Follow live coverage as Derby County face Sunderland in the Championship today.

An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.

Relegation from the top flight last term means Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will Norwich City, an improving Coventry and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United. At the other end of the table, Wayne Rooney is aiming to revive Plymouth’s fortunes after they narrowly avoided relegation last year, with Portsmouth and Derby the teams promoted from League One along with play-off final winners Oxford.

Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.

Derby County FC 0 - 1 Sunderland AFC

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:42

Match ends, Derby County 0, Sunderland 1.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:41

Second Half ends, Derby County 0, Sunderland 1.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:39

Hand ball by Ebou Adams (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:37

Trai Hume (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:35

Fourth official has announced 7 minutes of added time.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:35

Foul by Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:33

Substitution, Sunderland. Leo Hjelde replaces Enzo Le Fée.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:35

Dajaune Brown went off injured after Derby County had used all subs.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:35

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:32

Attempt blocked. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jobe Bellingham.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:32

Attempt blocked. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:30

Substitution, Sunderland. Salis Abdul Samed replaces Chris Rigg.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:28

Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:26

Marcus Harness (Derby County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:25

Attempt missed. Dajaune Brown (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:25

Hand ball by Enzo Le Fée (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:23

Offside, Sunderland. Enzo Le Fée is caught offside.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Substitution, Sunderland. Dan Ballard replaces Dennis Cirkin.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Substitution, Sunderland. Patrick Roberts replaces Eliezer Mayenda.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Attempt missed. Dajaune Brown (Derby County) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ben Osborn with a cross following a corner.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Substitution, Derby County. Tom Barkhuizen replaces Kane Wilson because of an injury.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Substitution, Derby County. Dajaune Brown replaces Jerry Yates.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:19

Delay in match because of an injury Kane Wilson (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:15

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Trai Hume.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:15

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Dennis Cirkin.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:15

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Eliezer Mayenda.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:15

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:14

Delay in match because of an injury Anthony Patterson (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:10

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Chris Mepham.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:12

Attempt saved. Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Corey Blackett-Taylor with a cross.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:10

Attempt blocked. Corey Blackett-Taylor (Derby County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ben Osborn.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:10

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Chris Mepham.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:08

Foul by Trai Hume (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:08

Attempt saved. Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Corey Blackett-Taylor with a cross.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:06

Attempt missed. Kenzo Goudmijn (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:06

Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Kane Wilson.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:04

Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Craig Forsyth.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:03

Substitution, Derby County. Ben Osborn replaces Liam Thompson.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:03

Substitution, Derby County. Corey Blackett-Taylor replaces Nathaniel Méndez-Laing.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:03

Substitution, Derby County. Lars-Jørgen Salvesen replaces Kayden Jackson.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:03

Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Kenzo Goudmijn.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:03

Attempt blocked. Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:03

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Chris Mepham.

Derby County vs Sunderland

21:02

Attempt blocked. Nathaniel Méndez-Laing (Derby County) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:58

Foul by Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:58

Marcus Harness (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:58

Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:57

Attempt missed. Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:54

Marcus Harness (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:53

Foul by Marcus Harness (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:54

Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:51

Foul by Chris Rigg (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:48

Second Half begins Derby County 0, Sunderland 1.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:32

First Half ends, Derby County 0, Sunderland 1.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:32

Foul by Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:32

Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:29

Attempt saved. Ebou Adams (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Callum Elder with a cross.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:29

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Trai Hume.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:29

Hand ball by Trai Hume (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:29

Foul by Wilson Isidor (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:29

Foul by Chris Rigg (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:25

Attempt saved. Enzo Le Fée (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:24

Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:20

Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:18

Foul by Jerry Yates (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:18

Ebou Adams (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:16

Goal! Derby County 0, Sunderland 1. Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the centre of the goal following a fast break.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:14

Attempt missed. Craig Forsyth (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Nathaniel Méndez-Laing with a cross following a corner.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:13

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Trai Hume.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:12

Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Kenzo Goudmijn.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:14

Attempt saved. Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Enzo Le Fée.

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:06

Foul by Liam Thompson (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

20:05

Foul by Enzo Le Fée (Sunderland).

Derby County vs Sunderland

19:58

Foul by Kane Wilson (Derby County).

Derby County vs Sunderland

19:56

Liam Thompson (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Derby County vs Sunderland

19:55

Attempt missed. Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) left footed shot from the centre of the box.

Derby County vs Sunderland

19:48

Marcus Harness (Derby County) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Derby County vs Sunderland

19:46

First Half begins.

Derby County vs Sunderland

19:15

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Derby County vs Sunderland

17:45

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