Boro go top, League One goes north and 49 shots as Bristol City batter Hull, plus a deep dive on Gillingham from Ali Maxwell
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Championship
Sam Parry
A match that really HAPPENED to kick things off. Shots were fired — 49 of ‘em — in a 4-2 win for Bristol City over Hull.
It was an early mistake that handed Hull the opener, but the Robins relished the chaos and two simple deliveries, poor defending, and a couple of Ross McCrorie assists swung it to 2-1. When Charlie Hughes dallied on the ball, Emil Riis punished him for 3-1. It should have been more before Max Bird made it four. Hull’s consolation spoke to their attacking abilities, but the defeat marked another shambolic defensive display.
Koki Saito marked his QPR return with a stunner as Hoops put last week’s nightmare defeat behind them to beat Charlton 3-1. The new boy shone: Richard Kone sparkled, most notably with his dummy in the build-up to the opener, before capping the day with his second goal for the club. Charlton battled to level in between, but QPR were worthy winners.
Wrexham claimed their first ever Championship win with a gritty victory at Millwall. The hosts shaded the early chances — Josh Coburn should’ve scored — but it was Wrexham who grew into the game, with Kieffer Moore their target. Moore bravely headed them ahead against the run of play in the second half. Then, after a long stoppage for a Danny Ward injury, Lewis O’Brien sealed it late with a smart dink, as Alex Neil’s side searched fruitlessly for an equaliser. Wrexham’s day, but no big concerns about Millwall. 2-0.
A word for West Brom, who went to formerly-table-topping Stoke and nicked a 1-0 win. The Potters had taken maximum points from their opening three games but the Baggies – having just sold three players in the space of a few hours – dug deep, claimed the result and leapfrogged Stoke into 2nd place.
Oxford stopped the rot with a spirited second-half comeback to draw 2-2 with Coventry. The Sky Blues should have been out of sight by half-time, but the Yellows rallied and Cameron Brannagan’s superb free-kick earned them a point. Will Lankshear was the standout, leading the line superbly and giving Coventry’s centre-halves a tough afternoon.
And finally, in ‘The 100% Derby’, Middlesbrough made it four wins from four by winning 1-0 against Sheffield United (four defeats from four). New signing Japhet Tanganga produced heroics to keep it to one, but Rubén Sellés is under growing pressure, the away end chanting Chris Wilder’s name. Throb Edwards’ Boro, meanwhile, sit top of the league.
League One
Ali Maxwell
Picking out Big Stories from the League One weekend is like being given 30 seconds to grab as much pic’n’mix as you can — you know you’ll end up with two delicious handfuls, but also that you’ll have to leave behind soooooo much tasty stuff.
So it’s with apology that there will be no detail on Cardiff’s 4-0 thumping of Plymouth Argyle, Reading’s first league win of the season (1-0 against Port Vale), Northampton’s impressive performance and win at Leyton Orient, nor the 3-0 wins for Exeter (over Peterborough) and Luton (at Burton). If only there was a podcast you could listen to this afternoon…
Instead, like The Full Monty, Wuthering Heights and When Saturday Comes, my big stories are set in God’s Own Country: Yorkshire.
First, Donny got merry against The Millers, banishing the excruciating memories of 2021/22 when Rotherham beat them 2-0, 6-0 and 5-0 across league and cup games. This tie was won by captain Owen Bailey, whose third goal in three games was a brilliantly-placed header. Some 15 miles and now 14 league places separate these two, and the match reflected what has been clear all season so far: for the first time since 2014, Doncaster can say with confidence that they are the better of the two teams.
Barnsley played host to Huddersfield in another Yorks scrap. It was a good day for the red men thanks to a bad day for the Goodman in goal for Huddersfield. A poor parry led to Davis Keillor-Dunn’s first, before a moment of headloss saw Goodman nearly cause a more literal head loss for David McGoldrick. Barnsley attacked with glee and fluidity, winning 3-1. Conor Hourihane has them playing very exciting football.
Finally, in West Yorkshire, Bradford battled with Wimbledon. Each promoted side has started the season looking at ease in League One, and the game was easy on the eye – Wimbledon ahead twice with nice goals from Marcus Browne and Matty Stevens, Bradford winning the game thanks in part to two goalkeeping errors from Nathan Bishop but also due to their strong bench and never-say-die approach. The Bantams, one of two unbeaten sides left in League One, are up to the wuthering heights of 3rd. Their next two games are against Yorkshire opponents Doncaster and Rotherham.
League Two
Ali Maxwell
On a weekend in which all 12 home teams were favourites, and 8 of them given a 50% chance or greater of winning, the final results showed: 2 home wins, 4 draws, 6 away wins.
Never — EVER! — let anyone tell you that the Championship is the most unpredictable league in the world.
Indeed, none of the top four teams heading into the weekend won, which opened the door for Gillingham to hit the top. They beat Oldham 1-0: it was a predictably tight game in which Gills had grit, determination and poor opposition finishing to thank for their clean sheet, and Sam Vokes’ imperious aerial ability to thank for their winning goal – strength, judgement, timing.
The wider narrative of Gillingham’s league position is wonderfully juicy.
On 1st September 2023, Neil Harris’ Gills sat joint-top on 12 points from 5 games.
Harris was sacked five weeks later. Gillingham finished 12th.
On 1st September 2024, Mark Bonner’s Gills sat top on 10 points from 4 games.
Bonner was sacked four months later. Gillingham finished 17th.
And now, on 1st September 2025:
There’s a wider point about early-season league tables, which can be summed up neatly: of the 14 teams included in the first of those two tables, the average finishing position was 11th. Only 6 of 14 finished in the play-off places; just as many finished in the bottom half.
But what about Gillingham? Is this the season? Is Gareth Ainsworth the manager?
Well, the vibes are excellent. The style of play is consistent and well-drilled, and the spine of the team looks good, from goalkeeper Glenn Morris to a strong, combatant defensive line, good wing-backs and a well-balanced midfield. Gills have faced the third-fewest shots on target so far this season. This is good.
Being among the division’s top defensive teams is a key factor in being a Top 7 side. Obviously.
But so is being a strong attacking side.
Gills’ nine goals have mostly been scored from set pieces (5) and penalties (2) – they are one of just a couple of teams to generate more than 50% of their shots from set-piece situations. In these early stages, only three teams have generated fewer shots on target.
Is this an issue? Well, in the last four completed League Two seasons, only 2 of 28 Top 7 sides have ranked in the bottom-half for shots on target. They were Northampton in 2021/22 and Crewe in 23/24.
It’s a strong start for Gillingham, once again. A manager, known for being a tremendous culture-builder in the right situation, has buy-in from fans and a squad that suits his style. It’s exciting, it’s encouraging and the enthusiasm is magnetic…
But if Gills are to maintain an automatic promotion push, they will need to improve their attacking output.
Elsewhere, three other early pace-setters were checked at home. Crewe were blown over by the strong winds of Swindon, who scored three first-half goals in an enterprising and clinical display; MK Dons were unsaddled by Walsall, a counter-attack snaking its way to Charlie Lakin to win it; and Grimsby paid the (acceptable) penalty for their famous midweek Cup win, losing 0-1 to a gassed-up Bristol Rovers, the winner a sumptuous ‘Paul-Scholes-edge-of-the-box-volley’ from Macauley Southam-Hales.
Great league.
🎦 Our Top 5 clips from the EFL weekend
#AlternativeAngle magic – Paddy Lane turning into Lewis Wing, and it’s every bit as outrageous as it sounds. Watch here
Millenic Alli missile – a rocket and a backflip to match. Shame the clip’s slowed down, but it still bangs. Watch here
Wintle wanger – you’ll be replaying this one for days. Watch here
Stevens volley – cute finish, even if it came in defeat. Watch here
Slick Swindon – Drinan finishing off another lovely team goal. Watch here
📊 Your Monday morning cheat sheet
🪄 Irankunda can do magic — The Watford teenager scored a second direct free-kick in 7 days, and it’s part of a pattern…
🆓 Dead-ball danger — That pattern is there being 20 direct free-kick goals in the Championship last season, yet 8 scored this term already.
✈️ Boro flying — Middlesbrough have won their first four league games of a season for the first time since 1994/95.
🔪 Blades blunted — Sheffield United have lost their first four games outside the top flight for only the second time ever (last happening in 1995/96).
🪖 Yes, Sarge — Josh Sargent is just the second Norwich player since 2004/05 to score in each of their first four Championship games.
🪨 Ashton Great — Bristol City extended their unbeaten home run to 10 (W7 D3), laying solid foundations for the season.
🛍️ More reasons to shop for Morris, son — Carlton Morris is the first Derby player to net in four straight league games since David McGoldrick in April 2023.
0️⃣ Stanley stalemates — Only Burnley [they just won’t go away] have more goalless draws (6) in 2025 than Accrington (5).
🛑 Newport Convention — A bad end and a bad start for Newport, who have just one win in their last 15 league games – who knows where the time goes?
🥅 I think it’s a Notts Tub Goal Machine — Notts County’s games have produced more goals (20) than any other EFL side (11 scored, 9 conceded).
🏠 Grindhouse Gills — Gillingham have won 1-0 in League Two 31 times since the start of 2022/23.
📜 The longest footnote in history — Rubin Colwill, Ryan Wintle and Chris Willock made a historical footnote as the first trio to both score and assist in a single league game since Opta’s records began.
Sky Bet Championship
Blackburn 0-2 Norwich
Bristol City 4-2 Hull
Ipswich 2-2 Derby
Leicester 2-0 Birmingham
Middlesbrough 1-0 Sheffield United
Millwall 0-2 Wrexham
Oxford 2-2 Coventry
Portsmouth 1-0 Preston
QPR 3-1 Charlton
Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Swansea
Stoke 0-1 West Brom
Watford 2-2 Southampton
Sky Bet League One
Barnsley 3-1 Huddersfield
Blackpool 1-1 Bolton
Bradford 3-2 AFC Wimbledon
Burton Albion 0-3 Luton
Cardiff 4-0 Plymouth
Doncaster 1-0 Rotherham
Exeter 3-0 Peterborough
Leyton Orient 0-1 Northampton
Lincoln 1-1 Mansfield
Reading 1-0 Port Vale
Stevenage 1-0 Wycombe
Wigan 1-1 Stockport
Sky Bet League Two
Barnet 1-1 Colchester
Barrow 0-1 Fleetwood
Bromley 2-0 Harrogate
Cambridge 2-0 Newport
Chesterfield 2-2 Crawley
Crewe 0-3 Swindon
Grimsby 0-1 Bristol Rovers
MK Dons 0-1 Walsall
Oldham 0-1 Gillingham
Salford 1-1 Cheltenham
Shrewsbury 0-0 Accrington
Tranmere 1-2 Notts County
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🖋️ Writers: Ali Maxwell | George Elek | Huw Davies | Sam Parry | Guests
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I was thinking with the Gills result, it doesn't actually change what you guys have been saying for ages now, as your discussion here also backs up. Edging tight games 1-0 is lots of fun but we can't be lucky 46 times a season (but imagine...).