Swansea City remain at the summit of the Championship after recovering from a goal down to defeat Norwich City 2-1, continuing their impressive habit of turning deficits into victories this season.
Jacob Wright had put Norwich ahead just before the half-hour mark, but Swansea responded after the break through Moussa Yeo and Republic of Ireland forward Adam Idah to seal the comeback. It marked the third occasion this term that Swansea have trailed in a match only to go on and win, and with West Ham only managing a draw the night before, the result kept Swansea clear at the top of the table.
There was a concern for the home side, however, as Idah was forced off with an injury that could rule him out of Tuesday's trip to Millwall. Head coach Vítor Matos was nonetheless pleased with how his players managed the match despite a disrupted build-up caused by the international break.
"I'm really happy with the boys," Matos said. "Players had been flying around because of the international break, joining on the last days of training as well before the game. It's not the easiest way to prepare. It's all about trying to reconnect everyone."
For Norwich, the loss extended a miserable run to four consecutive defeats in all competitions. The Canaries have now shipped 19 goals in just nine league fixtures, a troubling statistic for a side hoping to push up the table.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough marked their 150th anniversary in fitting fashion, edging past Wolves 1-0 at a packed Riverside Stadium. Will Lankshear rose to head home Tommy Conway's cross in the second half, securing all three points in front of a sold-out crowd celebrating the club's landmark occasion. The victory lifted Middlesbrough above West Ham and into second place in the standings, while Wolves suffered their second league defeat since dropping out of the Premier League last season.
At The Hawthorns, West Bromwich Albion fell to a 1-0 defeat against Birmingham City in the Black Country derby, undone by a penalty converted by August Priske after Nat Phillips brought down the forward in the 41st minute. It was the second successive derby in which Phillips was involved in a costly error, following a mistake that led to a goal in the previous meeting between the two sides.
Despite the repeated lapses, West Brom boss James Morrison stood by his defender. "I understand he's made two errors but it was just a misjudgement," Morrison said, describing Phillips as a "strong character" capable of bouncing back from the setback.
The results leave Swansea on 20 points at the top of the table, three clear of Middlesbrough in second, with West Ham and Stoke both on 16 points rounding out the top four. Norwich sit in the lower half of the table on nine points as pressure continues to mount following their extended winless streak, while West Brom remain mid-table on 14 points despite the defeat to their local rivals.
With the Championship season approaching its midpoint, both Swansea and Middlesbrough will be eager to maintain momentum, while Norwich and West Brom look to address defensive issues that have proven costly in recent weeks.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.