Championship round-up: Norwich go top again, West Brom win first game following Darren Moore sacking, Preston beat Middlesbrough

Championship round-up: Norwich go top again, West Brom win first game following Darren Moore sacking, Preston beat Middlesbrough
It’s been a busy night on the Championship, with matters at the top and bottom of the division being addressed.Below you can see a round-up of Wednesday’s action from English football’s second tier.Emi Buendia’s double helped Norwich return to the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-2 win over Hull.6

Buendia helped secure Norwich’s spot back at the Championship’s summit

The Argentinian’s brace at Carrow Road helped Norwich secure a fifth consecutive win that takes them two points clear of Leeds.The Canaries were boosted before kick-off when it was announced that head coach Daniel Farke had signed a new contract to keep him at the club until June 2022.Farke was celebrating as early as the 11th minute when Marco Stiepermann’s solo effort gave Norwich the lead.Buendia soon tapped home a second from close range, but Marc Pugh halved the deficit just before half-time.6

Daniel Farke’s men march on once more

Norwich’s two-goal cushion was restored when Buendia struck again on the hour, and the Canaries held on for a precious victory despite Chris Martin’s late strike.West Brom beat Swansea 3-0 in their first game since the sacking of Darren Moore.6

Moore was sacked with West Brom in fourth place

Jimmy Shan was in caretaker charge as the fourth-placed Baggies claimed a first league home win since Boxing Day.Chris Brunt (19), Mason Holgate (54) and Jay Rodriguez (85) were on target as Swansea were left to rue an extraordinary penalty miss with the score at 1-0.Bersant Celina slipped as he took the 40th-minute spot-kick and scuffed the ball only a couple of yards before Albion cleared.6

Celina missed this penalty in comical fashion

Fifth-placed Middlesbrough lost 2-1 at home to Preston as Daniel Ayala was sent off for the second time in five games.Ashley Fletcher’s deflected drive gave Boro a 32nd-minute lead, but Ayala was shown a straight red card after the restart for his sliding tackle on Brandon Barker.Paul Gallagher curled home the resulting free-kick and Jayden Stockley’s 81st-minute header extended Preston’s unbeaten run to 11 games.Derby moved back into the play-off places following a goalless draw at home to Stoke.6

Lampard’s men failed to fully take advantage of Middlesbrough’s defeat to Preston

Duane Holmes and Harry Wilson both struck the frame of the goal as Stoke claimed a fifth draw in six games.Aston Villa won 3-1 at Nottingham Forest with John McGinn netting a brace for the visitors.The two sides drew 5-5 at Villa Park in November and there were two more goals inside the opening seven minutes.Jack Colback gave Forest a third-minute lead, but McGinn’s double put Villa ahead within quarter of an hour.6

Dean Smith’s men are two points off the play-offs

Kourtney Hause’s close-range second-half effort confirmed Villa’s rise above Forest into eighth spot.Millwall eased their relegation worries with a 2-0 victory at Birmingham.Ben Thompson scored twice in the first half as the Lions ended a run of four straight defeats.Semi Ajayi scored a last-gasp winner as relegation-threatened Rotherham beat QPR 2-1 at Loftus Road. Ajayi put the Millers ahead with a superb strike before Bright Osayi-Samuel equalised five minutes from time.But Ajayi rose to score a header deep into stoppage time and Rotherham, although still in the bottom three, are now level on points with Reading and Wigan.

---

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy 'couldn't believe his eyes' during comeback against Ajax, Martin Jol tells talkSPORT Talksport; David Ginola praises Mauricio Pochettino for Fernando Llorente substitution in Tottenham's win over Ajax Metro; How Divock Origi and Lucas Moura made for better TV drama than Line of Duty Lancashire Evening Post
Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy Is The - World Soccer Talk

---

Home / Toby Alderweireld will be able to leave Tottenham for £25million as club confirm they will trigger extension Sport December 28, 2018 Toby Alderweireld will be able to leave Tottenham for £25million as club confirm they will trigger extension
Tottenham to exercise Alderweireld's club option, extension

---

Things will be very different on Tuesday night when the two sides meet for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs, following last week's successful opening with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, will host City at their pristine new stadium, a £1 billion project that is the envy of
New Spurs stadium: Latest stunning photos - football.london

---

Liverpool team news: Virgil van Dijk hopefully fit to play Leicester, says Jurgen Klopp. Van Dijk returned to training on Monday after falling ill after Liverpool's warm-weather training camp
Liverpool team news: Virgil van Dijk hopefully fit to play

---

Napoli forward Dries Mertens may have risked the wrath of Anfield ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League tie against Liverpool. The Reds need to beat the Italian side either 1-0 or by two clear
"Is this so special?" - Napoli star Dries Mertens unimpressed

---

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino did not feel the need to talk to Eric Dier after his goal celebration sparked a mass brawl in Sunday's feisty north London derby, but admitted emotions got the

---

Norwich 4-0 QPR: Championship leaders secure eighth successive win against struggling Hoops First-half goals from Emiliano Buendia, Marco Stiepermann and Teemu Pukki, who added a fourth late on
Norwich City 4 QPR 0: Teemu Pukki at the double as

---

The number of injuries suffered by every Premier League club this season Tottenham Hotspur seem to have been in an almost never-ending crisis - but which team has had the most individual issues
Premier League: How Many Injuries Each Club Suffered During

---

Liverpool ensured they would be top of the table at Christmas after goals from Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk sealed a 2-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

---

Football kit news from the English Premier League now as images have appeared online of what appear to be the Puma Newcastle United 2019-20 home shirt. The leaked 2019-20 Newcastle United jersey is black with two thick white vertical stripes running down the front.
Newcastle United's 2019/20 Away Kit Leaks Online & Is Slammed

---

Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson's bid to force an independent review of Championship clubs' finances was rejected on Wednesday. with rival Championship clubs
NewsNow: Financial Fair Play news | Breaking News 24/7 » Most

---

DENIS SUAREZ could start for Arsenal against Manchester City according to his new boss Unai Emery. The Spanish centre midfielder signed for The Gunners on January 30 in a loan deal from Barcelona until the end of the season. Arsenal have an option to buy the 25-year-old in the summer but his new manager is thinking short term for now.
Suarez set for Arsenal debut against old club Manchester City

---

Sheffield Wednesday want Steve Bruce as their next manager. Jos Luhukay was sacked on Friday at the end of a turbulent week at Hillsborough with the Owls struggling in the Championship with one
Sheffield Wednesday want Steve Bruce as new manager after

---

N'Golo Kante is in a different class to Jorginho and is being wasted by Maurizio Sarri. That's the opinion of England legend Alan Shearer, who slammed the Blues' performance in their 3-1 defeat to Tottenham at Wembley on Saturday.
N'Golo Kante is a class above Jorginho and wasted by Chelsea

---