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Swansea City go into the Championship's ninth round top of the table with 17 points from eight matches, two ahead of West Ham United and Middlesbrough. At the other end, Burnley are bottom with four points and are the only side in the division without a win. The league has been paused since 19-20 September for the extended international break and resumes on Friday night, when West Ham host Queens Park Rangers.
Who is top of the Championship?
Swansea have won five, drawn two and lost one, and their six goals conceded is the best defensive record in the league. Their only defeat was a 3-1 loss at Southampton on 8 September. They have since beaten Burnley 3-1 at home and won 2-1 at Lincoln City.
West Ham, relegated from the Premier League last season, are second on goal difference ahead of Middlesbrough. Nuno Espírito Santo's side have scored 22 goals, the most in the division, including a 6-0 win over Wrexham. Wolverhampton Wanderers are fourth on 14 points with a game in hand, as do Portsmouth further down.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea City | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | +7 | 17 |
| 2 | West Ham United | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | +11 | 15 |
| 3 | Middlesbrough | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | +4 | 15 |
| 4 | Wolves | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | +5 | 14 |
| 5 | West Brom | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 14 |
| 6 | QPR | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 13 |
| 7 | Stoke City | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | +1 | 13 |
| 8 | Bristol City | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 13 |
The top two go up automatically and third to eighth reach the play-offs. Only four points separate first from eighth.
Why are Southampton only 13th?
Southampton have the second-best goal difference in the league (+9) and four wins, which would usually put them in the play-off places. They are 13th on 10 points because they started the season with a four-point deduction for breaching EFL regulations. The penalty followed the "Spygate" case, in which a Southampton intern was caught watching a Middlesbrough training session before last season's play-off semi-final. Southampton were also removed from the play-off final and Middlesbrough were reinstated. Without the deduction, Tonda Eckert's side would have 14 points, level with Wolves and West Brom.
Who is in the relegation zone?
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Watford | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -3 | 8 |
| 21 | Cardiff City | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | -2 | 7 |
| 22 | Derby County | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -7 | 5 |
| 23 | Preston North End | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -7 | 4 |
| 24 | Burnley | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -8 | 4 |
Burnley have drawn four and lost four, and have conceded 17 goals, the most in the league alongside Norwich City. Their squad includes Kyle Walker, the club captain, and Jamie Vardy, who joined on a season-long contract in early September. Preston have lost six of eight. Derby have five points and host Wrexham on Saturday.
Wrexham, who narrowly missed the play-offs last season, are 14th on 10 points under Phil Parkinson. They beat Southampton 2-1 on 19 September with a late own goal.
Key games this weekend
| Fixture | Date | Kick-off (BST) |
|---|---|---|
| West Ham v QPR | Fri 9 Oct | 8pm |
| Swansea v Norwich | Sat 10 Oct | 12.30pm |
| West Brom v Birmingham | Sat 10 Oct | 12.30pm |
| Middlesbrough v Wolves | Sat 10 Oct | 3pm |
| Watford v Burnley | Sat 10 Oct | 3pm |
| Southampton v Portsmouth | Sun 11 Oct | 12pm |
The meeting of third and fourth at the Riverside could reshape the top six, and Watford v Burnley is a game between two sides in the bottom five. A midweek round follows on 13 and 14 October.
Swansea City
West Ham United
Middlesbrough
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Southampton
Burnley
Wrexham
