Huddersfield on top, but difficult days for Derby - Sam Parkin's EFL takeaways

What the report says

BBC Sport Football’s weekend EFL roundup, through the lens of Final Score pundit Sam Parkin, highlighted a strong spell for Huddersfield Town, a revival for Cheltenham Town, and ongoing concerns for Derby County. The article was published on the BBC Sport website and covered Championship, League One and League Two developments from the latest round of matches.

Huddersfield went top of League One after beating Wigan Athletic 2-1, extending an unbeaten run since their loss to Bromley in mid-September. Parkin praised head coach Martin Drury’s early impact and singled out Derensili Sanches Fernandes as a standout performer. Cheltenham also continued to climb, moving up to third after a 1-0 win over Newport County, with Charlie McCann scoring the decisive goal. Parkin said Steve Cotterill had helped turn the club around and noted Cheltenham’s balance in both attacking and defensive phases.

In the Championship, Derby remain 23rd after a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United, and have still not won in the league since 1 September. Parkin pointed to injuries and an unfulfilled takeover as part of the context, while saying there is still confidence that John Eustace can improve results. Norwich City ended a five-match losing streak by coming from behind to beat Charlton Athletic, a result Parkin described as important for manager Philippe Clement amid defensive issues and a challenging spell.

The weekend’s biggest surprise may have been QPR’s 5-0 win over Swansea City, powered by Richard Kone’s hat-trick. Parkin saw the result as a possible statement win for Julien Stephan’s side and a confidence boost for Kone, with QPR now sitting eighth in the Championship.