Surprise pacesetters & resurgent runs - five things to watch in the EFL
September 4, 2026 13:07
After four matches the Championship table contains a surprise top three: Swansea, QPR and Charlton are all unbeaten. Charlton’s perfect start ended last time out with a 1-1 draw at West Brom, while QPR have matched their best early-season form since 2013-14. Several eye-catching results have also arrived elsewhere: Wrexham beat Millwall 3-0 midweek and Swansea followed up with a victory over Watford 24 hours later, and West Ham recorded their first league win of the campaign with a 4-2 success over Wolves.
At the bottom, Preston remain the only side without a point after four defeats, while Blackburn have five points from four games. Local derbies headline the weekend slate, including Preston v Blackburn and Birmingham v Wolves, and QPR face a stiffer test when Middlesbrough visit Loftus Road.
KEY CONTEXT
- The 2026-27 transfer window has closed, so teams will work with their current squads until the January window opens on New Year’s Day.
- Charlton are enjoying their best start to a second-tier season in 34 years and their best opening in any division since the 2011-12 campaign when they went on to win League One.
- QPR’s opening run is their strongest since 2013-14; that season they had 10 points at this stage, took eight wins from their first 10 and ultimately earned promotion via the play-offs — the last time they reached the Premier League.
- Wrexham’s presence in the Championship (they were promoted in 2025) has intensified a rivalry with Swansea despite the distance between the two cities.