Sheffield United maintained their unbeaten start in the Championship and moved joint-top of the table with a 2-0 home win over Luton Town.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi marked his 22nd birthday in style, scoring a goal in each half, as the Blades brushed aside their struggling visitors on Saturday.

The youngster was denied in the opening stages, but still ensured United got off to a strong start, firing in an emphatic finish after just 12 minutes.

He then got his second just seven minutes after the restart, sliding it through Thomas Kaminski's legs.

The Blades should have had a third late on when Vinicius Souza struck the post, but they had already done enough to take advantage of Sunderland dropping points on Friday to join them on 19 points at the summit.

Luton, meanwhile, are winless in three as they sit just above the relegation zone in 21st place.

Elsewhere, Plymouth Argyle snatched a dramatic 2-1 home win over Blackburn Rovers, after manager Wayne Rooney had been sent off.

Michael Obafemi's 15th-minute goal looked enough to secure a win until Joe Rankin-Costello equalised with four minutes left of normal time.

Rooney was subsequently sent to the stands for his protests as he felt there was a foul in the build-up, meaning he was not on the touchline when Morgan Whittaker headed in a last-gasp winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Watford also secured a late victory, with Tom Cleverley's side coming from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

It initially looked like they were in danger of falling to a second consecutive defeat, having failed to create chances before George Edmundson took advantage of slack defending to put Boro ahead.

However, the Hornets' substitutions swung the game back in their favour, with Edo Kayembe pulling them level before Kwadwo Baah's half-volley secured the points in the 87th minute.

Wayne Rooney credited Plymouth Argyle's defensive showing as crucial in their 3-1 triumph over Luton Town at Home Park on Friday. 

Plymouth took the lead in the eighth minute courtesy of Rami Al Hajj, with the Swede notching his first Pilgrims goal with a curled finish beyond Thomas Kaminski. 

The hosts found themselves two goals in front 20 minutes from time after substitute Ibrahim Cissoko shifted the ball onto his left foot before firing a stunning effort into the far corner. 

Plymouth's joy was short-lived, though, as Victor Moses chested down Alfie Doughty's cross to the back post before striking the ball beyond Daniel Grimshaw less than two minutes later. 

The Hatters continued to pile on the pressure in search of an equaliser but were undone by a moment of individual brilliance from Cissoko, who danced his way into the area and saw his first effort blocked, but finished the rebound to move Plymouth up to 13th in the Championship. 

Rooney has now guided his side to back-to-back home victories for the first time this season, and said his side had to adapt to Luton's relentless attacking to emerge victorious. 

"I thought it was a good performance for different reasons," Rooney said. 

"I thought first half we were good at times, controlled the tempo of the game and Luton tried to press us, and I think when we showed composure and played through the press we caused them problems.

"Second half we were a little bit sloppy with the ball and gave it away in dangerous areas at times, but I thought defensively our back four, and in particular the two centre-backs, were excellent.

"Luton are very good at set-pieces and I thought we were brilliant defending them and showed great character and desire to go and head the ball, and then the attacking players get all the praise when they score the goals."

For Rob Edwards, a run of back-to-back victories ended on the South Coast, with his side lacking a clinical edge in front of goal. 

The Hatters registered 16 shots during the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.07, but only two of his side's efforts were on target. 

"Credit to the opposition, at both ends of the pitch they were better - they were more ruthless at one end and defended better at the other," Edwards said. 

"I think we got into their final third 40-odd times, twice as often as they did, but we didn't make their goalkeeper work enough.

"We weren't clinical enough at one and end then didn't defend well enough at the other -it's not a good recipe to win a football match.

"It's really frustrating to come away losing a game talking about both ends of the pitch."

Harry Kane insisted Bayern Munich have further room for improvement after scoring four goals in their record-breaking 9-2 Champions League rout of Dinamo Zagreb.

Kane netted four times – including three from the penalty spot – as records tumbled in the Bavarian giants' first European outing under new boss Vincent Kompany.

Tuesday's four-goal haul took Kane to 33 Champions League goals, surpassing Wayne Rooney (30) as the top-scoring Englishman in the history of the competition.

It was the 24th hat-trick of Kane's professional career for club and country, while he became the first player to ever score three penalties in a single European Cup/Champions League game.

Bayern, meanwhile, are the first team to ever score nine times in a Champions League match, with Real Madrid being the last side to do so in the old European Cup in 1990 (9-1 versus Wacker Innsbruck).

Kane, however, told DAZN there are areas in which Bayern must improve, having been joined on the scoresheet by Michael Olise (twice), Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka.

"It was an amazing game. The first half was really good, we took our chances," the England captain said.

"We didn't start the second half well and got caught from a couple of second balls. We'll have to learn from that. 

"Today we got away with that bad start in the second half, but against top opposition we could get punished for that.

"But the reaction afterwards was really good. It's great to score all these goals."

The only blot on Bayern's victory – which took them to the top of the Champions League's new 36-team league table – came as Manuel Neuer was substituted at half-time.

The goalkeeper had earlier appeared to be in discomfort after colliding with Zagreb striker Bruno Petkovic, but he played down concerns over his condition after the match.

Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, Neuer said: "I collied there and I was a bit gone. 

"Then I hit a few balls and the pain stabbed me in the thigh. But it's nothing serious, a small matter."

Harry Kane stretched to further record-breaking ground by surpassing Wayne Rooney for the most goals by an English player in Champions League history.

Bayern Munich forward Kane opened the scoring against Dinamo Zagreb with a penalty at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

That moved the England captain level with former Manchester United star Rooney on 30 Champions League strikes, the joint-most by any player from their country.

Kane later eased past Rooney's mark in the second half, powering home his 31st strike in the competition to take the outright English record.

Kane netted eight times in UEFA's top club competition last season, his most in a single edition, and has got off to a blistering start in the revamped 2024-25 format.

His second finish of the game helped Bayern to a 4-2 lead before Michael Olise's second goal extended the hosts' advantage further shortly after.

Joe Edwards netted a dramatic 93rd-minute winner as Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle stunned Championship leaders Sunderland 3-2 on Saturday.

Argyle were still waiting for their first league win under Rooney heading into this match against the early pace-setters, who had recorded four wins from four.

It looked like being more of the same when Patrick Roberts netted a first-half penalty for Sunderland, but Plymouth turned the game on its head after the restart at Home Park.

Dan Ballard's own goal got the home side level, then Ryan Hardie converted an Argyle spot-kick.

Sunderland fans had made the longest trip in the EFL this season to see their side and looked to be rewarded with a hard-earned point when Romaine Mundle equalised four minutes from time.

But Plymouth were not done and rallied again to sensationally snatch victory in stoppage time as Edwards reacted fastest to a rebound and blasted past Anthony Patterson.

Watford had been Sunderland's nearest challengers but could not capitalise as they drew 1-1 at home to Coventry City.

That result allowed Blackburn Rovers to move up to second on 11 points, one behind Sunderland, as they eased to a 3-0 victory over Bristol City.

Yuki Ohashi scored twice at Ewood Park to see Blackburn nudge back ahead of rivals Burnley, winners earlier in the day at Leeds United.

West Brom subsequently ended Saturday in fifth but could now take top spot on Sunday when they take on Portsmouth.

Pompey are in the bottom three until then, a place and a point below Preston North End, who earned a 1-1 draw on the road against Middlesbrough.

Cardiff City are bottom and still with just one point after losing 1-0 at Derby County. 

The international window is over, as Premier League football returns this weekend, but the two-week break had supporters reminiscing. 

From 2004 to 2016, Barclays was the Premier League's sponsor.

And in a trend that has taken over social media, "Barclaysmen" have been picked out as players synonymous with that 12-year period. 

Here, we take a deep dive into Opta data to find out which players were the actual hallmarks of the Barclays Premier League. 

410 - Gareth Barry led the way with 410 matches played for Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton between 2004 and 2016 – he is, of course, also the Premier League's all-time record holder for appearances too, with a whopping 653 to his name.

James Milner is set to overtake Barry this season, though, and 369 of his 637 matches came in this 12-year span.

178 - Bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old, Wayne Rooney would go on to become one of the greatest goalscorers the division has ever seen. 

Starting his career with Everton, Rooney joined Manchester United in 2004, where he won five league titles during the Barclays era. 

In that 12-year span, no player scored more goals than the mercurial forward, who netted 178 times, with his former United club-mate Robin van Persie (144) second, ahead of Chelsea's Frank Lampard (132).

Rooney wasn't just a goalscorer. He also provided 88 assists in this era, taking his total goal contributions tally to 266, 54 more than the next-best, Lampard (212).

1,430 - Naturally, being the top goalscorer from 2004 and 2016, Rooney also tops the rankings for the most shots taken during that period, with 1,430.

Rooney's most prolific season came during the 2011-12 campaign, when he netted 27 Premier League goals, but it wasn't enough to stop rivals Manchester City from lifting their first top-flight title since 1968. 

Midfielder Lampard (1,118) is next on the list for shots, with Van Persie (963), Jermain Defoe (939) and Steven Gerrard (919) next.

95 - What about creativity?

When it comes to assists, there were no better in this time span than Cesc Fabregas, who laid on 95 goals across spells at Arsenal and Chelsea.

Interestingly, though, Gerrard (767) led the way for chances created, with Lampard (759) also coming in ahead of Fabregas, though it is worth noting the Spaniard spent time away from the Premier League after leaving Arsenal for Barcelona.

43 - When it comes to headed goals, you won't be surprised to see that six-foot-seven-inch Peter Crouch led the way, with 43.

Crouch represented Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Spurs and Stoke during the Barclays era, becoming well-known for his lanky frame and ability in the air. 

He 'heads' the list by 12 goals to former Everton forward Tim Cahill, who scored 31 goals with his head despite being three inches under six foot.

30 - Having come close to having the most goals in the Barclays era, Lampard tops the list for the most goals scored from outside the box across its 12-year timeframe. 

Known for his incredible knack of being in the right place at the right time, Lampard's ability both in and outside the box made him one of the deadliest midfielders the division has ever seen. 

Strikes against Norwich City, Fulham and away at Goodison Park are standouts, with the Englishman often finding the back of the net when pulling back his cultured right foot. 

11 - While James Ward-Prowse leads the way for the most free-kick goals scored in the Premier League, Sebastian Larsson might just be the true embodiment of a Barclaysman.

The former Arsenal, Birmingham City and Sunderland midfielder scored 11 direct free-kick goals between 2004-05 and 2015-16, one more than five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Morten Gamst Pederson, who must be another candidate for the ultimate Barclaysman.

That being said, who had the most direct free-kick shots? It wasn't any of the above. Instead, it was Lampard, who tried his luck 173 times, scoring on nine occasions.

486 - Charles N'Zogbia. Remember him?

A star for Wigan Athletic, N'Zogbia completed 486 dribbles during his time in the division. Surprisingly, Glen Johnson, a full-back, was the next best with 481, ahead of Eden Hazard (463).

Remarkably, though, Ronaldo comes in at fifth, and that is despite only playing in five of the Barclays seasons. He completed 449 dribbles in total, an average of 2.7 per game.

1,107 - Jussi Jaaskelainen, the baby-faced Finn, made 1,107 saves in the Barclays era, which puts him ahead of Mark Schwarzer (1,018) and Tim Howard (1,014).

Petr Cech, meanwhile, was the goalkeeper to keep the most clean sheets (178).

48 - Now time for the unlucky statistics during the Barclays era. During his spells with Arsenal and Man United, no one struck the woodwork more than Robin van Persie. 

Despite netting 144 goals in his 280 Premier League appearances, ranking 14th on the all-time list, the Dutchman could have been among the top 10 scorers to play in the division had it not been for the crossbar and posts.

Van Persie also squandered the most big chances (80), though Sergio Aguero (78) was hot on his heels.

910- Out on his own by three, former Aston Villa, Man City and QPR defender Richard Dunne is the unfortunate man to have scored the most own goals between 2001-02 and 2012-13, with 10.

Across his time in the Premier League, the Republic of Ireland did manage to score more goals at the right end, finishing his career in 2015 with 11 top-flight strikes. 

Ahead of his 100th appearance for England, Harry Kane is next targeting 100 goals for his country.

The Three Lions captain is set to make his landmark appearance against Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, becoming the 10th player to reach the milestone, and the first since Wayne Rooney in November 2014.

Kane is England's record goalscorer, netting 66 goals in his 99 appearances so far, and has 17 assists for the national team.

He scored three times for England at Euro 2024, sharing the Golden Boot with five other players, with his last goal coming from the penalty spot against the Netherlands in the semi-final.

Kane started their Nations League opener against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, a match they won 2-0, though the striker failed to hit the net despite having the most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (nine).

Kane, who averages a goal every 117 minutes for England, has now set himself the target of 100 goals, shrugging off a suggestion that it is too ambitious.

"It's possible, it's there," Kane said. "What is it, 34 goals?

"It is strange, I have touched on it a bit, 100 caps have come round so quick – especially the last few years, playing three major tournaments in such a short space of time. In those years I've done around 15, 16, 17 caps a year, whereas a normal year would be 10.

"The goals were similar. I felt I was on 30 goals and then, bam, I went to 50 and 60. It is definitely there and definitely possible. I feel like I am in a good place, and these are good targets to try to reach.

"Some people may see them as unrealistic, but I would rather go for something unrealistic and not quite make it, rather than be comfortable just saying I will be happy with 70 or 80 goals."

Kane is set to be awarded a golden cap ahead of kick-off on his landmark appearance.

Tributes from across the football world have flooded in after the news that Sven-Goran Eriksson has died, aged 76, on Monday.

Eriksson, who was England's first foreign manager, revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

His former clubs, England and UEFA, have expressed their condolences, along with countless players and managers as they honoured the Swede's life and career.

David Beckham was named Three Lions captain in 2001 by Eriksson, captaining the side 57 times under the Swede.

"We laughed, we cried, and we knew we were saying goodbye," Beckham said.

"Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been - passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman.

"I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain, but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family... Thank you, Sven, and in your last words to me 'It will be ok'."

Wayne Rooney was handed his England debut by Eriksson as a 17-year-old and described him as a "special man".

"Rest in peace, Sven," he said on X.

"Thanks for the memories and all your help and advice. Thoughts and prayers with all his family and friends."

Eriksson led England to three major quarter-finals in his five-year spell as manager, at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro 2004.

He oversaw 67 games in charge of the Three Lions, with only Walter Winterbottom (139), Alf Ramsey (113), Gareth Southgate (102) and Bobby Robson (95) leading the team on more occasions.

The national side published a tribute to their former manager, saying: "We are deeply saddened that Sven-Goran Eriksson, who managed the Three Lions from 2001 to 2006, has passed away aged 76.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Rest in peace, Sven. You will be greatly missed."

Eriksson managed 12 clubs, winning 18 trophies across his career, with Swedish side Gothenburg the first top-flight club he managed.

He won four trophies during his three-year stay between 1979 and 1982, including the UEFA Cup.

"We are so grateful for his deed, the one he did in IFK Gothenburg and for Swedish football," the club said in a statement.

"We are also happy that we were able to thank him this spring, both with a match in his honour and by naming one of our stands at Gamla Ullevi after him."

He also had spells in charge of Benfica, Lazio, Manchester City and Leicester City. The clubs sent their condolences, with Lazio holding a minute's silence for their former manager at training.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who played under Eriksson at Notts County, Man City and Leicester, posted a heartfelt tribute.

"It feels very strange to have to write this, and I feel like I've had to write too many of these over the years. It was only yesterday evening that I sat and watched the documentary about his life. And what a life! We have lost an incredible man to whom I owe a great deal," he said.

"Sven was the first manager to truly believe in me and give me a chance at the highest level. He was the first manager to call me world-class, and he made me feel 10 feet tall.

"He gave me my Premier League debut, brought me to Notts County, and finally to Leicester, where I enjoyed the best time of my career. It is a great loss to football and the world. I want to thank him for everything he did for me."

Plymouth Argyle battled back from conceding an early goal to claim a 1-1 draw away to QPR in the Championship, despite finishing the game with just nine players.

They endured a dismal start after forward Michael Frey headed past goalkeeper Conor Hazard from a corner to put the home side a goal ahead after just three minutes.

But Wayne Rooney's side rallied and equalised in the 28th minute through a magnificent long-range strike from Morgan Whittaker, which was their only shot on target.

The Plymouth attacker had originally played a misplaced pass, which ricocheted off a QPR defender and landed straight back at his feet. The 23-year-old hit the ball first time with his left foot and it rocketed into the top right corner of the goal.

But things got worse for Argyle just a minute later as Adam Forshaw was sent off for a second booking following a late challenge on Jimmy Dunne.

Five minutes into the second half, Sam Field hit the far post with a header and a QPR onslaught followed for the remainder of the match. 

Yet Plymouth stood firm to clinch their second point of the season. Goalkeeper Conor Hazard made nine saves, and despite Freddie Issaka's late red card further diminishing Argyle's numbers, QPR could not find a way through.

Elsewhere, Bristol City drew 1-1 at home to Coventry City.

Liam Manning's side took the lead in first-half stoppage time through a stunning George Tanner volley from a corner.

But they were unable to keep the lead despite controlling large parts of the match, with Kasey Palmer equalising for Coventry in the 76th minute.

Hull City, meanwhile, drew their third league game out of three this season, playing out a goalless stalemate at home to Millwall.

It took 34 minutes for the Tigers to have their first shot on target, although Millwall had the first big chance of the game through George Savile.

Hull could not convert possession into clear-cut chances - Chris Bedia came closest in the 77th minute, but was denied by an acrobatic Lukas Jensen save to keep it goalless. Both sides remain winless.

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.

Wayne Rooney described himself as "angry" after watching his Plymouth Argyle side begin their Championship campaign with a meek 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

Rooney's first competitive game at the helm was one to forget as Wednesday ran riot at Hillsborough, with Jamal Lowe, Josh Windass and Michael Smith among the scorers.

The Manchester United and England great has now recorded just two wins in his last 16 Championship games in charge of Birmingham City and Plymouth, drawing four and losing 10.

Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of Sunday's defeat, he hit out at his players for failing to do the basics against a well-drilled Wednesday side. 

"The scoreline was deserved. We conceded four goals from four crosses. The basics of the game were not there," Rooney said.

"We didn't take the ball well enough or handle the crowd. We allowed them to get a foothold in the game, and we let it run out and conceded two more goals.

"I'm disappointed and angry, because that's not the performance I wanted to see. We spoke about their threats from crosses.

"We spoke about Barry Bannan and we let him run the game and didn't get close enough to him. That wasn't acceptable.

"The players have to earn a right to play. You can lose football games, that happens, but there's a way you want to see your players run, work and tackle. 

"We've had a lot of fans come a long way, and the performance we've given wasn't good enough. We have to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Wednesday racked up 30 shots totalling a huge 4.85 expected goals (xG) in Sunday's game, with 24 of those efforts coming from inside the Plymouth area.

Plymouth, meanwhile, amassed just five attempts worth 0.31 xG, hitting the target once and only recording eight touches inside their hosts' box.

Wayne Rooney's reign as Plymouth Argyle boss got off to a miserable start as they were thrashed 4-0 by Sheffield Wednesday in their first Championship game of the season.

Sunday's trip to Hillsborough represented Rooney's first match back in management since he was sacked by Birmingham City in January.

Any hopes of a flying start to his time on the south coast were quickly dashed as Danny Rohl's team dominated from the off, eventually racking up 4.85 expected goals (xG) from 30 shots at goal.

Jamal Lowe converted Svante Ingelsson's cross on the slide to hand the Owls a 35th-minute lead, then the new striker saw a header deflect in off the unfortunate Brendan Galloway for 2-0 shortly after the break.

Wednesday added further gloss to the scoreline late on, Josh Windass stabbing home an 82nd-minute third before Michael Smith came off the bench to finish from close range in stoppage time.

While the resounding victory takes Wednesday top of the early-season standings, Plymouth prop up the second-tier table ahead of Monday's match between Luton Town and Burnley.

Data Debrief: Plenty for Rooney to ponder

Plymouth were thoroughly outclassed by a Wednesday team they finished just two points behind last season, leaving their new boss with plenty to think about.

They only managed five shots to the hosts' 30, facing a huge 24 efforts from inside their own area.

Since returning from a spell in MLS with D.C. United, Rooney now has a record of two wins from 16 Championship matches with Birmingham and Plymouth (four draws, 10 losses).

Pep Guardiola said he will "have to decide" on his next managerial venture after Wayne Rooney suggested the Spaniard should be the next man in charge of England. 

It was announced on Friday that Lee Carsley had been appointed as the interim coach of the Three Lions ahead of their Nations League fixtures next month. 

Carsley, who has been England Under-21 manager since 2021, led his side to victory in the European Championships last year following their triumph over Spain. 

Guardiola was one of several names listed to succeed Gareth Southgate, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe all linked with the position. 

The Spaniard was asked about former England captain Wayne Rooney's comments, proposing he should be the next permanent manager. 

“I have to decide what I want to do with my life,” said Guardiola. "Do I want to carry on here, take a break or manage a national team?

"I’m looking forward to all coming back together and seeing how we behave every day.”

“There are a lot of options. I’m fully excited for this season because I see things I like. It’s a new challenge and we can break our own record."

Manchester City face Manchester United in this weekend's Community Shield, with Guardiola out to claim his third success and add another trophy to his growing collection.

City lost to Arsenal in last year's final at Wembley, and Guardiola stressed the importance of the fixture ahead of their Premier League opener against Chelsea. 

“It’s important, it’s a final against United. But part of that is to try refine ourselves step by step,” Guardiola said. 

“Our break for most of the players and the young players, how they behave on a bigger stage, [this is] a good game. We will go for it.”

England legend Wayne Rooney believes Lee Carsley deserves his chance to lead the Three Lions on an interim basis next month, but he still feels Pep Guardiola should be the Football Association's top target.

On Friday, the FA confirmed England Under-21 boss Carsley would take over as interim head coach of the senior side ahead of next month's Nations League fixtures.

The Three Lions face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on September 7 before hosting Finland three days later.

The FA has pledged to undertake a thorough recruitment process as they seek a replacement for Gareth Southgate, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe linked with the role.

Some have suggested Carsley could remain in charge until next year if the FA approaches Guardiola, whose Manchester City contract expires at the end of 2024-25.

The statement confirming Carsley's interim appointment suggested he could remain at the helm beyond next month's matches, and Rooney still feels Guardiola should be offered the job.

The Plymouth Argyle boss told Sky Sports: "I'd like Pep to be honest. I think England have to strive for the best managers and Pep would be great; the way he gets his teams playing. 

"But I think Lee Carsley deserves his opportunity. I played with Lee at Everton, we were both younger and he is a very good person and coach. 

"He's done really well with England's under-21s, similar to Gareth's pathway. 

"So I think he deserves this opportunity and if he does well, maybe you are looking at the next England manager."

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).