Championship round-up: Blades take bragging rights as Luton and QPR struggle
There were wins for promotion contenders Leeds and Burnley as well as Sheffield United against fierce rivals Sheffield Wednesday - but Sunderland fell to their third consecutive draw against Coventry.
Luton manager Rob Edwards appears to be in trouble after a shock 5-1 loss to Middlesbrough, while QPR slipped to the bottom of the league after a second win of the campaign for Portsmouth at home to Preston.
In our regular feature, Flashscore looks at all the major talking points in England's second tier.
Blades take bragging rights
Sheffield United picked up a famous win against rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby on Sunday, taking them to joint-top of the table in the process.
It was the first time the two sides had met in almost five years following three consecutive 0-0 draws in 2018 and 2019 and the Blades took all bragging rights after a superb victory.
Summer signing Tyrese Campbell wrote his name into derby day history with an instinctive second-half goal, latching onto Callum O'Hare's clever pass inside the area to finish off a well-worked move.
The win put Sheffield United level with first-placed Sunderland, although Chris Wilder's side would be clear at the top if it weren't for a points deduction (-2) at the beginning of the season.
It was a disappointing result for Wednesday, who are without a win against their rivals in over 12 years and missed out on an opportunity to push towards the play-off places.
The Owls are actually only three points above the relegation zone but also only seven away from the top six - such is the nature of a very competitive division in the Championship.
Manager Danny Rohl will be hoping to reset over the international break before looking to make up ground during the busy festive period.
Luton in serious trouble
Luton's woes continued over the weekend with a heavy 5-1 defeat against Middlesbrough in what is likely their lowest point under manager Rob Edwards.
The Hatters had been expected to push for an immediate return to the Premier League but have seriously struggled after returning to the Championship and find themselves outside the relegation zone solely on goals scored.
Edwards has plenty of good faith after bringing Luton into the top flight but it appears the former Wales international is treading on thin ice after a series of poor results in the second tier.
Luton's latest disappointment comes after a shocking performance away to Middlesbrough with the visitors shipping five goals, prompting a worrying reaction from travelling supporters who appear to have run out of patience with both the manager and his players.
Videos surfaced on social media of supporters hurling abuse following the full-time whistle and it seems time could be running out for Edwards.
For Middlesbrough, though, it's another excellent win and performance to take them within a point of the play-off positions.
Delano Burgzorg and Finn Azaz both scored twice on top of a well-worked goal from Emmanuel Latte Lath, while young Liverpool loanee Ben Doak also deserves mentioning for a superb creative performance after picking up two assists.
QPR hit rock bottom
Another Championship side struggling are QPR, who sunk to the bottom of the league after a 2-0 loss against Leeds.
The Rs enjoyed a major resurgence under Marti Cifuentes last term despite looking destined for relegation. However, they appear to have regressed following a poor transfer window and a difficult start to the current campaign.
Cifuentes' team have won just one Championship game this season and are without a victory in their last 11 matches.
Summer signings Zan Celar and Nicolas Madsen have failed to make any sort of attacking impact, while a suspect defence has continually leaked goals - which has all contributed to their drop down the division.
Cifuentes is very well thought of in west London and appears to have been dealt a bad hand after the poor transfer business, but much like Luton's Edwards, he requires a drastic change in form.
A chance to take a step back over the international break and take stock of where his side goes from here will be welcomed, with a major push up the table needed over the festive period.
Leeds also deserve a mention for another solid victory to take them within two points of the automatic promotion places, with Daniel Farke's side enjoying another positive campaign at the top end of the league.
Cirkin's screamer not enough for Sunderland
Time for our Goal of the Week now and there were no shortage of contenders across the weekend.
Derby's Jerry Yates scored a superb overhead kick from close range against Plymouth while Josh Murphy's low effort from distance in Portsmouth's win over Preston also deserves a mention.
Our search took us over to the Stadium of Light, though, where first Wilson Isidor scored a brilliant volley before Dennis Cirkin stole the show after driving from his own half and smashing an effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.
His effort wasn't enough to seal the win for Sunderland, who let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with Coventry - but Cirkin's strike will live long in the memory.
Veteran Weimann shines for Blackburn
Blackburn forward Andreas Weimann scored twice in their resounding 3-1 win against Cardiff, proving the veteran still has plenty to give in England's second tier.
His first came from close range to finish off a superb team move before wrapping up the points with his second in a similar fashion during the second half.
Weimann's 9.0 Flashscore rating was the highest of any player over the weekend - making him our Player of the Week! Take a look at our full 'Top 11' compiled solely based on Flashscore's player ratings:
Full results:
Sheffield United 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
