As the full-time whistle blew on Burnley's 3-0 hammering of local rivals Blackburn, the Championship collectively took a deep breath and will now pause for a month, while the World Cup takes place. But what have we learnt so far from the opening 21 games, give or take? Which teams have flourished and which are looking nervously over their shoulders?
Here’s the state of play in the Championship as we enter the enforced mid-season break.
Top six
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley are top of the pile and looking remarkably good, given the upheaval they faced over the summer. The new manager has turned his side, not only into the best team in the division, but one that is attractive to watch. They now sit three points clear at the top, having lost just two out of 21 matches this season.
Sheffield United are in second having thumped Burnley 5-2 before the break and Paul Heckingbottom’s side look in a great place to contend for the top two, having carried on the good form they showed last term. Blackburn, yet to draw a game are third, having done well under new boss Jon Dahl Tomasson, while Watford, Norwich and Millwall make up the top six.
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Watford are on their second boss of the season in the form of Slaven Bilic, Millwall are overachieving under Gary Rowett and all is not well at Carrow Road, where Dean Smith has overseen just two wins in their last nine. Fans aren’t happy with what they have seen so far, even if they currently occupy a top six spot.
Burnley to win the Championship: 6/5 with Betfred
Best of the rest
The top six are far from certainties at this early stage. QPR, Preston and Swansea are all level with Millwall on 31 points, as the Rs have slipped out of form ever since manager Michael Beale rejected Wolves’ advances. PNE have finally started conceding goals after that ridiculous start and Swansea have drawn four of their last five but are a strong Championship outfit under Russell Martin.
Behind that group, Luton are trying to plot their next move after Nathan Jones left for Southampton while Coventry have flown up the table in recent weeks. They were bottom of the league after a disastrous start to the season that saw several home games postponed after Rugby Sevens destroyed their pitch, and owners Wasps refused to replace it.
Now they’ve kept ten clean sheets in 13 matches, won their last four without conceding and boast the division’s joint-top scorer in Viktor Gyokeres. Whether they can keep hold of him in January is another matter.
Paul Ince’s Reading have fallen away after a bright start, while Birmingham and Rotherham are well away from their predicted relegation battle in mid-table.
Relegation contenders
Huddersfield have never really recovered from the shock exit of Carlos Corberan this summer and are now sat rock bottom of the Championship. Despite their struggles so far, they are not cut adrift, with 19 points on the board, just four from safety. Blackpool have capitulated since the exit of Neil Critchley and sit in the bottom three alongside Wigan Athletic, who recently sacked Leam Richardson.
All three have changed managers this term, as have West Brom, who got rid of Steve Bruce for Corberan himself, but lie just above the drop zone. Hull’s fall from grace has been dramatic and they waited two weeks just to sack former boss Shota Arveladze on the day of a game.
The relegation battle is likely to take several turns and no side is dead and buried yet, although there are serious concerns about that Hull side. Meanwhile, it seems like a waiting game until WBA pull away from danger, but we’ve been waiting half a season for that to happen so far, to no avail.
Hull City to be relegated: 6/4 with Betfred
Top Goalscorer
The race for the Golden Boot is a thrilling one. Currently eight players from eight different clubs lead the way on nine goals apiece, including Gyokeres, Jay Rodriguez, Josh Sargent and Ben Brereton Diaz.
Depending on whether the likes of Diaz stay in the division in January, we could see a tense race until May, after Aleksandar Mitrovic broke every record with Fulham this time last year. But with how dominant Burnley are in the division, Rodriguez is surely a safe bet to get near the 20 goal mark. The best striker in the division though? That is Gyokeres.
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