EFL Championship Roundup: Big wins for Watford & Stoke City as Norwich City clinch late victory

As the Championship season kicked off, fans were treated to an early insight into what the upcoming campaign might hold.

On Friday, Che Adams' late winner saw Southampton overcome Sheffield Wednesday 2-1. Saturday saw a further eight games take place.

Blackburn Rovers 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Blackburn Rovers enjoyed a victorious start, with both Harry Leonard and Dilan Markanday netting their first league goals in quick succession during the first half.

This early advantage set the tone, even though West Brom attempted a spirited comeback in the second half. Matt Phillips did pull one back for the visitors, but it wasn't enough.

An added setback for West Brom was the sending off of their manager, Carlos Corberan, further denting their hopes of a comeback.

Bristol City 1-1 Preston North End
An evenly matched contest saw Bristol City and Preston North End sharing the spoils.

Bristol's Sam Bell capitalized on a rebound opportunity to break the deadlock.

However, Preston's resilience paid off when summer signing, Irish International Will Keane, turned hero for them by scoring a late equalizer.

Middlesbrough 0-1 Millwall
In a closely contested fixture, Millwall managed to edge past Middlesbrough with a single goal.

The decisive moment came when 18-year-old Romain Esse beautifully converted a cross from Aidomo Emakhu in the 79th minute. Middlesbrough showed moments of promise, having a goal disallowed and missing the presence of top scorer Chuba Akpom, but couldn't find the net.

Norwich 2-1 Hull City
The encounter at Carrow Road was full of drama. Hull City, against the flow of the game, took a surprise lead with Manchester City loanee, Liam Delap, making his mark.

Norwich, however, dominated proceedings and their efforts paid dividends when Jonathan Rowe found the net deep into the first-half stoppage time.

The Canaries' relentless pressure finally bore fruit in the dying minutes of the match when substitute Ireland’s Adam Idah managed to get the ball over the line, sealing a hard-fought victory for Norwich.

Plymouth Argyle 3-1 Huddersfield Town

Plymouth Argyle marked their return to the Championship after over a decade with a triumphant victory over Huddersfield Town.

Their summer recruit, Morgan Whittaker, quickly became the Pilgrims' hero by breaking the deadlock early on.

However, Huddersfield showcased their intent when Michal Helik netted an equalizer just before halftime.

The game's momentum shifted back to Plymouth in the latter stages, as a remarkable solo goal from Bali Mumba restored their lead. Shortly afterward, the combination of Whittaker and Ryan Hardie solidified Plymouth's victory.

The Terriers' survival in the previous season under Neil Warnock was commendable, but the sloppy defensive errors in this fixture suggested work needed to be done. Despite late pressure, Huddersfield couldn't find any way back.

Stoke City 4-1 Rotherham United

Stoke City began their campaign in an electrifying manner, registering a substantial victory against Rotherham United. Ki-Jana Hoever, on his second loan spell from Wolves, unleashed a brilliant volley that set the tone for the Potters.

Although Stoke dominated possession in the first half, it was Andre Vidigal's two goals during first-half injury time that pushed them forward.

Rotherham showed signs of life when Lee Peltier, a half-time substitute, found the net, denting Stoke's hopes of a clean sheet.

However, Jacob Brown's goal in the closing moments, assisted by Ben Wilmot, sealed the deal for Stoke. Rotherham's day was further marred when debutant Cafu received his marching orders for a second bookable offense.

This loss extended Rotherham's poor away record, while Stoke managed to overturn their previous end-of-season slump.

Swansea City 1-1 Birmingham City

In a spirited opening match of the season, Michael Duff's tenure at Swansea City began with a hard-fought draw against Birmingham City.

The visitors took the lead just before half-time, courtesy of debutant Siriki Dembele capitalizing on a Swansea defensive error.

Despite their initial dominance and threatening plays, notably from Dembele and Ethan Laird, Birmingham couldn’t extend their lead.

Swansea, albeit less dominant in ball possession, found their breakthrough with Jerry Yates, another debutant, levelling scores after a smart play involving Matt Grimes and substitute Liam Cullen.

The game had its moments, with chances from both sides, but ultimately ended in a stalemate.

Watford 4-0 Queens Park Rangers

In Valerien Ismael's debut Championship match at the helm of Watford, the Hornets displayed sheer dominance, trouncing Queens Park Rangers 4-0.

The tone was set early as Tom Dele-Bashiru found the net within the first minute. QPR struggled to cope, with Imran Louza and Matheus Martins adding to the tally, before Vakoun Bayo made it 4-0 just before half-time.

The visitors faced further torment as Bayo nearly netted again and Louza struck the woodwork in the second half.

Although Sinclair Armstrong and Lyndon Dykes had attempts for a consolation, it was clear QPR's defensive woes from the previous season persisted.

Sunday's Fixtures

On Sunday, three Championship fixtures are scheduled to take place.

Leicester City will host Coventry City at 12:00, followed by Leeds United playing against Cardiff City at 14:30.

The day's matches will conclude with Sunderland facing off against Ipswich Town at 17:00.