Jarrod Bowen scored twice as West Ham United edged past Bolton Wanderers 3-2 to move to the summit of the Championship on goal difference, securing their first triumph at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in 31 years.
The England international broke the deadlock after just 13 minutes, giving the Hammers an early foothold in a match that swung dramatically before Bowen's decisive intervention 13 minutes from the close settled it in West Ham's favour.
Bolton, who had lost their previous three outings, hit back through midfielder Ethan Erhahon, who netted his first goal for the club to level the scores. The hosts then looked poised to extend an extraordinary run of nine consecutive league victories over West Ham when Ruben Rodrigues converted a penalty in the 27th minute to put Wanderers ahead.
However, West Ham responded almost immediately, with Konstantinos Mavropanos heading home an equaliser just four minutes later. Bowen then struck his second of the afternoon to complete the turnaround and send his side top of the division, while condemning Bolton to a fourth straight loss.
Elsewhere in the Championship, Southampton continued their impressive home form with a 3-1 win over league leaders Swansea at St Mary's. Cyle Larin, one of the division's leading scorers, netted twice either side of goals from Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza, extending Southampton's unbeaten run at home to 13 matches and denying Swansea top spot for a second consecutive away trip.
Watford overcame a sluggish start to beat Preston 2-1, inflicting a fifth defeat in six league games on the visitors. Callum Lang had given Preston an early lead inside six minutes, catching the Hornets off guard, but Watford roared back in the second half with strikes from Edo Kayembe and Mamadou Doumbia within a seven-minute span to complete the comeback.
Wrexham's search for a home victory continues after being held 1-1 by a winless Burnley side sitting just above the relegation zone. Jacques Ekomie headed in his second goal since his £7million move from Angers to cancel out Zeki Amdouni's first-half opener. The result ended Burnley's run of seven straight away defeats stretching back to last season, though it offered little comfort to either promotion hopeful. Wrexham have struggled to build on last term's progress, while Burnley face mounting concerns following their relegation from the Premier League, having won just once in the league since October. New arrival Jamie Vardy, signed this week from Italian club Cremonese, was unavailable due to a suspension carried over from disciplinary issues at his previous side.
Sheffield United returned to winning form with a 2-1 victory at Blackburn, showcasing clinical finishing in a first half dominated by the hosts. Kristi Montgomery opened the scoring for Rovers with his first goal for the club after 20 minutes, but the Blades turned the match around with two goals from their only two shots of the period — Tom Cannon netting in the 35th minute before Sydie Peck fired home a minute before halftime.
Cardiff extended their winless start to the season, settling for a 1-1 draw against Stoke City. Ben Johnson had put Stoke ahead midway through the first half, threatening to end their run of nine straight Championship defeats, but Joel Colwill's header restored parity for the hosts, who also struck the woodwork three times. The point lifted Cardiff out of the relegation zone despite marking their fourth draw in six matches, while Stoke dropped to 15th in the table.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.