Illan Meslier's last-gasp error saw Sunderland snatch a point against Leeds at the Stadium of Light on Friday. 

The home supporters were sent into raptures by one of their own in the ninth minute when Chris Rigg opened the scoring, tucking home from close range after Meslier had produced a miraculous save to deny Dennis Cirkin's previous effort.

But Sunderland's joy was short-lived when Joel Piroe headed Wilfried Gnonto's inviting delivery beyond Anthony Patterson, though replays showed he may have wandered into an offside position. 

Both sides continued to push for a half-time lead, with Brenden Aaronson seeing his shot cleared off the line and Patrick Roberts seeing his effort saved to end a pulsating half of action. 

The hosts emerged from the tunnel in the ascendency but were met with a sucker punch in the 56th minute when Junior Firpo's driving run from deep ended with the left-back sweeping the ball into the far corner. 

But with the clock ticking into the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, there was to be one final twist when Alan Browne's flicked pass into the box somehow evaded the grasp of Meslier to preserve Sunderland's unbeaten home record this season. 

Data Debrief: Meslier blunder overshadows Leeds display

Leeds were moments away from going level on points with Sunderland at the summit of the Championship, before a moment of madness sealed a gut-wrenching end to an enthralling encounter in the North East. 

The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.16 from their 15 shots compared to Sunderland's 1.77, with Piroe contributing 0.72 xG to Leeds' tally. 

But their display was overshadowed by Meslier's blunder, with the Frenchman enjoying a strong performance up until that point, making three saves against the Black Cats. 

Jobe Bellingham's stunning goal helped Sunderland go top of the Championship table as they beat Derby County 2-0, capitalising on West Brom's slip-up against Middlesbrough.

Bellingham got off the mark for 2024-25 with a crashing finish from 25 yards out to put Sunderland ahead shortly before half-time at the Stadium of Light.

Wilson Isidor then tapped home following great work from Romaine Mundle after the break as the Black Cats earned their sixth win from eight league games this term.

While Derby – who missed several chances to get back into the game – sit 13th on nine points, Regis Le Bris' side overtook West Brom to go top of the table on 18.

The Baggies relinquished their position due to a 1-0 home defeat against Middlesbrough, with Hayden Hackney netting the only goal after 73 minutes.

No away team had scored at the Hawthorns in almost six months, but Hackney found the bottom corner with a sweeping finish after taking in Riley McGree's pass for the winner.

Carlos Corberan's men slipped two places to third, with Burnley also overtaking them by beating Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle 1-0 at Turf Moor.

The Clarets needed a 26th-minute Josh Brownhill penalty, awarded for Darko Gyabi's foul on Josh Cullen, to get over the line despite Plymouth not attempting a single shot on target.

Fellow high-flyers Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the campaign at Coventry City, who recorded a deeply impressive 3-0 win at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Jake Bidwell, Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante were on target for last season's FA Cup semi-finalists, who climbed to 16th in the table. Blackburn sit fifth.

Leeds United are level with Blackburn, but have a superior goal difference and sit fourth, after fighting back to draw 1-1 at Norwich City.

Josh Sargent's early penalty gave Norwich the lead over their former boss Daniel Farke, but Largie Ramazani's goal on the hour earned Leeds a point amid a better second-half display.

Leeds United closed the gap to second place to just two points in the Championship, following a 3-0 victory over out-of-form Coventry City at Elland Road.

Wilfried Gnonto got the game off to a good start for Daniel Farke's side, expertly turning home a cross just inside the box with a first-time finish to open the scoring.

Last season's losing play-off finalists wrapped up a comfortable victory in the second half with goals from Jayden Bogle - his first as a Leeds player - and Joel Piroe, who has now scored three in four as a substitute.

The victory sees Leeds climb to fourth, significantly taking the opportunity to cut the gap to the automatic promotion places with both West Brom and Sunderland losing.

Coventry, meanwhile, have lost four and drawn one of their last five matches in all competitions. They are fourth-bottom, with just goal difference separating them from the relegation zone.

Second-placed Sunderland missed the chance to go top as they were beaten 2-1 away to Watford.

Regis Le Bris' side went a goal down in the first half to a Festy Ebosele volley before equalising shortly after half-time through Wilson Isidor. They were unable to push on for a winner, with Tom Dele-Bashiru scoring a late penalty to win it for the hosts.

The win leaves Watford in seventh place in the Championship, outside the play-offs on goal difference, while Sunderland stay second.

Managerless Cardiff City lost their fifth straight match in all competitions and are still searching for their first league win of the season after being thumped 4-1 away to Hull City.

The Bluebirds initially went a goal up in the first half through Callum Robinson, which was just their second league goal of the season.

They could only hold the lead for four minutes, before Bachir Belloumi equalised for the hosts. He grabbed a brace 10 minutes before half-time and Hull never looked back.

Two second-half goals ensured another miserable afternoon for Cardiff, who remain bottom of the Championship with just one point after seven matches. Hull are up to 12th.

West Brom went back to the top of the Championship with a 1-0 victory over Wayne Rooney’s struggling Plymouth Argyle.

The Baggies were made to wait until the 62nd minute before opening the scoring through Josh Maja, and it was a goal that came against the run of play.

Plymouth had started the second half better, but were unable to make their chances count before Maja's tap-in ultimately settled it.

The victory is a fifth in six matches and fourth in a row for Carlos Corberan’s side, who reclaimed first place from Sunderland and have opened a three-point gap to third-placed Burnley. Plymouth, meanwhile, are 20th and just one point above the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Leeds United moved into the top six following a 2-0 win away to 10-man Cardiff City, who are bottom of the table.

Defender Joel Bagan was sent off for the hosts after 23 minutes after he was adjudged to have been the last man after a challenge on Willy Gnonto.

It got even worse for Cardiff seven minutes later as Largie Ramazani scored his first Leeds goal.

Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick saved Pascal Struijk's second-half penalty, but an effort from former Swansea City striker Joel Piroe on 87 minutes wrapped up the points for Daniel Farke's side. Cardiff boss Erol Bulut, meanwhile, looks under increasing pressure.

Burnley snatched a 94th-minute winner at home to Portsmouth, having initially gone a goal down.

Callum Lang's first-half goal had Pompey ahead at half-time, but Jeremy Sarmiento equalised in the second period before Brownhill nicked a winner, leaving the Clarets third and Portsmouth second-bottom.

And Sheffield United are up to fourth after a 1-0 win over Derby County at Bramall Lane.

The Blades got the winner after 53 minutes through Gus Hamer, with Derby dropping to ninth on nine points from six matches.

Leeds United suffered their first defeat of the Championship season as they were beaten 1-0 at home by fellow promotion hopefuls Burnley.

Daniel Farke’s side came into Saturday's encounter having won back-to-back matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City, but their momentum was halted by their clinical visitors.

Burnley forward Luca Koleosho scored the only goal of the game the day before his 20th birthday.

Koleosho took advantage of a slip from Manor Solomon after 18 minutes, before sprinting 70 yards and drilling a shot past Leeds goalkeeper Ilan Meslier.

That proved to be enough to inflict on Leeds a third home league defeat in six matches going back to last season, despite the hosts applying plenty of pressure as they sought an equaliser.

Burnley's Bashir Humphreys was sent off eight minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match, but Leeds were unable to find a way through.

Elsewhere in Saturday's early Championship kick-offs, Luton Town claimed their first win since relegation from the Premier League.

Teden Mengi's fine early effort from the edge of the penalty area was enough to beat Millwall 1-0 away from home.

While Luton have ground to make up in the promotion race, Oxford United's surprise challenge continues on the back of their 100% home record.

That was maintained with a deserved 1-0 victory over Stoke City, with Idris El Mizouni netting the winner three minutes into the second half.

Top-of-the-league Sunderland extended their perfect start to the season as they beat Portsmouth 3-1 at Fratton Park to secure their fourth Championship victory in as many matches.

The visitors went ahead 31 minutes into the match through a Zak Swanson own goal and never looked back.

It was an unfortunate moment for Swanson, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time when team-mate Jordan Williams’ clearance rebounded off him into the goal.

Republic of Ireland international Alan Browne added a second - his first since signing for Sunderland in the summer transfer window - six minutes into the second half, before Romaine Mundle made it 3-0 and killed the game as a contest in the 56th minute.

Portsmouth made four substitutions on the hour, including the introduction of deadline-day signing Mark O’Mahoney, but none were able to get their team back into the match.

The hosts managed just one shot on target before Luke O’Nien’s stoppage-time own goal gave them a consolation. They await their first victory of the campaign and sit 18th in the table.

Oxford United went up alongside Portsmouth, but enjoyed their afternoon a little more as they came from behind to beat Preston North End 3-1 at the Kassam Stadium.

It was a first defeat for Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom, who was appointed manager earlier in the month after Ryan Lowe was sacked.

The visitors started better, with Emil Riis Jakobsen opening the scoring after just three minutes. But in-form Mark Harris levelled after 20 minutes with a header as he scored for the fourth straight league game.

It was to get even better for Oxford in the second half when Tyler Goodrham put them into the lead with a spectacular strike. Preston were then reduced to 10 men, with Liam Lindsay picking up a second booking in the 70th minute, and Greg Leigh wrapped up the points a minute later.

The win takes Oxford to eighth, while Preston are in 21st, one place below Sheffield Wednesday who were beaten 3-0 by Millwall at the New Den.

Josh Coburn scored on his debut for the hosts in the second half, before goals from Duncan Watmore and Jake Cooper secured Millwall’s first win of the season. For Wednesday, it’s now three straight defeats.

Unbeaten Leeds United went fourth in the table following a 2-0 victory over Hull City, who sit 19th and are still waiting for their first victory of the campaign.

Second-half goals from Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe at Elland Road helped Leeds secure back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Manor Solomon has joined Leeds United on a season-long loan from Tottenham.

The 25-year-old joined Spurs last year following his departure from Shakhtar Donetsk but only played six times before suffering a season-ending knee injury in October.

He featured in pre-season for Ange Postecoglou's side but was not included in either of his matchday squads in the Premier League this season.

Solomon signed for Spurs after a successful loan spell with Fulham in 2022-23 in which he scored in four successive top-flight matches.

His other goal for the Cottagers came in the FA Cup, as he netted in a 2-0 win over Leeds in the fifth round.

This is the third piece of business between Tottenham and Leeds in this transfer window, with Archie Gray joining the north London side and Joe Rodon going the other way. 

Brenden Aaronson and Daniel James struck either side of half-time to secure Leeds United's first win of the new season, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 on Friday. 

Aaronson notched his second league goal of the season early on, before James sealed the victory with a fine finish for his 30th goal involvement for the club. 

The visitors started brightly at Hillsborough as Mateo Joseph was the first to test James Beadle inside the opening five minutes of the contest. 

And their attacking persistence was rewarded in the 24th minute when Aaronson swept a left-footed effort home after Joseph had been fouled inside the penalty area. 

Despite registering seven shots in the first 45 minutes, the visitors were unable to increase their advantage, but it didn't take long to claim that two-goal cushion. 

Joseph, once again the architect, saw his cutting pass pick out James, who sprinted clear of the Owls' defence before delicately lobbing the ball over Beadle. 

The Welshman's strike was the second goal Leeds have scored in the first 15 minutes of the second half in the Championship this season, with only Watford (three) bettering that total thus far. 

Leeds' triumph moved them up into fourth in the early season standings ahead of tomorrow's Championship action.

Data Debrief: Joseph inspires Leeds victory

Going into the encounter, Leeds had failed to win their last four Championship games, but their star quality at the top end of the pitch shone through. 

Despite not getting on the scoresheet, Joseph was the standout performer for Farke's side and looked a fitting replacement for the gap left by Georginio Rutter. 

The Spaniard registered the most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (seven), producing an expected goals (xG) of 0.3, a total only bettered by James (0.46). 

Luton Town survived more than an hour with 10 men as they drew 0-0 with newly promoted Portsmouth to claim their first points of the campaign on Saturday. 

Thomas Kaminski was given his marching orders in the 31st minute following two missed-timed challenges on Paddy Lane and Connor Ogilvie in quick succession. 

But Pompey failed to make their man advantage count, with only six of their 15 attempts on target as well as having 66.5% possession. 

Rob Edwards' side did have their opportunities, however, missing four big chances, with the best of those falling to Elijah Adebayo, registering an xG of 0.51 from his three shots. 

Meanwhile, at the Hawthorns, Leeds United remain winless in their first two Championship games as they were held to a goalless draw away to West Brom.  

Daniel Farke's side suffered an early exit in the Carabao Cup to Middlesbrough earlier this week, and struggled once again in front of goal at the Hawthorns. 

Leeds registered just one shot on target from the eight they attempted in the West Midlands, with that effort coming from Ethan Ampadu 10 minutes into the second half. 

The Baggies opened their season with a 3-1 win over QPR, with Josh Maja netting a hat-trick, but he proved ineffective this time around, registering an expected goals (xG) of just 0.03 from his one shot on target. 

Meanwhile, at Pride Park, Kayden Jackson scored the only goal of the early kick-offs as Derby beat Middlesbrough 1-0 for their first win of the campaign. 

Jackson, who arrived from Ipswich in the transfer window, pounced on a mistake by Isaiah Jones before rounding Seny Dieng to give the Rams a 14th minute lead. 

But Michael Carrick's side's wastefulness in front of goal proved to be their downfall, underperforming their xG by 1.73 with only four of their 20 shots on target. 

Middlesbrough have now only scored once in their last four away league games against Derby, with the goal coming in a 2-1 loss back in 2021 under Neil Warnock.

Wayne Rooney claimed his first win in charge of Plymouth Argyle with a 3-0 victory over fourth-tier Cheltenham Town in the first round of the EFL Cup.

Manchester United and England great Rooney was appointed as Plymouth boss ahead of the 2024-25 season, returning to the Championship after an unsuccessful stint at Birmingham City last season.

But the former striker's league bow saw Plymouth thrashed 4-0 at Sheffield Wednesday, with Rooney criticising his players following the first match of the campaign.

This cup meeting with Cheltenham eased the pressure on Rooney and Plymouth a little, however, even if they had to wait until past the hour mark for Ben Waine's breakthrough goal.

Ryan Hardie and Mustapha Bundu then added to the scoring in the final 10 minutes to send Rooney's side safely into the second round.

Argyle are joined there by league foes Wednesday, who continued their strong start to the season by beating Hull City 2-1 courtesy of an early Charlie McNiell brace.

Meanwhile, in the third and final tie on Wednesday, Middlesbrough dumped out fellow Championship promotion candidates Leeds United, winning 3-0 at Elland Road.

Leeds, beaten play-off finalists last season, had been held at home by Portsmouth on the opening day of the league campaign and were frustrated again in front of their own fans, who booed the team off at full-time.

Anfernee Dijksteel's fine individual strike was followed by goals from Delano Burgzorg and Josh Coburn to ensure Boro boss Michael Carrick joins former team-mate Rooney in the draw for the next stage.

John Mousinho was "gutted" his Portsmouth side were unable to see out the final stages as they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Leeds United in their first game back in the Championship.

Pompey, back in the second tier after a 12-year exile, took a 92nd-minute lead in Saturday's contest at Elland Road through a Callum Lang penalty, only for Brenden Aaronson to strike two minutes later.

The newly promoted side had earlier recovered from a Pascal Struijk penalty to take a 2-1 lead into half-time through goals from Elias Sorensen and Lang, before Willy Gnonto levelled early in the second half.

A point away at one of the promotion favourites can still be considered a hugely encouraging result, but the dramatic conclusion to the contest left Mousinho with bittersweet emotions. 

"It's very difficult to sum up," he said in his post-match press conference. "It's a brilliant point, particularly where we were this time last week after a really poor week of football. 

"The lads gave everything and Leeds know they've been in a game. But we are gutted not to win the game. On balance, it was a really good point. 

"They're an outstanding side and have got some outstanding individuals. To feel we could have won here is an amazing feeling."

Leeds controlled much of the match yet twice trailed after a bright start in which they struck the frame of the goal three times in 10 minutes before Struijk's opener.

Farke's decision to take off goalscorer Gnonto and lively winger Daniel James with the scoreline at 2-2 raised eyebrows, and the German accepts his side lost their flow after that point.

"Our game was not great after the changes," he said. "Every player wanted to show their worth and were maybe over-motivated in the final 25 minutes. There were mistakes across the whole squad."

Portsmouth, who scored three goals from their five shots, are the first side to lead in the 90th minute or later in a Championship match and not win since Nottingham Forest against Hull City in May 2022.

Incredibly, Aaronson had an opportunity to win the match with one of the final kicks of the game, but he slotted wide when through on goal.

Mousinho admits his side were fortunate not to throw away their point, but felt the referee should have pulled play back before Aaronson got the shot away.

"I'd lost my head with the ref at that point," he said. "I thought it was a foul in front of the Portsmouth fans. Our player was dragged down with both hands. 

"I thought the ball was going to nestle in the back of the net. I was really relieved. Having said that, if we had lost it wouldn't have changed the performance. I was grateful it went wide. We got away with one there."

Brenden Aaronson scored a 95th-minute equaliser for Leeds United as they began their Championship campaign with a thrilling 3-3 draw versus Portsmouth at Elland Road.

Aaronson, who spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Union Berlin, squeezed his finish into the bottom-left corner deep into stoppage time to deny John Mousinho's newly promoted visitors a dream start to the season.

Pascal Struijk's early penalty gave Leeds the lead but they were quickly pegged back by Elias Sorensen's leveller, and Portsmouth then inched ahead on two occasions.

Callum Lang's stunning strike from distance put them 2-1 up shortly before half-time, only for Wilfried Gnonto to drag Leeds level just 54 seconds into the second half, beating Will Norris with a clever reverse finish.

Leeds dominated for long periods and should have killed the game off, finishing with 22 shots to Portsmouth's five and 39 touches in the penalty area to the visitors' six.

Daniel Farke's hosts were almost condemned to a shock defeat by Lang's 92nd-minute penalty, conceded cheaply by Jayden Bogle, but Aaronson had other ideas.

Elsewhere, West Brom fought from behind for a 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, with Josh Maja scoring a hat-trick.

Lucas Andersen put Marti Cifuentes' hosts ahead after 16 minutes, but Maja soon hit back with a near-post header before adding two more close-range finishes after the break.

Maja's treble made him the first Albion player to score a hat-trick in their opening game of a league season since Alf Bentley accomplished the feat in 1913-14.

Norwich City, who joined Leeds and West Brom in falling short in last season's play-offs, endured a miserable start to their campaign as they went down 2-0 to newly promoted Oxford United.

Mark Harris cut inside from the left before squeezing a finish through Angus Gunn's legs for 1-0, then Cameron Brannagan made the points safe with a side-footed finish in the 58th minute.

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough also got off to a winning start, beating Swansea City 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium as Emmanuel Latte Lath continued his fine run in front of goal.

Latte Lath converted from the penalty spot 25 minutes in after Azeem Abdulai felled the marauding Isiah Jones, netting in a seventh straight Championship game.

He has nine goals in total throughout that run, which is the joint-longest scoring streak by any player since the Championship's 2004 rebrand, alongside Charlie Austin in 2012, Jordan Rhodes in 2013, and Aleksandar Mitrovic in 2021.

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).

West Ham have completed the signing of Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United for a reported £25million.

Summerville starred for Leeds in the Championship last season, though the Dutch winger could not propel the Whites to promotion.

And having sold academy product Archie Gray to Tottenham, Leeds have now had to part ways with another star player.

Summerville has signed a five-year deal with West Ham, with the option for a further year.

The 22-year-old becomes the Hammers' fourth signing under new head coach Julen Lopetegui, while Niclas Fullkrug and Guido Rodriguez are also on the verge of joining from Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis respectively.

"I'm very happy, and I can't wait to get started," said Summerville.

"It's the perfect next step for my career. West Ham is a huge club, with lots of ambition and great players, so I’m really excited to be here and to get going.

"I always try to follow my heart, and I had the feeling that this is the best place for me to continue developing as a player, and to push my potential as much as possible."

Summerville directly contributed to 29 goals in the Championship last season (20 goals, nine assists), while he created 120 chances – ranking fourth in the division – and attempting 200 dribbles.

Archie Gray has joined Tottenham from a "heartbroken" Leeds United in a deal reportedly worth up to £40million.

Gray, the great nephew of Leeds great Eddie Gray, enjoyed a breakthrough season at Elland Road last season.

The 18-year-old made 47 appearances in the Championship for Daniel Farke's team in 2023-24, as Leeds lost to Southampton in the play-off final.

And the Whites have confirmed that a clause in the youngster's contract, which became active when Leeds failed to return to the Premier League, opened the door for teams to swoop.

Gray seemed destined to move to Brentford over the weekend, undertaking a medical with the Bees, until Leeds rejected the payment structure of a £35m offer.

That enabled Spurs to come in and sign the midfielder.

Leeds posted on X that they were "heartbroken to see one of our own depart".

In a separate transaction, however, Joe Rodon has moved from Spurs to Leeds.

The Wales defender spent last season on loan at Elland Road.