We're only eight games into the marathon of a Championship season and there's been plenty of thrills and spills to digest as we enter the prolonged three-week international window.
Swansea City are the early pacesetters in the second tier following an exceptional start under Vitor Matos which has seen the Swans win five and draw two of their opening eight matches.
They're closely trailed by promotion favourites West Ham and Middlesbrough on 15 points, while Wolves are also keeping pace with the leading trio and possess a game in hand on their rivals.
It's been a bleak start for two Lancashire clubs with Burnley and Preston North End propping up the table. The Clarets are winless from their opening eight league fixtures, while Paul Heckingbottom was dismissed as Preston boss following a run of one win in seven.
EFL expert Gab Sutton has been keeping a close eye on all of the action in the Championship and he's assembled his Team of the Season from the first two months of the campaign.
GK: Pierce Charles (Queens Park Rangers)
Pierce Charles’ year at beleaguered Sheffield Wednesday last season meant he got a lot of shot-stopping practice in as a goalkeeper, and he’s benefited from that in his loan at QPR, after a lucrative move to Manchester City in the summer. Could be an outside contender for the England squad in 2027 and 2028.
RB: Callum Brittain (Middlesbrough)
Brittain is tasked with providing width for Middlesbrough, in their attacking play, whilst also being mindful of having veteran Luke Ayling behind him and being strong on defensive transitions. It’s a demanding role, and Brittain does it very well.
CB: Deji Elerewe (Lincoln City)
It’s come as a surprise how prominent a role Elerewe has played in Lincoln’s season so far, after having more of a peripheral role after signing from Bromley in January. Yet so far, the former Charlton youngster has stepped up to Championship level superbly, and offered a strong, towering, imposing presence.
CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos (West Ham)
Bowen, Piroe and Castellanos are the ones tasked with scoring the goals for West Ham this season, but Mavropanos has chipped in with four from central defence. The Greece international has produced some herculean performances in that back-line, to boot.
LB: Rio Cardines (Bristol City)
With six assists in his first eight games, Cardines has demonstrated the potential to break Championship records for providers, from left-back, after joining Bristol City on loan from Crystal Palace. City’s midfield is more out of possession-oriented, and somewhat relies on the full-backs for creativity – well the 20-year-old is delivering with aplomb.
CM: Fer Lopez (Wolves)
Lopez has been one of the most enjoyable footballers to watch in the Championship, with the way he glides in from the right hand side and plays in runners on the overlap, or slips Adam Armstrong through. The Spaniard’s decision-making is exquisite, and when you surround him with pace, magic tends to happen.
CM: Andre (Wolves)
Sticking with Wolves, Andre has also been a great player to watch in our second-tier, because of his pure reliability: you can always give the ball to him, and he’ll always look after it. The Brazilian has enough strength to hold off opponents with his velvet touch, and his long range passing is just sublime.
CM: Ethan Galbraith (Stoke City)
Galbraith has come on leaps and bounds as a footballer, over the last two years, and is now showing himself to be one of the best in the Championship. The Northern Irishman is so at home with the ball, he’s unflappable under pressure, and can really progress his team up the pitch with his graceful control and smooth passing ability.
FW: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
Jarrod Bowen’s tearing up the Championship – well I, for one, am shocked! With his counter-attacking pace, incisive passing, set piece proficiency, selfless work rate and ruthless finishing, the 29-year-old really is the complete footballer at this level.
FW: Cyle Larin (Southampton)
Bringing Larin back on a permanent deal, after an impressive loan spell in the second half of last season, was one of the best bits of business Southampton could do. The Canadian target man has scored seven goals in the first eight games, and has served as an excellent focal point for the Saints.
FW: Will Lankshear (Middlesbrough)
Middlesbrough have gone from being a creative team, last season, that struggled to put their opponents to the sword, to one with a ruthless streak… and Will Lankshear is a big part of that. The Boro put a lot of faith in the 21-year-old, committing to a fee that could extend to £20M with add-ons, but they’ve been rewarded so far, with the former Oxford forward scoring six goals.
Manager: Vitor Matos (Swansea City)
It may be true, that it is a bit easier to manage Swansea City now, than it was a few years ago, due to increased investment, greater ambition and a stronger infrastructure.
Nonetheless, it’s one thing to have them in the Play-Off shake-up after eight games, quite another to have them top of the league with just one defeat.
Matos has implement an aggressive pressing game with quick, incisive transitions, and it’s working wonders, while the team boasts the best defensive record in the division with only six goals conceded.
