# Championship 2026-27: What have we learned so far?

> After eight games, the Championship is wide open with no clear favourite and surprising contenders emerging.
- Title: Championship 2026-27: What have we learned so far? · BBC Sport
- Summary: After eight games, the Championship is wide open with no clear favourite and surprising contenders emerging. Early league position is a poor predictor of…
- Keywords: championship, football, 2026-27 season, swansea city, west ham united, wolverhampton wanderers, burnley, qpr, stoke city, west bromwich albion, lincoln city, promotion race
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cqe9ep4nvxr8o
- Published: 2026-09-23T10:17:01.379+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: championship, football, 2026-27 season, swansea city, west ham united, wolverhampton wanderers, burnley, qpr, stoke city, west bromwich albion, lincoln city, promotion race
## Championship kicks off with wide-open race
Just seven points separate the top 15 teams after eight games, with Swansea leading but no stand-out favourite emerging. The league feels genuinely unpredictable.
## Early leaders rarely win promotion
Swansea's 17 points after eight games matches the second-best start since 2004. Of six previous teams with 17 points, only two won promotion and three didn't even finish top 10.
## Goals are flying in everywhere
277 goals have been scored so far, 36 more than last season at the same stage. This is the second-highest total since the Championship rebranded in 2004-05.
## Crosses and headers driving the scoring
47 goals have come from crosses, the most in nine seasons. 44 of those were headers, while nine came from throw-ins, suggesting a shift toward more direct play.
## Rio Cardines leading the assist race
Bristol City's on-loan Crystal Palace full-back has six assists already, the most by any player in Europe's top five leagues.
## Burnley's yo-yo streak in trouble
Burnley are bottom with no wins in eight games and just four points. No team has ever been promoted from the Championship without a win in their opening eight fixtures.
## Hayen's appointment timing backfired
New manager Nicky Hayen was appointed just 29 days before the season started, with wholesale squad changes. Eight games later, Burnley have four points and no wins.
## Cyle Larin on a scoring spree
Southampton's striker has seven goals in eight games, one every 85 minutes. The 31-year-old made his move from Mallorca permanent after a successful loan spell.
## Lankshear one behind in Golden Boot race
Middlesbrough's 21-year-old signing from Tottenham has six goals. Norwich's Mo Toure has five but is out for months with a shoulder injury.
## West Ham finding their rhythm
Pre-season promotion favourites took two points from their opening three games but have won four straight since, including a 6-0 demolition of Wrexham. They're now second with 22 goals in eight games.
## Wolves bouncing back strongly
Wolves are just three points off the top with a game in hand. New manager Cesar Peixoto has earned 14 points from seven matches after the club managed just 20 points all of last season.
## QPR's defensive strength masks attacking woes
QPR have the second-best defensive record with just seven goals conceded but are converting chances poorly at 7.3%, 20th in the division. They have 261 touches in the opposition box but need to be more clinical.
## Stoke recovering from slow start
After losing their first three games, Stoke have taken 13 points from five matches to sit just four points off the top. Manager Mark Robins has steadied the ship after a poor end to last season.
## West Brom's remarkable turnaround
West Brom have swapped the bottom four last season for the top five this season. They're one point behind Stoke despite losing to Wolves in their most recent game.
## Lincoln's fairytale return continues
Lincoln have returned to the Championship for the first time in 65 years and are just two points outside the top six. They have the joint-best defensive record with four clean sheets despite scoring the joint-fewest goals.
## Key takeaway

Early league position is a poor predictor of success in the Championship, with only two of the last six teams leading after eight matches going on to win promotion.