Captain Jarrod Bowen netted two goals to lead West Ham to a 3-2 victory over Bolton, propelling them to the top of the Championship on goal difference. The England international struck first in the 13th minute and sealed the win, marking West Ham’s first triumph at Bolton in over three decades, with his second goal coming 13 minutes from the end.
In a match where Bolton faced their fourth consecutive defeat, they initially equalized with midfielder Ethan Erhahon scoring his first goal for the team. They appeared poised to secure their ninth straight league win against the Hammers when Ruben Rodrigues converted a penalty in the 27th minute. However, Konstantinos Mavropanos equalized with a header in the 31st minute, allowing Bowen to complete the comeback shortly thereafter.
Meanwhile, Cyle Larin tallied his fifth goal of the season as Southampton triumphed over Swansea with a score of 3-1, marking their second consecutive victory against the league leaders at home. Larin, who shares the top scorer title in the Championship, scored twice, sandwiching goals from Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza, which extended Southampton’s unbeaten streak at St Mary’s to 13 matches.
Watford overcame a dismal first half to secure a 2-1 win against Preston, who have now lost five of their last six league matches. Callum Lang opened the scoring for Preston in the sixth minute, but the Hornets responded with two goals within seven minutes in the second half from Edo Kayembe and Mamadou Doumbia.
Wrexham continued their search for a home victory, settling for a 1-1 draw against Burnley, who remain just above the bottom of the table. Jacques Ekomie, who recently joined the club for £7 million from Angers, scored his second goal, equalizing after Zeki Amdouni’s first-half strike for Burnley. The result was not beneficial for either team in their promotion aspirations, with Wrexham struggling to regain last season’s momentum and Burnley grappling with challenges following their relegation from the Premier League, having won just one league match since October. Former England forward Jamie Vardy joined the club this week but was unavailable for this match due to suspension from previous yellow cards accrued during his time at Cremonese.
Sheffield United marked their return to form with a 2-1 victory over Blackburn, showcasing efficient finishing to secure the win. Blackburn dominated the first half and took the lead with Kristi Montgomery’s first goal for the club in the 20th minute. However, the Blades turned the match around with two goals from their only two shots of the half; Tom Cannon scored in the 35th minute, followed by Sydie Peck’s first goal of the season just before halftime.
Cardiff’s winless run continued as they drew 1-1 with Stoke City in the Welsh capital, earning Stoke their first away point since January. Stoke initially took the lead through Ben Johnson midway through the first half, but Cardiff applied significant pressure in the second half, with Joel Colwill equalizing. Cardiff struck the post three times during the match. This draw marked Cardiff’s fourth in six games, taking them out of the relegation zone, while Stoke slipped to 15th place in the standings.
