Leicester extended their lead at the top of the Championship to 10 points after thrashing struggling Huddersfield 4-1. Tom Cannon scored twice and Ricardo Pereira and Stephy Mavididi were also on the scoresheet as Enzo Maresca’s side continued their seemingly unstoppable march towards promotion back to the Premier League.
Ipswich’s closest competitors were unable to score in their second consecutive match, as they were held to a 0-0 draw against 10-man Stoke. Jordan Thompson received a second yellow card and was ejected from the game in the middle of the second half.
Southampton and Norwich ended their match with a tie, as Josh Sargent scored to equalize Adam Armstrong’s goal in the 70th minute. This outcome allowed Leeds to narrow the gap between them and Southampton to four points, as they secured a 3-0 victory over Birmingham at Elland Road. Dan James assisted Patrick Bamford in scoring the first goal and also scored one himself during stoppage time in the first half. Crysencio Summerville sealed the win for Leeds by scoring after halftime, adding more pressure on Wayne Rooney, the visiting manager.
West Brom stays in fifth place in the standings despite a defeat from a 55th-minute goal by Liam Cullen at Swansea. Meanwhile, Sunderland, who are vying for a playoff spot, secured a 2-0 victory over Preston in the early game at the Stadium of Light thanks to a remarkable goal by Alex Pritchard and a first goal for the club by Nazariy Rusyn.
Tom Eaves’ last-minute goal helped Rotherham, who are currently at the bottom of the standings, secure a crucial point in their 2-2 draw against Blackburn at Ewood Park. Meanwhile, in another close match, Shaun Hutchinson scored in the 92nd minute to give Millwall a 1-0 victory over Bristol City.
Coventry emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto netted two goals to help his team come from behind after Josh Coburn’s initial goal in the 30th minute.
The most exciting match of the day took place at Home Park, where Plymouth and Watford celebrated the new year with a thrilling six-goal game. Finn Azaz and Morgan Whittaker scored for Plymouth, giving them a 2-1 lead after an early goal from Edo Kayembe. Ryan Hardie then reclaimed the lead for the home team after Ismaël Koné scored a fantastic equalizer in the first half.
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Shortly before the 60 minute mark, Ryan Andrews scored to tie the game at 3-3. Neither team was able to secure a victory. Cardiff climbed up to ninth place with a 2-1 win against struggling QPR. Perry Ng scored the winning goal in the 74th minute, with Paul Smyth equalizing for QPR after Dimitrios Goutas opened the scoring.
In the later game of the day, Sheffield Wednesday’s improved performance streak continued with a 3-1 win against Hull, who played with 10 players due to Tyler Morton’s first-half dismissal. Marvin Johnson, Djeidi Gassama, and Josh Windass scored in the second half, securing the victory for the hosts over their Yorkshire opponents. This result moves Wednesday up to 22nd place and puts them three points away from the safety zone.
Source: theguardian.com
