Key events
Millwall 0-0 Oxford United: It’s half -time at the Den, where the deadlock remains unbroken.
Plymouth Argyle 1-2 Bristol City: The Robins are back in front at Home Park, with Jason Knight firing them back into the lead.
QPR 3-1 Watford: Kwdwo Baah pulled a goal back for Watford with a deflected shot but QPR immediately restored their two-goal lead when captain Sam Field rose highest to head home a cross from Paul Smyth.
Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Bristol City: Rock bottom of the Championship and without a manager following yesterday’s departure of Wayne Rooney, Plymouth Argyle have equalised in the early stages of the second half in their game against Bristol City. Morgan Whittaker’s cross to the back post was volleyed home from close range by the unmarked Rami Al Hajj to make it 1-1 at Home Park.
Women’s Super League: “Manchester City have moved quickly to fill the void left by the injured Alex Greenwood by signing the German defender Rebecca Knaak from Rosengård on the opening day of the winter transfer window,” writes Suzanne Wrack.
Today’s action so far: QPR have taken advantage of some slack defending from the visitors to lead Watford 2-0 at half-time courtesy of a couple of goals that came on the back of set-pieces.
Swiss striker Michael Frey fired home from a Kieran Morgan pull-back to bag his fifth of the season, while Jimmy Dunne nodded a second from an Ilias Chair cross.
At Home Park, Plymouth’s Ryan Hardie fired over the bar with the goal gaping before his side went behind to a strike from Bristol City’s Anis Mehmeti.
It’s currently all square at the Den between Millwall and Oxford United, but the home side are in the ascendency, should be in front and have also had a decent penalty appeal turned down.
Meanwhile in League One: Wigan Athletic’s home match against Huddersfield Town has been postponed because of “severe localised flooding”. While the pitch at the Brick Community Stadium was deemed playable, overnight rain has left the roads around the ground in a treacherous condition. With local emergency services “unable to provide resources to support the matchday operation”, Wigan have been left with no choice but to call today’s game off.
The Rumour Mill: Paracetamol? Check. Water? Check. Rumour Mill? Check! Welcome to 2025, eerily similar to the end of 2024, save for a new calendar on the kitchen wall and the opening of the January transfer window, writes Michael Butler as he rounds up this morning’s tranfer tittle-tattle …
Rooney leaves Plymouth after 23 games
Wayne Rooney’s time at Plymouth came to a fairly predictable end yesterday after only seven months, with the Championship’s bottom placed club announcing they and the former Manchester United and England striker have “mutually agreed to part ways with immediate effect” .
Kevin Nancekivell, the first-team coach, and the club captain, Joe Edwards have taken temporary charge of the Pilgrims, who are currently in action against Bristol City and losing by the only goal of the game so far.
Today’s Championship fixtures
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Plymouth Argyle 0-1 Bristol City (L)
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QPR 2-0 Watford (L)
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Millwall 0-0 Oxford United (L)
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Burnley v Stoke City (3pm)
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Cardiff City v Coventry City (3pm)
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Leeds United v Blackburn Rovers (3pm)
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Luton Town v Norwich City (3pm)
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Portsmouth v Swansea City (3pm)
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Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County (3pm)
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West Brom v Preston (3pm)
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Hull City v Middlesbrough (5.30pm)
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Sunderland v Sheffield United (8pm)
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View the Championship table
Stoke appoint Mark Robins as manager
“Mark Robins has been appointed as Stoke’s manager on a three-and-a-half-year contract,” it says here. “The 55-year-old will watch Stoke’s game at Burnley on Wednesday from the stands before being in the dugout for the first time at home to Plymouth on Saturday.”
Football League clockwatch
Happy new year, everybody! We have a full card of Championship fixtures to get 2025 under way, with some intriguing fixtures among them. Ten of today’s 12 games kick-off at three o’clock or earlier and we’re here to keep you up to speed with all the major talking points.
We’ll bring you news of goals as they go in and anything else that might crop up on a day when high winds could cause footballers around the UK all sorts of problems ahead of tonight’s potential blockbuster between Sunderland and Sheffield United at the Stadium of Light. However, there’s plenty of action to get throughh first so don’t touch that dial …
