Southampton have parted ways with manager Will Still after just five months in charge, with the club sitting 21st in the Championship after 13 games. The 33-year-old was appointed in the summer to lead the Saints back to the Premier League. However, they managed only two league wins during his short spell at St Mary’s. Technical director Johannes Spors said in a statement: “Will is a great person who gave everything to improve performances and results. Ultimately, that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked.” Still, who made history as the youngest manager in Championship history, previously impressed in France with Reims and Lens before moving to England. His coaching team have also left the club. Under-21 manager Tonda Eckert will take temporary charge as Southampton search for a new boss. Former Saints managers Ralph Hasenhüttl and Russell Martin are among those linked with the vacancy.

Frank Lampard hailed Coventry’s clinical finishing as the Championship leaders beat 10-man Watford 3-1 on Saturday. Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jamie Allen set the Sky Blues on their way inside. The first seven minutes before Tatsuhiro Sakamoto effectively wrapped up their sixth successive league win before the interval. Watford‘s James Abankwah was sent off for a professional foul before half-time, while Imran Louza‘s second-half penalty was little consolation for the outclassed visitors. “At the minute we’re clinical and we’re dangerous, and we’ve been more dangerous than today,” Lampard said. “It was a tricky game for us, and I thought we did the job and we did it well.”

Burnley secured their first away league victory of the season in the 94th minute at Molineux when Lyle Foster netted a late winner which ensured Wolverhampton Wanderers’ winless league start stretched to nine games. Key stats – Wolves have failed to win in their last 13 games in the Premier League, their last joint longest winless streak was from 4th May 2024 to 2nd November 2024. – Burnley have scored in their last five games in the Premier League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of six games from 13th April 2024 to 19th May 2024. – Quilindschy Hartman has assisted four goals in the Premier League this season (two in this game), no player has more.

Aston Villa has urged supporters not to display political messages, symbols, or flags during next month’s match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. The fixture, set for November 6, has been surrounded by political tension amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Last week, a local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) ruled that Maccabi fans would not be allowed to attend following a police risk assessment. Although the government said it was working to allow fans from both clubs to attend. Maccabi announced on Monday that they would decline any tickets for the Villa Park match. Villa issued a firm reminder to supporters on Tuesday: “As per UEFA guidance, the displaying of political symbols, messages or flags during the match is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate ejection and the issuing of a stadium ban.” The club also confirmed that the away section will remain closed and warned fans against reselling tickets for the fixture.

Inter Milan moved level on points with Serie A’s top four after a gritty 2-0 victory at Cagliari. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring with his 12th goal in 12 games against the Sardinian side. Inter showed their intent early. Hakan Calhanoglu’s elbow in a second-minute aerial challenge set the tone as the visitors pressed high and denied Cagliari space. Martínez struck in the ninth minute, heading in Alessandro Bastoni’s precise cross. Cagliari struggled to respond. Sebastiano Esposito wasted a decent free-kick, while midfielders Michael Folorunsho and Alessandro Deiola were sloppy in possession. Martínez and Marcus Thuram kept testing the home defence, but Cagliari clung on to reach half-time only a goal down.    

Aston Villa skipper John McGinn praised Ollie Watkins after the striker netted a goal. His first goal of the season in a 3-1 comeback victory over Fulham on Sunday. Villa had been struggling in front of goal, scoring just once in their first five Premier League games. When Raul Jimenez headed Fulham in front early on, the pressure mounted. Relief came in the 37th minute as Lucas Digne slid a clever pass to Watkins. Watkins then darted between defenders and lifted the ball over Bernd Leno to level the match. “He’s had a lot of criticism in recent weeks but what he’ll get from us as teammates and staff is love and support,” McGinn said after the game. “Hopefully that shuts a few people up. What he’s given us over the years has been brilliant. He works tirelessly and when he gets the chance, you expect him to score.” McGinn rifled Villa ahead four minutes into the second half, and Emiliano Buendía sealed the win soon after – Villa’s first league victory of the season, moving them up to 16th with six points. “It’s not an easy place to play when the crowd’s on your back, but when we have momentum. Villa Park is special,” McGinn added. “What a win and a huge show of character.”  

Ryan Sessegnon said Fulham’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa came down to uncharacteristic lapses in focus. Raul Jimenez’s first-half header gave Fulham the lead, but Ollie Watkins equalised before the break. Two quick Villa goals early in the second half sealed the result and halted Fulham’s three-game winning streak. “It’s probably just a lack of concentration, which is bizarre because of how unusual it is for us. It’s very disappointing but we just have to pick ourselves up and go again,” Sessegnon told reporters. Sessegnon added: “We started the second half by conceding a goal, which can happen, and then for us to concede the next one straight away was disappointing. The game was pretty much done after that. “There’s no real explanation – it’s just poor. Poor defending from us, and quite unusual for us, but we’ve got to look at the game back this week and then see where we went wrong.” Fulham will look to respond when they face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Friday, October 3.  

Chris Wilder has returned for a third spell as Sheffield United manager. He stepped in just days after Ruben Selles was sacked following a nightmare start to the Championship season. The  Blades  were thrashed 5-0 at Ipswich Town on Friday night, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table with zero points. That defeat sealed Selles’ fate, with supporters voicing relief at his exit after just five matches in charge. For Wilder, the return is both personal and professional. A lifelong Blades supporter, he has already overseen two promotions during previous stints and now faces the challenge of reviving a team in crisis. His last spell ended in a play-off final defeat to Sunderland, who have since established themselves in the Premier League. Wilder’s immediate task will be to lift morale and secure a much-needed result when United face Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

Middlesbrough moved to the summit of the Championship with a hard-fought  1-0 win over basement side Sheffield United on Saturday. Tommy Conway struck midway through the second half to secure a fourth successive league win for Rob Edwards’ side, underlining their strong start to the campaign. Elsewhere, Wrexham claimed a historic first Championship win of the season, defeating Millwall 2-0. Kieffer Moore opened the scoring with a trademark header before Lewis O’Brien sealed the three points deep into stoppage-time — the Red Dragons’ first second-tier victory since 1982. West Bromwich Albion ended Stoke City’s perfect start, edging them 1-0 thanks to Nat Phillips’ early header, while Oxford United collected their first Championship point in a 2-2 draw against Coventry. Bristol City hit four past Hull in a 4-2 thriller, while Portsmouth overcame Preston 1-0 at Fratton Park. In London, QPR triumphed 3-1 over Charlton in a lively derby at Loftus Road. Norwich City also impressed, with Josh Sargent scoring twice in a 2-0 win at Blackburn, who had Sean McLoughlin sent off before half-time. Elsewhere, Ipswich Town’s search for a first win continued after a 2-2 draw with Derby, Swansea won 2-0 away at Sheffield Wednesday, and Southampton shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Watford.

Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris hailed his side’s resilience after they battled back to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over Brentford at the Stadium of Light. The visitors thought they had drawn first blood in the first half when Igor Thiago found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Brentford were then handed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock from the penalty spot, but Robin Roefs denied Kevin Schade with a superb save. Thiago did eventually put the Bees ahead in the 77th minute, his header clipping the bar before crossing the line. Sunderland’s response was swift, as Enzo Le Fée levelled from the spot just five minutes later after Habib Diarra was fouled inside the box. With the game finely poised, Wilson Isidor completed the turnaround in the closing stages, rising highest to head in Granit Xhaka’s cross and spark jubilant celebrations among the home supporters. Speaking after the game, Le Bris was quick to praise his players’ determination: “I am happy and we went until the end. We tried to win this game and it was really positive, the way we managed the game with two different halves.The second half was chaotic, but these are two important parts of the same game. We showed a good ability to manage the second half and that was really positive.It was good for Wilson and his family – two incredible days.” The Sunderland boss also highlighted the importance of squad depth in the Premier League: “I told the players from the beginning of the season that we will have starters and finishers, and that was really important today because in the Premier League we are always on the edge.”