The Championship is always enthralling, and there is no reason why the 2024-25 season should be any different.
Since its rebranding in 2004, there have been 14 different winners in the second tier. Half of those former champions will be competing in the latest edition.
Thirty-eight different teams have finished in the top six of the Championship. In that same period, the Premier League has only had 15, showing just how competitive this division is.
But of equal interest, the fight to remain in the second tier is always intriguing.
Here, we use Opta data to pick out the key storylines.
Leeds out to rectify play-off woes
Leeds, who lost to Southampton in the play-off final, became the only team to accumulate 90 points in a season yet fail to secure promotion, with Leicester City and Ipswich Town finishing on 97 and 96 respectively.
While the significant losses of Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray will prove to be a bitter blow, Daniel Farke still has an abundance of talent at his disposal.
Georginio Rutter remains a Leeds player, and was a crucial part in their (ultimately doomed) promotion push, ranking eighth for the most goals and assists in the division last year (22).
But, relegated trio Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town will pose a significant threat to Leeds' title ambitions, as they hope to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
All three clubs have managed to keep the majority of their squads from last season intact, with the only significant change coming in the dugout at Turf Moor.
Scott Parker returns to management following Vincent Kompany's departure to Bayern Munich, and boasts an impressive pedigree from his time in the second tier.
Parker has won two promotions from the Championship with Fulham and Bournemouth, triumphing in 48 of the 92 games he has managed in the division (D25 L19).
Norwich City also look strong contenders, having finished as the Championship's fifth-highest scorers last year with 79 goals, but the loss of Gabriel Sara is significant.
Sara's creative flair saw him produce 121 chances, only bettered by Sorba Thomas (123) and Leif Davies (125), as he finished the campaign with 13 goals and 12 assists.
Mark Robins and Coventry City will also be right in the mix after finishing in the top 10 in the last two seasons, including a memorable FA Cup run last term.
Rooney to keep the Pilgrims afloat?
At the opposite end of the table, all eyes will be on Wayne Rooney as he embarks on his latest managerial venture, this time with Plymouth Argyle.
Rooney endured a disastrous tenure with Birmingham City last season, winning two of his 15 games in charge (D4 L9), surviving just 83 days in the St. Andrew's dugout.
The 38-year-old has performed well in the Championship previously, though, almost keeping Derby County up during the 2021-22 season despite a 21-point deduction.
But arriving at a side that won the second-fewest number of away games (three) and also shipped 70 goals last term, Rooney's task at Home Park is a tough one.
Rooney's former club Derby, along with Portsmouth and Oxford United, are the new boys, and they have been welcomed into the Championship with a difficult opening round of fixtures.
While the Rams' start is slightly kinder, with an away trip to Blackburn Rovers followed by a home game against Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Oxford were not so lucky.
Pompey travel to Leeds for their opening encounter, and they face the three relegated Premier League sides in their opening seven fixtures.
Oxford's 25-year wait for second-tier football sees them start at beaten play-off semi-finalists Norwich, with games against Burnley and Luton following soon after.
Blackburn's upcoming season largely hinges on whether top scorer Sammie Szmodics remains at Ewood Park following his stellar performances in the division last year.
Szmodics scooped the Golden Boot last season with 27 goals in 44 appearances, outperforming his expected goals (xG) by 4.6 while also creating 49 chances.
The 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club and should Rovers lose his goals, it could prove to be a difficult nine months.
Tyrhys Dolan and Arnor Sigurdsson offer a different kind of attacking threat, but the pair managed just 10 goals between them in the division last campaign.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alfie Doughty - Luton
One of the standout performers for Luton last season was full-back Alfie Doughty, and he will be key again for the Hatters this season.
Doughty registered two goals and eight assists and was one of many players expected to depart Kenilworth Road this transfer window, though for now he has stayed put.
The 24-year-old attempted the most crosses (340) in the Premier League, 89 of which were completed, which was the joint-highest alongside Pascal Gross.
Joe Rodon - Leeds
While Leeds have sold Summerville, Gray and Glen Kamara, they have strengthened with the arrival of one of last year's standout performers.
Joe Rodon made a loan switch from Tottenham permanent after helping Leeds keep 19 clean sheets in his 46 appearances.
The Welsh international won more aerial duels (132) than anyone in the Leeds squad last year, while 3,050 completed passes was a total only bettered by fellow defensive partner, Ethan Ampadu (3,138).
Matt Grimes - Swansea
Matt Grimes has become a mainstay in the Swansea side after three consecutive loan spells and, under the guidance of Luke Williams, the midfielder perfectly fits the former Notts County manager's possession-based style of play.
Grimes attempted the fifth most passes in the Championship last year (3,714), completing 3,291 of those for a pass accuracy of 88.61%.
He also made 535 passes into the final third, a total only bettered by new Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson (641) during his time with Rotherham.
Macaulay Langstaff - Millwall
One player that will be looking to make his mark in the Championship this season is new Millwall striker, Macaulay Langstaff.
Signed from Notts County, Langstaff scored 28 times last season, claiming his third Golden Boot in as many years while averaging a goal every 143 minutes.
Despite underperforming his xG by 4.33 and missing the most big chances in League Two last year (29), should he be given the service, he should tally up the goals.
Jack Clarke - Sunderland
After being tipped for a move to the Premier League for much of last year, Jack Clarke could be the difference between a good season, or a great season for Sunderland.
Clarke netted 15 goals in 33 league appearances before an ankle injury halted his scoring streak, missing six games and failing to find the back of the net upon his return.
The 23-year-old created the seventh-highest number of chances (91) in the division last season, while also completing the most dribbles (148 from 267 attempted), 47 more than Player of the Season Summerville (101).
Lopetegui to assess Fullkrug as focus remains on trusting the process
Julen Lopetegui has refused to rule out Niclas Fullkrug’s involvement when West Ham return to Premier League action against Fulham on Saturday.
Fullkrug, who was signed from Borussia Dortmund during the transfer window, picked up an injury on international duty with Germany during their 5-0 win over Hungary, a game the 31-year-old scored in.
Lopetegui has picked up one win from his first three league fixtures at the helm, but the Spaniard says his side are still in the process of becoming the team he wants them to be.
"Let's see, he has a little problem, it was a pity,” Lopetegui said on Fullkrug. “But it's true that we will evaluate him too, today.
“Yesterday we thought he was a little bit better, today we're going to see how he is exactly and tomorrow we are going to make the last decision about him.
"It's a process, and we have had 10 days here to work with the players. Unfortunately, a lot of them weren't here, so it's not easy, but we've done what we could.
“It's a quick turnaround now to Fulham, but we're putting all our focus on our next match."
Fulham, meanwhile, entered the international break off the back of a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road, with the Cottagers sitting in 12th in the early-season table.
Marco Silva’s new-look squad showed signs during their encounter with the Tractor Boys that they are close to kicking into gear, having taken four points from their first three Premier League games.
While Silva acknowledged his players were forced to adopt a different style of play in their last fixture, he is confident they can continue their unbeaten run on home soil.
"Tough Premier League game, as always, against a side that you know are going to be really hard to play against,” Silva said. “We know it can be tough to play here because last season we played against them in a different competition with great support from the home crowd.
"We were solid in the second half, but not in the way that we like to play, not with that quality in our build up, and it was more difficult for us to create chances.
"It's a game, of course, that we wanted to win, we wanted the three points. We got one point, and we move on to prepare for the next one."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Antonee Robinson
Since the start of last season, only Kieran Trippier (10) has more assists among defenders in the Premier League than Fulham’s Robinson (eight).
All eight have come in open play, with only Mohamed Salah (13), Brennan Johnson (10), and Anthony Elanga (nine) having a better 100% open-play assist rate in the division during that time.
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has nine Premier League goals away from home since the start of last season, with only Erling Haaland (16) and Ollie Watkins (10) netting more, while his only goal this term came away at Crystal Palace.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Fulham won both Premier League meetings with West Ham last season by an aggregate score of 7-0. They’ve not won three consecutive league games against the Hammers since between October 1965 and October 1966.
During his time in charge of the Cottagers, Everton and Watford, Silva has more Premier League wins against West Ham than any other side (P9 W6 L3), with the 17 goals his sides have scored against the Hammers in the competition also being his most.
Fulham have also lost only one of their four top-flight games that followed an international break last season (W2 D1), while West Ham lost three of their four such games in 2023-24 (W1).
West Ham’s only win so far in the Premier League this season came away to Crystal Palace (2-0). They last won their opening two away league games of a season in 2015-16 (first three).
The Hammers have also won 16 of their 28 Premier League games against Fulham, their best win rate against any side they’ve faced at least five times in the competition (57%).
But so far this campaign, only Newcastle United (54) have faced more shots in the Premier League this season than West Ham (52), while their expected goals against total of 6.4 is also the second-highest, behind newly promoted Ipswich (6.9).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 40%
Draw – 26.2%
West Ham – 33.8%
Miller, Watson bag hat-tricks as Glenmuir hammers Porus High 13-0 in DaCosta Cup
Orel Miller continued his hot scoring form to start the 2024 ISSA/WATA DaCosta Cup season after he notched up a second consecutive hat trick to lead last season’s beaten finalists Glenmuir High to a massive 13-0 trouncing of Porus High in their Zone I game at the Porus Community Centre on Wednesday.
Miller added to his three-timer scored in the team’s opening 5-0 win over Kemps Hill and was joined by Orane Watson who also scored a hat trick on Wednesday.
Dunsting Cohen and Ricardo Binns both scored braces while Nmuemonie Blackwood and Tajaun Cummings got one each with an own goal completing the tally.
Elsewhere in Zone I, Garvey Maceo defeated Vere Technical 1-0 at home.
Two other schools also moved to two wins from two games on Wednesday as Port Antonio High beat St Mary High 4-1 while Holmwood Technical outscored Bellefield High 4-3.
Kerone George scored a brace while Shaquone Hardware and Dwayne Rodgers also scored for Port Antonio High as they took over the lead in Zone M.
Holmwood Technical, who beat Alston High 4-0 in their opening game, outscored Bellefield High 4-3 in their Zone G encounter.
Green Pond High beat Maldon High 2-1 with a second half double from Garth-Dane Bromwell, who netted in the 50th and 65th minutes while Kevin Hawthorne scored a consolation goal for Maldon High in the 76th minute.
Irwin High were held 2-2 at home by St James High also in a Zone A game.
Manning’s School also got off to a positive start in Zone C, beating Black River High 2-0 thanks to goals from Jarvis Meylor and Dainton Williams.
First time quarterfinalists from last season, B.B Coke, opened their season with a 5-1 win over Newell High to take over the lead on goal-difference in Zone E.
The day’s other Zone E game saw Munro College beat Lacovia 1-0 at Lacovia.
Knox College and Paul Bogle High who lost in their opening games, bounced back to beat Alston High and St Thomas Technical 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.
Mateta has 'moved on' after Crystal Palace refused to sell
Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta has no issues with the club's refusal to sell him this past transfer window.
Mateta had a strong second half of the season at Palace, and was a key performer for Oliver Glasner.
The striker subsequently helped France win gold at the Paris Olympics.
Mateta was, however, open to leaving Palace over the summer, though with the club having rejected interest, the 27-year-old is happy to put thoughts on his future to one side.
In an interview with L'Equipe, he said: "I'm a realistic person: the club didn't want to sell me.
"Well, I'm moving on and I'm doing everything so that the team obtains better results than last year. And when it's time to ask ourselves these kinds of questions [about the future], we will ask ourselves.
"In football, you have to adapt quickly, concentrate on the upcoming deadlines and not dwell on the past."
Palace face Leicester City on Saturday, and while the Eagles have only picked up one point from their three Premier League matches so far, Mateta has full confidence Glasner's team are worthy opponents for any team.
He said: "The coach sees, as [France Olympics coach Thierry] Henry did, that I'm trying to pull everyone up, because I work hard, I encourage everyone to do the same and I constantly repeat that we can beat anyone: City, Liverpool… anyone! Anyone!
"I only had a few days of rest between the Olympics final and the resumption of the Premier League, and Glasner asks us to chase the opposing teams high, it's very different from the game we played with France at the Olympics, because we had the ball."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta has made more targeted runs into the box than any other player in the Premier League so far this season (14). However, he is yet to open his account for 2024-25.
Leicester City - Abdul Fatawu
Only Bruno Guimaraes (16) has won more fouls in the Premier League this season than Leicester's Abdul Fatawu (10), seven of which have been following an attempted take-on, more than any other player.
MATCH PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE WIN
Leicester have won just two of their last 16 Premier League games in London (D3 L11), conceding 40 goals during that run (2.5 per game).
The Foxes have only opened the scoring in two of their last 24 Premier League games, conceding first in all three so far this season. Only in 1994-95 and 2001-02 have they conceded the first goal in each of their first four games in a Premier League season, being relegated in both of those campaigns.
Palace have won nine Premier League games against Leicester – against no side have they beaten more times in the competition.
Leicester lost 2-1 the last time they faced Crystal Palace in the Premier League (April 2023), having been unbeaten in their previous seven against the Eagles beforehand (W4 D3).
Since drawing consecutive home games 0-0 in September/October last season, Palace's last 16 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League have seen 59 goals scored (F34 A25, 3.7 per game). Only Chelsea (63) and Manchester City's (60) home games have seen more goals in the competition since the first game in that run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace - 56.6%
Leicester City - 21%
Draw - 22.4%
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