#championship

#championship

Starting with the hosts, while West Brom might have extended on their FA Cup adventure last weekend as they secured a nail-biting penalty shootout victory, the Baggies find themselves at the heart of a public Championship nightmare. Scrapping it out in the bottom-half of the table and with some around the Hawthorns potentially looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, new boss Eric Ramsay has a major jobs on his hands in the Midlands.

Image source, Getty Images Charlton Athletic have signed striker Lyndon Dykes from fellow Championship side Birmingham City on a permanent transfer. The 30-year-old Scotland international has penned a deal with the Addicks until the end of the season. He becomes Nathan Jones' second signing of the January transfer window after Ipswich Town defender Harry Clarke joined on a six-month loan. Dykes made 24 appearances for Blues this season but has not scored since September. Altogether, he scored seven goals in 55 games for the club.

Image source, Getty Images Former Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield is in talks to become the new manager of Championship side Oxford United. The 41-year-old is the clear favourite to take over from Gary Rowett, who was sacked before Christmas, reports BBC Radio Oxford. Craig Short will remain in interim charge for the FA Cup third round tie at MK Dons on Friday evening (19:30 GMT).

Leicester City have reportedly blocked a potential January exit for defender Caleb Okoli, turning down a transfer approach from Italian Serie B side Cremonese. According to Sky Sports reported Gianluca Di Marzio, the Foxes have made it clear that the 24-year-old centre-back is not for sale during this window, despite the player's fluctuating minutes in the Championship this season.

A consistently good offense: The Heat were a bottom-third offense each of the last three seasons entering 2025-26. They started this year off on the right note with a new up-tempo, free-flowing offense. Miami was playing at a back-breaking pace, but was still the No. 13 unit through 20 games. They've now dropped ever-so-slightly to No. 17 despite being the fifth-highest scoring team while remaining atop the league in pace. I think they're closer to 17 than No. 5, too.

Four seasons ago, Max Crocombe was facing the likes of King's Lynn Town, Weymouth and Dover Athletic in the fifth tier of English football. But since moving to Millwall in the summer, the New Zealand international goalkeeper has established himself as Alex Neil's firm number one between the sticks. The 32-year-old is likely to make his 13th Championship appearance of the season against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, and his 16th in all competitions since moving to The Den from Burton Albion.

Suffering a major second-half collapse away at Bristol City as they eventually had to settle for a frantic 2-2 stalemate at Ashton Gate, it has been suggested that Marti Cifuentes has some serious pressure on his shoulders. Signing off November with an action-packed 3-2 loss at home against Sheffield United, the former QPR boss finds his squad scrapping it out in the bottom-half of the Championship standings.

Three drivers came into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a chance to win the championship, but it was Norris who did exactly what he needed to: a podium would guarantee a championship win, and a podium he achieved. He beat four-time champion Max Verstappen by two points and his teammate Oscar Piastri by 13, and put 15 years of Red Bull and Mercedes domination in the ground to help herald in a a new era of racing.

"I think that we've had a great start and now it is up to us to continue," said Eckert. "We go all in; there is no other way. I don't shy away from being ambitious to say that we want to play for promotion, whatever that is going to look like in the end. We will go for every single point there is to take."