Championship: Iain Dowie hails Southampton star Cyle Larin, saying ‘he’s a handful’
Former Southampton striker Iain Dowie says in-form Saints forward Cyle Larin reminds him of Jean-Philippe Mateta, claiming "he’s a handful, physically intimidating”.
France striker Mateta has been a key man in recent times for another of Dowie's former clubs, Premier League side Crystal Palace.
Canada international Larin has been named as the Championship's player of the month for August after scoring four league goals.
César Peixoto’s journey from Portuguese football to the Wolves hot seat
César Peixoto has taken an interesting route in football so far, going from playing to transitioning to management.
The Portuguese man worked his way up through the leagues in both instances. After ending his playing career, the former Porto player moved into management in 2019, taking his first senior job at Varzim.
Since then he has managed several clubs in Portugal, learning from different challenges and building a reputation for himself.
Now at Wolves, Peixoto has reached the biggest stage of his managerial career, writes Sports News Blitz’s Will Jones.
What have we learnt from Wolves’ start to the 2026/27 EFL Championship season?
Wolves are back in the Championship for the first time in more than eight years, following a dismal campaign that ended in Premier League relegation last season.
New manager César Peixoto will be expected by many to get the Old Gold back into the top flight at the first time of asking.
The Midlands side have started the competitive season unbeaten, with three wins and a draw from their first four games.
With plenty of positives but also a few areas for concern, what can we really make of Wolves’ start to the new season? Sports News Blitz’s Will Jones takes a closer look.
Championship analysis: Five things Wolves need to address at Preston
Wolves’ opening match of the 2026/27 EFL Championship season against Blackburn Rovers was an entertaining 2-2 draw, with a late Raul Jimenez penalty helping to rescue a point.
With Preston North End next up at Deepdale, César Peixoto’s side have several areas that they will need to address if they’re to secure their first three points of the league season, writes Sports News Blitz’s Will Jones.
Manchester United missing out on Mateus Fernandes is a bigger warning sign than it looks
Manchester United’s failure to land Mateus Fernandes has sparked frustration among supporters who feel the club is repeating old mistakes.
Tottenham Hotspur have stepped in and agreed a deal, leaving United once again empty-handed in a key midfield chase.
The situation has quickly become about more than one transfer. It is now being seen as a wider reflection of how the club is being run.
Sports News Blitz writer Noah Ngcobo delves into why this particular miss could carry more weight than it first appears.
Soccer opinion: What's next for West Ham? Ownership changes, transfers and more
Following the disastrous season of 2025/26, which saw West Ham get relegated in 18th place, lasting change is desperately needed.
Relegation from the Premier League means the Hammers will play in the EFL Championship next season, for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
The relegation came as a huge disappointment, especially as West Ham had won the UEFA Conference League only three years ago.
Sports News Blitz writer and West Ham fan Jack George dissects what the future holds for West Ham United.
EFL Championship news: Southampton expelled from Championship play-off final after multiple breaches
Following a review by an Independent Disciplinary Commission, the EFL have announced that Southampton have been expelled from the Championship play-offs after admitting to multiple rule breaches regarding observation of opposition training.
Championship news: A shootout for the Premier League - Everything that can happen on the final day
With relegation confirmed for Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City and Oxford United, all eyes dart towards the top of the Championship table, where Premier League football is up for grabs heading into the final day.
As is usually the case, England’s second tier has treated fans to a rollercoaster season packed with drama as the 2025/26 campaign draws to a close.
With one match remaining, Sports News Blitz writer Gabriel Mills looks at what each team involved will need in the race for automatic promotion and play-off places.
Championship news: Coventry City secure title and return to the Premier League after 25-year wait
Promotion was confirmed for Coventry City after a late equaliser against Blackburn last week before Tuesday night's win against Portsmouth cemented their top spot after a superb season.
With promotion already sealed, it might have been easy for Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues to take their foot off the gas and coast towards the title - but Tuesday night's showing proved otherwise.
A 5-1 win against a Portsmouth side, who secured their own success in the form of survival, meant the title was won in style at the Coventry Arena.
The 2026/27 season will be their 35th in the top flight of English football as a historic club rejoins the most watched league in the world, writes Sports News Blitz’s Gabriel Mills.
Soccer analysis: Southampton topple Wrexham in heated play-off clash
Southampton’s promotion push has become a very real possibility after their emphatic 5-1 win over Wrexham AFC, proving to the rest of the Championship that they are genuine contenders.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Matthew Morgan analyses the significance of this game in terms of promotion for both teams.
Championship predictions: Coventry champions; Middlesbrough to win play-off final
Coventry City currently sit pretty at the top of the Championship with a nine-point gap over Middlesbrough in second place.
The Midlands side are favourites to go up, with their consistency playing a key part in the division this year.
Sport News Blitz’s Elliot Ward has more on the Championship promotion race.
Championship survival fight: Relegation battle heating up with nine games left
With just nine games left in the Championship, the scrap for survival is intensifying.
With the table so tight, every result matters. Only a handful of points separate the sides in the bottom six, meaning every match now carries enormous significance.
Championship news: EFL play-off shake-up looms – Clubs set to vote on new six-team format
The EFL’s iconic play-offs could be on the brink of their biggest transformation since their introduction in 1987.
A proposal to expand the Championship play-offs to include six teams rather than the current four is set to go to a vote at a meeting with clubs in March.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Liberty Nicholson-Hulse takes a closer look at the potential changes, the controversy, and what an expanded play-off system could mean for English football.
Championship news: Can Phil Parkinson steer Hollywood-inspired Wrexham to another promotion?
Anyone who tuned in to watch Wrexham’s first second-tier home match for 43 years would have seen enough to be convinced that here was a club who belonged at this level of football.
The final score (2-3) favoured visitors West Bromwich Albion, but the Welsh side deserved at least a point on the balance of play, writes Sports News Blitz’s AJ Becker.
And while their opponents that day currently occupy a relegation place, Phil Parkinson’s team now find themselves in a play-off position, having swerved the common pitfalls of newly promoted teams and embraced the EFL Championship with all its possibilities.
EFL recap: All the EFL talking points amid yet another international break
The international break is back again, and to be fair to it, it’s been pretty interesting this time. Ireland got the playoffs and Scotland qualified, both in cinematic fashion, with Wales also making it to a playoff spot.
But less about them - here’s everything that happened in the EFL, with some of League One and all of the Championship called off as expected.
There will still be some Championship talk, but here, Sports News Blitz’s Charlie Gardner reflects on some of the matches.
Biggest talking points from the EFL Championship double Gameweek 13 and 14
While most of the EFL was halted due to the start of the FA Cup, the Championship continued as usual.
Sports News Blitz’s Charlie Gardner shares some of the biggest talking points from the double gameweek action from the second tier of English football.
EFL recap: Plenty from League Two, managerial changes in League One, the Championship’s Sheffield Wednesday special, and more from the midweek action
Another late one this week as there were a few games set to be played on Monday and Tuesday this week, but nevertheless, no shortage of entertainment.
It was a week of cup games where Wycombe took Fulham to penalties and Grimsby Town were shrugged off by Brentford.
Read on for Sports News Blitz’s weekly EFL recap, written by Charlie Gardner, to find out what happened in the leagues.
EFL analysis: Steve Bruce sacked, Wrexham draw, Ipswich win derby and more
In a world where the Premier League dominates all the media, with hundred-million-pound fees and endless VAR controversy, the EFL seems somewhat overlooked at times.
Written by Sports News Blitz writer Charlie Gardner, here’s the first of a weekly series in which all the latest Football League excitement and drama can be found in one place, with a selection of the best moments, biggest results and maybe even who could be the next manager down at the job centre.
Championship news: Sheffield Utd vs Sunderland – Five key battles and score prediction
Saturday sees the culmination of the Championship season as Sheffield United and Sunderland meet at Wembley to battle it out for a place in the Premier League.
Sports News Blitz writer Liam Caffry considers five key battles to anticipate in what is commonly regarded as the sport’s most lucrative match.
Championship recall: A look into Sunderland’s previous playoff finals
Sunderland take on Sheffield United on Saturday at Wembley Stadium to fight for promotion to the Premier League.
Sunderland were relegated back in 2017 following years of mismanagement, now the Mackems are just 90 minutes away from a return to the promised land.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Tom Nichols takes a look at how the Black Cats have fared in their previous playoff finals.