The 8 most surprising hits of the Championship season so far
Teemu Pukki (Norwich City)
Nobody has scored more goals in the Championship this season than Pukki, who currently has 24. The Finnish striker’s arrival last summer wasn’t greeted with much fanfare at Carrow Road, let alone anywhere else, but he’s proved a resounding success.
Pukki has been a major factor in Norwich’s surprise title challenge, plundering goals of all kinds during the best run of his career. Late winners have been a particular speciality for the former Celtic player, who struggled during his time in Scottish football.
Daniel James (Swansea City)
Graham Potter has one of the division’s toughest jobs, re-energising a club that had lost its sense of direction over recent years while shedding high earners. Several academy graduates have been forced to step up as a result, with Daniel James having a notable impact.
The lightning-quick winger failed to make an impression on loan at Shrewsbury Town last season but he’s been a revelation under Potter, who gave him his first professional start against Millwall in September. James was even on the brink of a £10 million move to Leeds in the January transfer window before the deal collapsed late on.
Lewis Wing (Middlesbrough)
Scouting is a more intensive process than ever before, but there are still players who manage to slip through the net. Wing was one of them, belatedly joining Middlesbrough in the summer of 2017 on the back of an outstanding season where he scored 37 goals for non-league Shildon.
Nobody knew how the versatile midfielder would cope with the higher standard of football, but after spending some time on loan at Yeovil Town, he’s gradually earned the trust of Tony Pulis. Along with Marcus Tavernier and Dael Fry, Wing has brought some much-needed youthful energy to an ageing team.
Jayden Bogle (Derby County)
The more things change at Pride Park, the more they stay the same. Much like his predecessors, Frank Lampard has delivered another play-off push that looks to be faltering when it can least afford to. Promotion may once more prove elusive.
Still, the emergence of Jayden Bogle has been a positive development for Derby County. The 18-year-old right-back made his debut in the League Cup first round and has been one of the first names on the teamsheet ever since, racking up 38 appearances in all competitions. Commanding and comfortable on the ball, he’s destined for the top.
NEXT: The centre-back shoring up the defence in Sheffield United’s title push
Mateusz Klich (Leeds United)
The Polish midfielder’s first year at Leeds United was distinctly underwhelming. After a handful of appearances early on, he struggled to make the squad and was loaned out to FC Utrecht in the January transfer window. Klich returned a changed man and quickly became a key component of Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
A smart finish and an assist capped a fine all-action performance on the opening day of the season and Klich has maintained that same high standard throughout. He’s started every league game under Bielsa, driving the team on and chipping in with eight valuable goals.
Joe Lolley (Nottingham Forest)
He only joined Nottingham Forest midway through last season but there was a concern that the influx of new signings over the summer would force Joe Lolley out of contention. It did briefly look that way as he started the club’s opening game on the substitutes’ bench and played patchily in the first few weeks.
But from October onwards he’s been in blistering form. Lolley has managed eight goals and nine assists in total, including four in a single game against Aston Villa. Comfortable playing on either wing, Lolley has proved his worth with some searing displays of purposeful running and dangerous deliveries.
Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)
Sheffield United have built on a strong return to the Championship, where they fell just short of the play-offs, and are in a driving seat for automatic promotion. They're always dangerous going forward, but greater defensive resilience has been at the heart of their improvement.
A back three of John Egan, Chris Basham and Jack O’Connell has shown off grit, great understanding and an ability to initiate attacks as well as stop them. O’Connell has been the pick of the bunch, and is maturing into a fine centre-half.
Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City)
He’s never been a prolific striker and a return of 10 goals – all scored before the end of November – hasn’t exactly changed that, but Jutkiewicz has made himself utterly indispensable to Garry Monk’s plans, having featured infrequently under Birmingham’s previous two managers.
Before being rested for the recent loss to Millwall, the hard-working striker had started ever single game since Monk was appointed last March. He's much fitter and sharper this season, and has forged an excellent partnership with Che Adams by teeing up five of his goals – a joint league-high.
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