really devastated to hear the tragic news that Trevor Francis has passed away. A phenomenal player, superb team-mate and a great friend. Football has lost a true great of the game.”

Francis earned 52 England caps and later led Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham to major finals as a manager.

A post on England’s official Twitter account said: “We are deeply saddened by the news that Trevor Francis has passed away aged 69.

“He won 52 caps and scored 12 goals – including two at the 1982 @FIFAWorldCup for the #ThreeLions between 1977 and 1986.

“All of our thoughts are with his family, friends and former clubs.”

Former Forest and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton tweeted: “I’m absolutely devastated to hear about my old team-mate Trevor Francis. Such a wonderful gentleman a friend and a terrible loss.”

Francis former club’s Birmingham, Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Rangers, QPR and Manchester City offered their condolences, with the Genoa club writing simply: “Rest in peace, Trevor #Francis.”

Former England striker turned TV presenter Gary Lineker wrote: “Deeply saddened to hear that Trevor Francis has died.

“A wonderful footballer and lovely man. Was a pleasure to work alongside him both on the pitch and on the telly. RIP Trevor.”

Former England team-mate Peter Reid said: “Great fella, played against him, England team-mate. He signed me for QPR from Everton. RIP Trev.”

Chris Waddle, who was a member of Francis’ Owls side that reached the League Cup and FA Cup finals of 1993, tweeted: “So sorry to hear the sad news that Trevor Francis has passed away, he was a lovely man and such great player and thank you so much for bringing me to SWFC..RIP legend.”

Mark Bright, another member of that Wednesday side, added: “RIP, Trevor Francis. Trev signed me when he was player/manager at SWFC.

“The club experienced some great times in the early 90’s, both Trev his wife Helen were very kind in helping me to settle in at the club. I greatly appreciated it then & now. Love to sons Matthew & James.”

Chris Kamara, the former Brentford and Swindon midfielder who later became a media colleague of Francis’, also offered his condolences.

He wrote: “Oh no, just heard Trevor Francis has passed away. What a player he was & what a gentleman. Got to know him well when Trevor was doing his co-commentary’s for Sky, a job he loved.

“RIP Trevor the first million pound player who always looked a million dollars.”

Another media colleague, Hayley McQueen, daughter of former Leeds and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen, said: “Gutted about the passing of Trevor Francis, he was never the same after the passing of his beloved wife Helen six years ago.

“One of the loveliest couples you could meet who took me under their wing whilst working on a World Cup way back, dinners, lunches & even meet-ups back in London.”

Francis broke into the Birmingham team at the age of just 16 and his fame went beyond the game.

Former heavyweight world boxing champion Frank Bruno tweeted: “Trevor Francis RIP. Sad news about the sudden death of Trevor, he played in an era when I watched Match of the day avidly, another legend gone too soon. We met a few times, especially when I did events in and around the midlands.”

Journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan wrote: “RIP Trevor Francis, 69. Britain’s first £1m footballer who had 52 caps for England and won back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest.

“Then became a superb TV pundit and was by all accounts a lovely man. Sad news. RIP.”

Chaplin scored the only goal of the game at the end of the first half and only a good performance from goalkeeper Devis Vasquez saved the home side from suffering a heavier defeat.

McKenna said: “I loved the game, the performance and of course the result. I thought this was a big one for us today and the season, not having managed to win here in the last couple of visits. It’s a barometer for us as a team.

“I thought it was an excellent performance in the first half. Coming back from international duty, I thought we imposed ourselves on the game and dominated the game.

“We created some big opportunities, pressed well and didn’t give them anything. It was an excellent performance.

“Probably on 65 minutes, we should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up.

“The last 20 minutes was really pleasing as well because when you don’t get the second goal, you have to see the game out in a different way and defend with organisation and resilience.

“To do that for the last part of the game, against Sheffield Wednesday and this crowd is a terrific thing for the boys to go through as well.

“I thought we had a couple of absolutely picture-perfect moves for us on what we like to do, going through the pitch quick and getting through teams and behind teams.

“It’s great that we got the goal before half-time because to go in at half-time 0-0 would have been really disappointing with some of the opportunities and positions that we got in.

“There was lots to enjoy about the performance, on and off the ball, really. We gave away very little.”

The result leaves Wednesday still searching for their first Sky Bet Championship win of the season and the players were booed off the pitch at the final whistle.

Manager Xisco Munoz issued an apology to the supporters after being disappointed with his team’s first-half performance in particular.

Munoz said: “All I can say is sorry because I’m very, very disappointed about the first 45 minutes.

“It is important the first 45 minutes. After that, the team had a good reaction, but not enough. I am very disappointed about the first half.

“We can speak about the positive things. It is true. We can speak about the reaction in the second half, but I don’t like what I see in the first half because we did not play at the level we are.

“This is one of the problems we have right now about the situation. We need to try and find a balance.

“We need to stay 90 minutes in the game, 90 minutes with the personality, 90 minutes with the concentration, 90 minutes with ambition.

“For me, we need to give for 90 minutes the same level and the same intensity.

“I can say ‘so sorry’ to the fans today because I was very, very frustrated about the first half.

“If we don’t change, it is impossible to take the points because the Championship is a very, very, very high level.”

Asmir Begovic, the former Chelsea, Bournemouth and Stoke goalkeeper, and ex-Wolves shotstopper Ruddy – both 36 – produced a string of saves as Birmingham missed the chance to climb into the Sky Bet Championship’s top six overnight.

But Birmingam keeper Ruddy’s late stop to deny Lyndon Dykes’ downward header from Albert Adomah’s cross was the pick, after Begovic denied Scott Hogan in a one against one.

“I thought there were some fantastic blocks from us, two magnificent saves from Asmir – the one where he came out and smothered (from Hogan) was world class, and it was,” said Ainsworth.

“But then John Ruddy at the other end – it was Gordon Banks-esque; he put the ball up in the air and away from people.

“When Lyndon headed it, you’re hoping it’s going into the side of the net. It was further out than I thought and a great cross and great header.

“I’ve said Lyndon is going to get double figures this season and it’s going to be his biggest haul.

“But when you come up against someone as good as Ruddy it’s tough to get past him – as Birmingham saw with Begovic.”

Only a desperate, acrobatic goalline clearance from QPR midfielder Sam Field prevented Blues taking a 21st-minute lead, after Lee Buchanan’s fierce cross flicked off centre-back Steve Cook and looped over Begovic.

Ruddy denied Paul Smyth and Field before his late heroics to prevent Dykes’ heading home, while Begovic matched him by foiling Cody Drameh, Krystian Bielik and Jay Stansfield.

Birmingham head coach John Eustace agreed the two goalkeepers were on top in a game of chances at both ends.

“I think that’s why John won Player of the Year last season. John’s a very good experienced goalkeeper,” he said.

“He’ll be disappointed with a couple of goals he’s conceded this season but tonight he showed his class and that’s what top goalkeepers are all about.

“So to not concede is also very good and very encouraging because we’ve had two very tough away games and to keep our levels of concentration in difficult moments was very pleasing.”

Birmingham’s Hogan missed the game’s other standout chance when Begovic denied him.

“You’d have to ask Scott (about his confidence) but what is pleasing is his workrate and his effort is still there,” said Eustace.

“He’s still working his socks off and we have to create more chances for him as well – he can’t just be having one or two.

“We have to create more opportunities for our front players. But Scott will score goals as long as he keeps going and keeps believing.”

In a frenetic encounter, North End rode their luck and were grateful Arnor Sigurdsson’s volley came back off the crossbar before skipper Alan Browne gave Preston the lead with a terrific left-foot finish.

Rovers hit the woodwork again before half-time and equalised just after through Sammie Szmodics’ 10th Championship goal this season.

It felt as though the hosts would go on to win but Duane Holmes struck a post for Preston, who dramatically secured a 2-1 victory when Liam Lindsay’s low header gave them a 90th-minute winner.

Preston are fourth after a second consecutive win at Ewood Park and Lowe felt his side gave ‘everything’.

He said: “When you win derbies, you’re always going to enjoy it.

“I thought the lads were fantastic. They had to deal with large parts of their pressure and how they play. They’re a good footballing team but we withstood all that.

“Disappointed with the goal but again, the lads showed that real character and desire, never-say-die attitude. To score the winner in front of our fans, it probably can’t get much better.

“The players gave us everything. The players coming on the pitch, the players starting, the bench behind. They’re fantastic, and that’s what I say to them all the time.

“We are a strong, resolute team that can overpower some teams. I think you see that with the goal. They give us everything, and as long as they keep giving me everything, and the staff, and the football club, then we’ll win a lot of games.

Blackburn have lost four of their last five at home and though manager Jon Dahl Tomasson felt defeat was harsh, he accepted Rovers did not create ‘clear’ chances.

He said: “We are of course extremely disappointed to lose the game. I don’t think we deserved to lose the game.

“If you look at the overall performance, we were the better team, created chances, more than the opponent. We were probably lacking a bit of clear chances in the final third, we were missing runs in behind. When we did that, we created chances immediately.

“We know Preston are extremely good at passing long, winning second balls, crossing, set-plays and transition. There were two occasions where we didn’t deal with those and it cost two goals.

“This young group gave everything so (I’m) disappointed to concede that late in the game.

“You need to deal better with those situations. I think with the possession we had, we should probably have created a little bit more clear chances in my opinion. But still there were plenty of good opportunities to win this game.”

The Lilywhites, who started the evening sixth, had no answer to Boro’s first half display that earned them a three-goal advantage at the break.

Preston struggled to make an impact in the final third and were cut open too easily by a home side, who won 4-0 and closed the gap to the Sky Bet Championship play-off zone to three points.

Middlesbrough winger Isaiah Jones’ calmly-taken double in the 16th and 37th minutes sandwiched Rav van den Berg’s first senior goal in the 26th minute after he scored from a corner.

Even though the points had already been secured at half-time, Middlesbrough full-back Alex Bangura curled in from just inside the area to make it 4-0 in the fourth minute of added-time at the end of the contest.

And Carrick, whose side head to fourth-placed Leeds on Saturday, said: “We played well in spells, that’s football. Performance-wise we have played better in some games, but goals at both ends tell the story.

“We were ruthless, we created and defended very well in terms of limiting them. It was a new back four who hadn’t played together before, they played well.

“We will definitely take 4-0. I can’t fault the boys, sometimes it will work and sometimes it might go against us.

“I was confident going into the game, there was good balance even if it was quite new in terms of the changes. I thought we were in good shape and that proved to be the case.

“We lost Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney (groin and hamstring injuries) from Saturday, it tends to be the way we are going. We had eight senior players out tonight.

“That’s why the squad is vital and we can’t make excuses. The boys cracked on and we are now preparing for Saturday.”

Preston have now won just two of their last 11 matches having started the season with six wins from the opening seven fixtures.

Boss Ryan Lowe, whose side did not record a shot on target until the final 20 minutes, said: “I’m angry, disappointed, but they are my group of players, win, lose or draw.

“There were harsh words in the dressing room. They have given us some fantastic football, but when we went one down there was fear that set in.

“The first half performance was nowhere near the levels we expect. If we want to keep being a mid-table team those are mid-table performances, but we don’t want to be that team.

“The lads know that the first half was nowhere near the levels we require.

“We came here with full belief we could challenge. Boro are not the formidable side from last season, even though they still have good players and a fantastic coach, but I expect us to be better.

“I will stick with the players. They know it is not good enough. We have let everyone down and what we have to do now is put it right as quickly as we can.

“I will give them the benefit of the doubt tonight, but if we don’t get it right then we will flip it around because we want to keep progressing. The first 45 minutes was not acceptable.”

Maresca’s team have now won six of their seven league games to lie second in the embryonic table but they were made to work hard for their success by a home side who had won all their games at Carrow Road before this one.

Kelechi Iheanacho and Kasey McAteer struck for the Foxes.

“I am very pleased with our performance because of the opponents we were up against,” he said.

“I have watched all their games and they usually score goals – 15 I think – so I am very pleased to come away with a win and a clean sheet.

“We had to work very hard for the points – I said to the lads afterwards that you can work on the way you play, the way you defend but you also have to have the desire out there on the pitch.

“The way the team defended was unbelievable, clearing the ball from corners and second and third phase play and that made all the difference tonight.”

Maresca made five changes to the side that won at Southampton last time out, with Jamie Vardy and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall among the players left on the bench, and he was delighted with the way the new-look line-up coped.

He said: “It’s a 46-game season and you can’t just rely on a small group of players. You need at least 20 and I want to get them all involved. You can’t just play in every game.

“It was tough because they went man for man, which meant our keeper (Mads Hermansen) saw a lot of the ball and he played an important role for us when we played out, and he also made a great save – I think he is the complete keeper.”

A tight match was settled by late goals in either half, with Leicester getting their noses in front in the 44th minute through Iheanacho’s penalty.

Referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot when Stephy Mavididi went down under a challenge from Christian Fassnacht and Iheanacho did the rest, despite a valiant effort from keeper Angus Gunn.

The Foxes had to withstand plenty of pressure after that, with Hermansen making a terrific reaction save to keep out a close-range header from Shane Duffy and Kenny McLean hitting the underside of the crossbar with a well judged chip.

But a well drilled defence stood firm and Leicester sealed the points in the 87th minute when Dewsbury-Hall squared for an unmarked McAteer to tap home.

Norwich head coach David Wagner felt hard done by afterwards.

“We are obviously disappointed to lose but I am fine with the performance – it was top class,” he said.

“I am unhappy we twice gave the ball away in the lead-up to the penalty but apart from that I am very pleased with the way we played.

“We were the better side in the second half and created three or four very good opportunities but unfortunately we were not clinical enough. The lads battled hard, never gave up and in the end were beaten by a quality side so we move on.

“I think Leicester will finish top this season and the rest of the teams will be battling for the other positions. It’s tough to take but I have every faith in this group of players going forwards.”

Striker Ashley Barnes limped off early in the second half and Wagner added: “It looks like knee ligaments and we will know more after a scan tomorrow. Hopefully it is not too serious but we have strength in depth now which is good.”

Watford struck twice in the space of 15 second-half minutes when Edo Kayembe broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, before Mileta Rajovic doubled the lead from close range.

Albion, who increased their lead over the chasing play-off pack by a point because of the defeats suffered by Norwich, Coventry and Preston, fought back in the closing stages.

Brandon Thomas-Asante struck a fierce drive beyond Daniel Bachmann in the Hornets goal in the 71st minute before right-back Darnell Furlong drew the hosts level in stoppage time with a rasping strike from distance.

It means West Brom have now lost just once in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to January, and they remain on course to secure a play-off place come May,

Corberan said: “It was important to show to our fans that we wanted more and to show that we want to make something special this year.

“We need to understand, the players, staff, the fans, things aren’t going to work how we’d like them to work. Not always are the games going to be under control or will we play at our best level, but we need to show the fans that we are never going to give up.

“When the fans see that we are trying our best, they are going to support us. When you drop, you can break the togetherness which is necessary during the season, especially in this moment.

“This extra mentality, resilience, maturity, game understanding is going to be key if we’re to keep building something important.”

Watford’s interim manager Tom Cleverley was heartened by his team’s showing, despite the late disappointment of Furlong’s goal denying them two points.

Cleverley has overseen a return of five points from the three matches he has been in charge of, including a win at Birmingham and draws with Leeds and West Brom.

The Hornets could have sewn the game up, with Tom Dele-Bashiru testing goalkeeper Alex Palmer and Emmanuel Dennis hitting the post from a narrow angle.

Instead, they claimed only a point in the Black Country and Cleverley said: “If you strip it back and take the emotion out of it, the last two performances have given me real optimism for the club’s fortunes ahead.

“I feel a little hard done by that we’ve only taken two points from those games but I’ve asked the players for consistency in their performance.

“After a cagey first half, I felt like in the second half we put our stamp on the game. We did that fantastically, we just couldn’t hold on in the end.

“It’s a pleasure to work with these guys on a daily basis. The guys at the back are unfortunate to have conceded two goals today, there were some colossal performances.

“I think 99 times out of 100 when an opposition full-back has the ball 25 yards from goal, you feel fairly safe. Today, unfortunately, it’s gone into the top corner, but these players have given me a lot of belief in the last three games.”

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the combatants in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two as the semi-finals loom.

The Championship

Sunderland v Luton

Sunderland went into their final-day trip to Preston knowing even victory might not be enough to edge them into the play-offs, but a 3-0 victory, coupled with Millwall’s remarkable capitulation at home to Blackburn, saw them snatch sixth place to keep alive their unlikely hopes of back-to-back promotions.

Under Tony Mowbray, who replaced Alex Neil at the helm in August, they are unbeaten in nine and finished the regular season – during which star striker Ross Stewart was largely absent and they were without a recognised central defender – strongly to give themselves a chance to exorcise the ghost of successive relegations from the Premier League to League One.

Luton, who have not played in the top flight since 1992, were already assured of third place and their play-off berth before Monday’s 0-0 home draw with Hull, which extended their unbeaten run to 14 games.

Indeed, Rob Edwards’ men, who boast dyed-in-the-wool Wearsider Mick Harford among their backroom staff, have lost only once in the league since January 14 and climbed from 10th place into the top three after the former Watford manager’s appointment as Nathan Jones’ replacement in November.

Coventry v Middlesbrough

When Mark Robins accepted the hotseat at Coventry in March 2017, the club was hurtling into League Two and faced an uncertain future amid deepening financial problems.

He has since guided them back up the pyramid to within touching distance of the Premier League, where they last played during the 200-01 season, after a run of 17 games which included just a single defeat and ended with Monday’s 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough.

Former Manchester United and England star Michael Carrick, who was on the books at Boro as a youngster, inherited a team which had won just four of its first 16 league games and was languishing inside the relegation zone when he replaced Chris Wilder in October.

Carrick has overseen a concerted drive up the table, fuelled in large part by revitalised 28-goal striker Chuba Akpom, which at one point saw the club flirt with automatic promotion.

League One

Peterborough v Sheffield Wednesday

Peterborough’s last-gasp surge into the play-offs represents a triumph for persistence. Manager Darren Ferguson, who resigned in February last year with the club slipping inexorably towards the Championship exit, returned for a fourth spell in charge in January following successor Grant McCann’s departure.

Sunday’s 2-0 win at Barnsley enabled Posh to leapfrog Derby into sixth place with a helping hand from Wednesday, who beat the Rams 1-0.

Owls boss Darren Moore, however, will hope that is as far as his side’s charity extends having seen them finish 19 points clear of their semi-final opponents and just two adrift of second-placed Ipswich.

They lost out to Sunderland at the same stage last season and will head into their latest two-legged appointment on the back of a four-game winning run.

Bolton v Barnsley

Bolton’s quest for a return to the second tier for the first time since 2019 caps a season of real positivity after a difficult spell in the club’s history.

Promoted from the fourth tier two seasons ago, Ian Evatt’s men have lost only one of their last 10 games in all competitions, a sequence of results which includes a 4-0 Papa Johns Trophy final victory over League One champions Plymouth.

Relegated from the Championship at the end of last season – having won just six of their 46 games a year after reaching the play-offs – Barnsley are looking to make an immediate return under Michael Duff.

They rather limped over the line, taking just a point from their final three fixtures with runners-up Ipswich and fast-finishing Peterborough both winning at Oakwell.

League Two

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Salford v Stockport

Salford, famously backed by Manchester United’s Class of ’92, survived a final-day scare as they clung on to the final play-off spot despite a 1-0 home defeat by Gillingham.

Led by former United Academy coach Neil Wood, the Ammies have made it to the end-of-season festivities for the first time since their emergence from the National League in 2019.

Stockport boss Dave Challinor is targeted a third-successive promotion have steered County back into the Football League last season having done the same with Hartlepool 12 months earlier.

They missed out on automatic promotion to Northampton on Monday after a 1-1 home draw with already-relegated Pool, but are unbeaten in 13.

Bradford v Carlisle

There are few bigger managerial names in the lower leagues than that of Bradford boss Mark Hughes, but the Bantams are going to have to do it the hard way if they are to make it back to the third tier.

They won only one of their last five regular season fixtures – although drew 1-1 with champions Orient to seal their play-off place – and failed to score in either game against the Cumbrians.

Carlisle’s 1-1 draw with Sutton ensured their continued participation, although their form too is patchy with only two wins in their last 11 games.

Paul Simpson, the man who took the club from the Conference to League One in successive seasons during his first spell as boss, is back in charge having successfully fought his own battle with kidney cancer and hopes are high for a significant upturn.

Rovers were up against it from the 17th minute when Harry Pickering was given his marching orders for upending Liam Delap when clean through but displayed great resilience and managed to take a 74th-minute lead through Sam Gallagher.

However, Hull recovered superbly and Connolly volleyed home an 81st-minute equaliser before handing the Tigers their first away league win since January with a composed finish seven minutes later.

Hull deserved their second straight victory on the balance of play but Rovers perhaps should have come out of the game with something and will rue missed chances for Gallagher and Niall Ennis a minute before Connolly’s decisive strike.

Hull went close twice early on, but Aynsley Pears produced a fine low save to repel Ozan Tufan’s eighth-minute shot before denying on-loan Scott Twine from a narrow angle.

The hosts’ afternoon was made considerably harder when Pickering saw red after misjudging a long ball and bringing down Delap 20 yards out with only the keeper to beat.

Rovers regrouped but Hull maintained the pressure and Callum Brittain made a vital block to thwart Tufan.

Twine struck the side-netting just after the restart but the Tigers should have been ahead in the 58th minute when Lewis Travis lost possession and Jean Michael Seri cut the ball back for Delap but Pears was alert and rushed out to make a brilliant stop with his outstretched leg.

Blackburn’s disciplined defending and counter-attacking approach looked to have paid off with 16 minutes left when Ennis drove forward and, though his shot was blocked, the ball fell to the feet of fellow substitute Gallagher who took a touch before emphatically slamming home from 12 yards.

However, Liam Rosenior’s men hit back in style seven minutes later when Seri’s pinpoint pass over the defence found the run of Connolly who crashed a superb volley into the roof of the net.

Back came Rovers in a pulsating finale when Adam Wharton set up Ennis who slammed his shot onto the right post before Hull cleared.

The game swung decisively within a minute as Blackburn went agonisingly close twice in the 87th minute when Gallagher raced clear only to see Matt Ingram block his shot and Ennis’ rebound header cleared off the line.

That reprieve left Hull free to deliver the knockout blow a minute later when Alfie Jones picked out another intelligent Connolly run and with just Pears to beat, he showed remarkable composure to roll the ball into the bottom left corner.

The Wales captain had the opportunity this summer to become the first British player to join Saudi Arabia’s lucrative league, ahead of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson moving there last month.

But Ramsey put family first and returned to hometown club Cardiff, where he made his senior debut as a 16-year-old in April 2007 to break John Toshack’s record as the Bluebirds’ youngest-ever player.

“There was an offer and there’s plenty of benefits to that offer over there,” said former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder Ramsey, speaking about the Saudi Pro League interest for the first time.

“But for me, it wasn’t the right time or the right thing to do for me, my career and for my family.

“It can be very appealing and probably depends on a lot of things, on what you’ve done financially, if you’re secure or not and things like that.

“For another individual, it might be life changing, but for me, being around my family and things like that is priceless. So you couldn’t put a figure on that.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a powerful influence in world football that has seen a huge influx of talent to the Saudi Pro League.

It is estimated that Saudi Arabia’s football-related spending has exceeded £3.5billion in the past two years with a host of players following Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East kingdom.

Ramsey told Sky Sports: “It’s a hot topic at the moment. Obviously, there are financial rewards for going there – probably very rewarding – and a lot of players can’t see past that sort of thing.

“I think obviously it depends on the individual situation. I think I’ve been very fortunate in my career that I’ve done OK so far.

“So there’s plenty of factors that go into people’s decisions, but I’ve made mine based on my situation.”

Ramsey makes his third Cardiff debut – he had a short loan spell there in 2011 after suffering serious injury at Arsenal – at Leeds on Sunday with excitement swirling around the Bluebirds.

Despite being under an EFL transfer embargo that has prevented them from paying fees for players, new boss Erol Bulut has strengthened a squad that flirted with relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season.

Bulut has signed six players in total with former Reading striker Yakou Meite and West Brom loanee Karlan Grant among the arrivals.

“I like the way the manager has come in and put down his own stamp so far,” said Ramsey. “He’s very positive and so is the style of football that he wants to try and play.

“He’s managed Fenerbahce – one of the top teams in Turkey – and is used to the expectations and pressures at the highest level to be able to perform and to win games.

“The club had some great years at the highest level and that is something we want to try and bring back here.

“So hopefully not too long in the future, we can see Cardiff back in the Premier League.”

Top scorer Armstrong scored one and set up Che Adams, Ryan Fraser and Sekou Mara as Saints leapt into the top two for the first time since the opening day and closed the gap to table-toppers Leicester to 10 points.

Saints are now unbeaten in 19 league games and 20 in all competitions, which is their best run since becoming a Football League club in 1920.

The club’s all-time record, the only better than the current run, of 24 in 1896 and 1897 came when they were known as Southampton St Mary’s and had yet to move to the Dell.

The hosts would enjoy the better of the first half but the first two minutes belonged to Wednesday.

First, Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu took a heavy touch and was mugged by Josh Windass, but the attacker could not squeeze in.

From the corner, Michael Ihiekwe headed wide – but the visitors would not have another first-half shot as Saints monopolised the possession.

Centre-back Ihiekwe had to think fast to run back onto his own goal line after Fraser had volleyed into the ground and over goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed a corner over but otherwise, it was a test in patience until Adams opened the scoring in the 35th minute.

Adams, who is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with a Premier League move this month, latched onto an Armstrong cross via a Bambo Diaby error, beat a defender and lashed into the bottom corner.

It was the Scotland international’s eighth goal of the season, and Armstrong’s 10th assist.

Wednesday brought on Ashley Fletcher and Will Vaulks at the break and rallied when the former pinged a low effort towards the bottom corner, with Bazunu flinging himself to his right to save.

In the 63rd minute, Saints gave themselves daylight with a smart counter which saw Adams nick the ball off Diaby and slot through to Stuart Armstrong. He found Adam Armstrong in acres of space to notch for the 14th time this campaign.

Bazunu battered away a Windass free-kick before Di’Shon Bernard cleared Adam Armstrong’s attempt off the line as the game became open.

Fraser continued from the two goals he scored against Walsall in the FA Cup by adding a third in the 75th minute.

The Newcastle loanee steered in but Adam Armstrong’s burst, stepovers and vision to pick out Fraser across the box was the catalyst for the goal.

Armstrong was at it again with five minutes to go when he squared for substitute Mara to tap in to make it nine straight St Mary’s wins.

The home side had taken the lead through Anthony Musaba and had the lion’s share of chances but two unfortunate moments for Famewo ensured the away side claimed victory.

The win sees Cardiff climb to 10th in the Championship table whilst Wednesday remain in the relegation zone and six points from safety.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl made two changes to the team from the dramatic 2-1 win over QPR, with Liam Palmer and George Byers coming in.

Cardiff boss Erol Bulut made three switches to the side that lost 3-0 at Hull, with Joe Ralls, Callum Robinson and Josh Bowler joining the starting XI.

It was a first half of few clear-cut chances. Wednesday had the first opening as Marvin Johnson’s cross found Bailey Cadamarteri but team-mate Anthony Musaba got in the way of his effort.

The home side took the lead in the 28th minute with a brilliantly worked goal. Johnson found Musaba, who skilfully beat his man before crashing the ball past Jak Alnwick to give the Dutchman his third goal in four Championship games.

In the first chance of the second half, Will Vaulks whipped in a free-kick from the right but Cadamarteri’s volley was comfortably saved.

Callum Paterson then cut the ball back to Byers but the midfielder saw his effort blocked.

Skipper Barry Bannan drove through the middle of the park and played in Johnson but Alnwick got down well to deny him.

Wednesday would come to regret not making their dominance count as Cardiff got an equaliser out of nowhere in the 74th minute. Karlan Grant’s driven ball across the box took a wicked deflection off Famewo and crept into the bottom corner to level proceedings.

The Owls looked to regain the advantage as Bannan played through Cadamarteri but Alnwick was there once more to thwart the striker.

Incredibly, Cardiff turned the game around and went ahead in the 88th minute. Cameron Dawson spilled a tame effort and lightning struck twice for Famewo as whilst trying to clear the danger, he could only turn into his own net once more.

Wednesday had a couple of late penalty shouts but saw them turned down by referee Sam Barrott and the Bluebirds held on to claim all three points.

New hero Andre Vidigal starred again as he notched his fourth goal in as many games since a summer move from Maritimo.

The Portuguese winger – who turned 25 in midweek – fired in a second-half winner with an emphatic strike on the volley.

And, in the process, The Potters secured successive league victories at home for the first time since April 2022, while they also beat West Brom in the cup.

“We’ve now won three games on the bounce at home and I think that’s vitally important to get our fans onside and backing us,” Neil said.

“You can see that connection starting to happen because the fans can see that the players left everything on the pitch so I’m really pleased.

“Watford are a really good side and they’ll be at the top end of the division for me so we knew it was going to be tough.

“In the main, we contained them really well, defensively we were sound and we got a goal that changed the dynamic of the game.

“You could see today that we were good in both boxes in terms of that final strike to get a goal and when we needed Travers at the other end.”

Neil also praised the in-form Vidigal, who continues to impress on English soil.

“The biggest thing about Andre is that he’s equally comfortable playing off the left, off the right or as a centre forward.

“He’s always going to get chances, he’s always looked a threat and he actually could’ve had more with the chances he’s had.

“He’s got that unbelievable knack of landing in the right position and getting strikes away and he just wants to score.

“He said to me at half-time, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to score!’ and then he did so fair play to him.”

Meanwhile, Watford’s unbeaten league start under new boss Valerien Ismael comes to an end.

Substitute Yaser Asprilla spurned two glorious opportunities to open the scoring and then level late on, but the Colombia international failed to convert.

“Our performance in the first half was not good enough and we didn’t stick to our gameplan,” Ismael admitted.

“We created chances but it wasn’t enough and we weren’t present in the basics.

“If you are not having a good day, at least make sure you get the basics right and we didn’t do that.

“That’s what I said at half-time and in the second half we came out much better, but we conceded a goal in our best period of the game.

“We created a lot of chances after that so at least we saw our identity, but it’s a journey in this division.

“The players need to learn that the Championship is ruthless and every game you’ve got to be on it and if you think it is going to be easy you will be punished like today.

“We will learn from the game and make sure from the beginning we are ready to compete, especially in away games.

“You can lose games, I don’t mind, but at least I want to see the identity and the mentality in the players, and I missed it in the first half.

“What we deserve is the criticism that we didn’t perform for 90 minutes.”

Maritimo recruit Andre Vidigal was the highlight of the Potters’ six debutants as he capped an impressive display with a brace.

“I thought we looked like an exciting team,” Neil said. “We wanted to start the season well because there’s been a lot of optimism and a lot of talk.

“But the talk was always going to stop, so to win in the manner in which we did was very pleasing.”

Ki-Jana Hoever, returning for a second loan spell at the club, emphatically volleyed in the opener inside five minutes, while Vidigal’s quickfire double in first-half added time then handed Stoke a comfortable lead.

The Millers threatened a comeback when substitute Lee Peltier scored with his first touch straight after the restart.

However, Cafu’s red card ended any hope of a Rotherham reprieve and Jacob Brown capitalised to add the hosts’ fourth late on.

Neil added: “I thought the first goal was excellent and that set the tone, so to go on and score four goals was something we didn’t do very often last season.

“And to do it with six debutants in the team and a few more new players who came on, that speaks volumes for where the lads are.

“To get some of the new guys to score and get some of the performances we got – and to win at home so emphatically – was very pleasing.”

Neil singled out new addition Vidigal for individual praise, with the winger becoming the first Stoke player to net a brace on his debut since John Tudor in 1976.

He added: “It’s hard not to pick him (as man of the match) because he scored two goals and he had a header in the second half which their keeper made a wonderful save.

“He was really effective in the game. You can see his hunger to get into the middle of the box and get a goal and that’s going to be vitally important for us this season.”

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor expressed his frustration in a difficult afternoon for his visiting side.

“It was a tough afternoon for us,” he said.

“They’re a good team and they got on the front foot and we struggled to get any aspect of control.

“We did well to keep it at 1-0 for a large period of the first half and I was pleased that we showed enough character to stay in the game.

“But then (conceding) two goals in quick succession is really frustrating and it looked like a mountain to climb.

“There’s lots to take from it in terms of where we have to improve, but character and personality-wise, we were better in the second half.

“A lot of teams go two or three behind and almost when you’ve got nothing to lose, you play differently when the pressure’s off.

“Mentally we had nothing to lose and we asked them to show a little bit more belief; they started to show it but when Cafu got sent off, it was a difficult one for us.

“We weren’t sharp enough, bright enough or good enough in that first half and we know we can be better.

“We’ve caught a good team on a very good day and a poor day for ourselves, but we know we can improve in certain areas.”

Having started the campaign reasonably slowly, the Potters have exploded into life in the past week with successive victories over Sunderland, Leeds and Middlesbrough.

The latest of those wins saw them triumph 2-0 over Boro at the Riverside Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Michael Rose and Mehdi Leris.

The win saw Stoke climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season, with Neil confident his side will only get better as his summer signings continue to bed in.

He said: “I think the last three results and performances show where we could get to. It shows the potential.

“I think we look relatively settled now in terms of how we’re going to play, and we’ve managed to churn out three great performances and three great results in a row.

“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves – I think there’s been too many false dawns at Stoke, but I think, for us, we’ve got great potential and great scope. We’re only going to get better, and I’m expecting us to be good this season.”

Stoke’s win was achieved without goalkeeper Mark Travers, who was recalled by his parent club Bournemouth on Friday because of an injury to their first-choice Neto.

Neil said: “We’re gutted. You want as many strong players in your squad as you can. To lose Trav is hugely disappointing, especially because I thought he was coming on to a great game just before he left.

“He was feeling at ease at the club. It’s only just into double figures of games that he’s played for us, but unfortunately he’s had to go back. That’s a blow, but football’s always challenging somewhere along the line.”

Middlesbrough were chasing the game from the moment Rose headed home from a corner in the eighth minute, and fell further behind when Leris fired an angled drive into the bottom corner eight minutes before the break.

Josh Coburn struck the crossbar with a long-range drive, but Michael Carrick admitted his side had fallen short of the standards they had set as they embarked on a seven-game winning run that is now at an end.

Carrick said: “It’s disappointing. You’ve got to put things into perspective as well though. They are a good team, and if you are little bit off it then you get punished in this league.

“It just shows the levels that it takes to win games and look like you’re winning well. We were just a little bit off it really, from the start you could just feel we weren’t quite there.

“Even then, at half-time, I thought we finished the half well enough where there was enough in it there to have a real good go in the second half. It just didn’t really materialise in the end.”

The Robins substitute looked certain to score in the 87th minute when set up in a central position just 10 yards out, but Palmer spread himself and stretched out a leg to make a crucial save.

Albion nearly won it themselves in stoppage time when substitute Josh Maja was denied by a goal-saving tackle from Kal Naismith and in the end a draw was a fair outcome from an entertaining encounter.

City dominated much of the first half, playing fast, attacking football down both flanks that only lacked a decisive finish.

Nahki Wells might have had a hat-trick inside 15 minutes, first being denied by a goal-saving tackle by Cedric Kipre, then shooting just wide and having another effort blocked for a corner.

Jason Knight shot over from 20 yards and Naismith was also off-target from just outside the box before Sam Bell’s low shot flew into the side-netting after 33 minutes.

Two minutes later Albion goalkeeper Palmer missed his kick on the right edge of the penalty area and Mark Sykes got in behind to hit the far post with his low drive from a narrow angle.

It did not look like being City’s day. But they had an escape soon afterwards when Albion created their one first-half chance, Brandon Thomas-Asante breaking clear down the middle, only to be robbed by Zak Vyner’s brilliant recovery tackle as he prepared to shoot.

Wells shot weakly at Palmer when well-placed in the 43rd minute, but City left the pitch to warm applause from their fans, despite failing to break the deadlock.

Playing towards their own fans, Albion looked sharper at the start of the second half without forcing a save from Max O’Leary.

Still City looked dangerous and Sykes had a 60th-minute header tipped over by Palmer. But it was more of a contest as at the other end Okay Yokuslu’s header was deflected for a corner.

Albion were starting to look the more likely winners as the game entered its closing stages. Erik Pieters shot over and Vyner did well to block an effort from Maja.

The visitors were denied by the woodwork in the 82nd minute when John Swift’s header struck the crossbar. Seconds later substitute Conor Townsend fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

City appeared to be tiring, but they almost snatched victory through Cornick’s chance and moments later Joe Williams fired inches over.

Albion were not finished, but, while Naismith’s challenge on Maja had 2,500 travelling fans yelling for a penalty, he appeared to win the ball cleanly.

Hume’s 63rd-minute effort secured a 2-1 first leg victory at a packed Stadium of Light after on-loan Manchester United midfielder Amad Diallo had cancelled out Elijah Adebayo’s early opener with a stunning strike.

It was no more than Tony Mowbray’s men deserved from a game for which they once again lined up without a recognised central defender, yet kept alive their hopes of a second successive promotion via the play-offs.

Luton, who finished 11 points better off than the Black Cats at the end of the regular season, will nevertheless feel confident they can overturn the narrowest of deficits at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night – although they will have to do so against opponents who won 11 of their 23 fixtures on the road.

Early blows were traded as Hatters frontman Carlton Morris headed tamely into Anthony Patterson’s arms before Jack Clarke rifled a shot into the side-netting at the other end in an open start.

The visitors, who lost in the semi-finals 12 months ago, were fortunate to escape unscathed when keeper Ethan Horvath palmed Patrick Roberts’ curling attempt into the path of Joe Gelhardt, who was unable to adjust his feet quickly enough to convert the rebound.

The Hatters took advantage of the escape almost immediately.

Sunderland failed to deal with an 11th-minute corner and, after Patterson had bravely blocked Alfie Doughty’s shot at the back post, Adebayo pounced on the loose ball to score.

Momentum shifted with the goal and Adebayo might have doubled his tally with 24 minutes gone had Hume not thrown himself into the path of his goal-bound effort, and Patterson had to be alert to field Doughty’s near-post free-kick.

But Sunderland were back in it six minutes before the break when, after Pelly Mpanzu had been booked for a crude challenge on Roberts, Alex Pritchard rolled the resulting free-kick to Amad, who curled an unstoppable shot past Horvath.

Gelhardt steered Pritchard’s cross wide under pressure from Gabe Osho as the Black Cats resumed in determined fashion, although the game became increasingly scrappy with both teams guilty of turning over possession cheaply.

It was the home side who finally summoned up the quality to make a difference when Hume met Clarke’s 63-minute cross with a firm header and steered the ball into the bottom corner to spark delirious celebrations among a crowd of 46,060.

The visitors dominated the first half with 82 percent possession but only broke the deadlock just before the interval through Adam Armstrong.

A rejuvenated Town took the second half by storm and Ben Jackson’s 87th-minute equaliser earned them a point.

Martin said his team’s “mentality” cost them.

“Nowhere near enough energy and intensity. We looked tired towards the end, but there’s no excuse, we should win the game,” Martin said.

“The goal was coming, we just didn’t make enough of our moments in front of the goal, so it’s frustrating, an opportunity missed.

“The game was there for us. We had some brilliant moves in the first half and then we allowed the momentum to shift and the atmosphere to change.

“We became less brave. We were forcing things too much when we didn’t need to because the game was coming to us.

“Our mentality has cost us two points. We need to put that right on Wednesday. I’m annoyed we lost and so are the players, they’re frustrated and angry.”

Martin praised talisman Armstrong, who moved into double figures for goals this season.

“Adam was great, he was one of the ones who played with aggression and intensity. He just needs to keep it going, he’s a fantastic player.

“I want to be higher in the league. I want to have more points, but with what we’re building I can’t ask for any more. I’m angry and upset about the game but grateful for our season so far.

“I am really satisfied with the players who are doing what we ask them to do the majority of the time.

“Days like today are part of the journey, but I’m enjoying it and I’m excited about the future.”

Huddersfield boss Darren Moore hailed the draw as a “special result”.

“The way we went about the game, I thought the boys were unjust to go in at half-time a goal down,” Moore said.

“It’s just a lapse of concentration. I didn’t alter my team talk, it was just for us to get higher up the pitch.

“We could’ve capitalised better on some chances, but I can’t criticise the players because they are doing the right things.

“We had a glorious chance with Sorba Thomas and we had the momentum going forward.

“On the balance of the play, we deserved that today. We got the performance right today in terms of how we managed the game.

“We have had to tighten things up and we capitalised on the counter. How we used the ball during moments was a positive and it’s all credit to the work that everyone has put in recently.

“Today’s result is a special result because of the injuries and who we had available to us at short notice.

“Southampton are an outstanding team and they asked a lot of questions of us, so to set up like we did today we had to be spot on.

“We could have shown a little bit more composure with some of our chances, but that’ll come. Overall it’s a good performance.

“To see us all on the same page and to get that result, everybody can be really pleased with it.”

Leicester, Leeds and Southampton will begin life back in the Championship under new managers with their sights set on an immediate return, and the fixture computer looks to have been kind – at least in the early stages.

The PA news agency has analysed the three divisions’ schedules using an aggregation of leading bookmakers’ odds and identified the most notable runs.

Settling-in period

Leicester boss Enzo Maresca faces Coventry in his first game in charge and, while the Sky Blues reached last season’s play-off final, they are ranked only 11th in the aggregated promotion odds this time around.

Matches against Huddersfield, Cardiff and Rotherham, all ranked in the bottom six, and 16th-ranked Hull follow before they face fellow-relegated side Southampton in game six.

Leeds, who are currently managerless, open up at Elland Road against Cardiff – always a fiery encounter but representing opposition ranked 19th by the bookmakers and fancied to battle against relegation.

Birmingham follow with West Brom the toughest opposition in an opening six games against teams averaging 14.2 in the projected league positions.

Saints, who appointed Russell Martin on Wednesday, have fifth-ranked Norwich as well as the Foxes in their opening six games but also two promoted sides – Sheffield Wednesday, in the season’s opening game on August 4, and Plymouth – as well as QPR.

Leicester will also fancy their chances in the run-in, with relegation-candidates Birmingham, Plymouth and Preston in their last six games. Leeds and Saints have things tougher and meet at Elland Road on the final day.

Fast start vital for Hornets

Watford, also under new management yet again in the form of Valerien Ismael, have the easiest first six opponents on paper, with QPR, Plymouth and Birmingham in the bottom four of the combined odds and Stoke, Blackburn and Coventry also outside the play-off places.

The Hornets have the only harder run-in on paper than Southampton, though, and it stretches to their final eight games, facing Leeds, West Brom, Preston, Ipswich, Southampton, Hull, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Martin’s old club Swansea have West Brom and Coventry as the only projected top-half finishers among their first eight, which also include Birmingham, Preston, Bristol City, Cardiff, QPR and Wednesday.

The toughest start on paper belongs to the Sky Blues as they seek to bounce back from their Wembley heartbreak. Mark Robins’ side face Leicester, Middlesbrough, Swansea, Sunderland and Watford before things start to ease up with Hull, Cardiff, Huddersfield and QPR back-to-back.

Their first six are matched for difficulty by QPR’s, with Cardiff the only let-up in a run also featuring Watford, Ipswich, Saints, Boro and Sunderland.

Posh problems?

Promotion-hopefuls Peterborough have the toughest start on paper in League One, with five of their first six opponents projected to finish in the top eight.

Reading, Barnsley and favourites Derby are tipped to finish above fifth-ranked Posh, with Charlton and Portsmouth also in the play-off picture and only Northampton seemingly offering much respite.

Burton and Cheltenham – both among the relegation favourites – face four and five of the projected top eight in their respective first eight games, while Shrewsbury’s first six, by contrast, includes both those teams plus Stevenage, Fleetwood and Carlisle, all ranked in the bottom seven.

Projected strugglers Cambridge and Carlisle have tough run-ins, with the late-season fixtures seeming to favour Cheltenham if they can stay in touch, while Derby have the friendliest run-in on paper of the promotion favourites.

Dragons decider

Three of the last four teams promoted into League Two are the favourites to go up again as this term’s top three, with last season’s risers Wrexham and Notts County sandwiching Stockport.

Intriguingly, the latter visit big-spending Wrexham on the final day with promotion potentially at stake – providing an echo of the Dragons’ National League meeting with Notts County in April when Ben Foster’s last-minute penalty save went a long way to deciding first place.

Crawley, tipped for relegation, have the toughest opening six games in the entire EFL with Bradford, Salford, MK Dons, Gillingham, Swindon and Stockport’s projected league positions averaging out to sixth.

Spare a thought too for Newport, who face projected top-seven finishers Notts County, Gills, MK Dons, Mansfield and Stockport in succession from games 15-19 – and then have to do it all again, in the same order, in games 33-37.

The Terriers’ winless run stretched to six games, with Breitenreiter without a victory since his opening game in charge.

Bojan Radulovic broke the deadlock on the cusp of half-time with his first goal following a January switch from HJK Helsinki.

But Huddersfield’s lead proved to be short-lived as a beautiful Ki-Jana Hoever strike levelled the scores shortly after the restart.

The visitors rallied in search of a late winner but could not hand their survival bid a boost.

“We are happy with the performance of the team today,” said Breitenreiter.

“We had a lot of injuries and it was a young team, but we controlled the first half and we knew that there’d be opportunities to create chances.

“Second half, we conceded another goal of the month (contender), it’s unbelievable, but again we must defend better and tighter.

“At the end of the game, if it’s fair or not fair, we should take the lead again and we had some big chances. But we didn’t score and this has been a problem for many weeks.

“It was sometimes too easy to concede the goals and we don’t capitalise from our opportunities.

“We have players with potential and in my opinion, they showed that today – but to win the close games we need the goal.

“We have to do the best with the situation and every player has to give his best for 30, 45 or 90 minutes.

“The boys want to play this style and I’m sure that this is the style to lead us to success.

“For every team at the bottom, it’s important to win because of confidence – the performance was good so we have to believe and do it every matchday.”

Huddersfield had an earlier Matty Pearson goal disallowed but Stoke spurned a host of chances to complete their comeback, with Luke McNally’s header cleared off the line.

The Potters remain precariously above the relegation zone, five points above the dotted line with six games remaining.

“We could have won it, especially in the second half, but four points over the Easter weekend is okay,” said boss Steven Schumacher after his side beat Hull on Friday.

“That was a bit of a battle; we started the game well but lost our way, they got on top and deserved to take the lead.

“We played with a bit more tempo and urgency in the second half, so it’s pleasing to come from behind and get something from the game.

“It’s important that everyone contributes goals so hopefully Hoever keeps that habit up and it was a brilliant finish.

“After that, we grew in confidence and got into some good areas but just didn’t manage to make one of them count.

“It was a good reaction from the lads in the second half; we were excellent and could have won it and then defended our box well.

“It’s a real positive that we’ve done that in the second half because it’s not easy here and the disappointment affects everybody too much.

“Nobody likes to concede a goal but they are going to happen at home; we can’t overreact to it and have to stay positive and keep believing.

“We take the point and move on. It was important not to lose and let Huddersfield get any closer to us.”