Championship round-up: Gayle storms to top of the ratings in team of the week
With six games already having been played by every Championship side, it’s fair to say the table is taking shape, with Leeds and Middlesbrough setting the pace - yet to taste defeat, while at the opposite end Ipswich and Reading are yet to win a game.
That said, the top two miss out on the team of the week this time around, having played out a goalless draw on Friday night.
Instead, nine different teams earn representation in the best XI, with Oliver Norwood taking his place in central midfield after another excellent display. The Northern Irishman was not in the line-up in Sheffield United’s first three matches but has started the last three, with the Blades earning maximum points.
Their most recent victory was the most eye-catching of all, smashing Aston Villa 4-1, with Norwood setting up the opener and scoring the third for a man of the match rating of 8.52 - the third highest this weekend.
Just ahead of the midfielder, Bolton’s summer signing Pawel Olkowski played a pivotal role as the Trotters came from two down at Preston to earn a point. The right-back assisted Sammy Ameobi’s long distance effort before hammering home an unstoppable equaliser off the underside of the bar for his first goal for the club. With a further four tackles and two dribbles to 28-year-old secured a rating of 8.71.
The star of the show, however, was West Brom’s new hitman Dwight Gayle, who proved what a lethal finisher he is at this level with a match-winning brace against Stoke.
The striker’s first goal of the game was set up by a stunning turn in a crowded box before rounding Jack Butland to slot home, and his second was an emphatic near post finish after another superb first touch from Jake Livermore’s long ball. It’s taken a little time for the Baggies to see the best of Gayle, but his performance at the weekend was the best in the league (9.10 rating) and an indicator that the 27-year-old is capable of firing Darren Moore’s side back into the top-flight.
