EFL Insider Gab Sutton picks his Sky Bet Championship Team of the Week, as Preston's Alan Browne produces a true captain’s performance.
Gab Sutton is a football expert who specialises in the Sky Bet EFL.
⭐️⚽️ 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Sky Bet Championship Team of the Week!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) November 6, 2023
GK: @JackBonham1
RB: @ArchieGray06
CB: Rob Dickie
CB: @HumphreysBashir
LB: @Jamesbree_97
CM: Manolis Siopis
CM: @edixonbonner99
CM: @Alan__Browne
FW: @GradyDiang
FW: @Jcoburn06
FW: @BaliMumba8 pic.twitter.com/o8Rkb7hZ4F
GK: Jack Bonham – Stoke
The 30-year-old might not have had much to do in Stoke’s goalless draw with Cardiff, but he came up trumps at key moments, pushing one effort onto the post, before getting quickly down for another in the second half to tip round.
Some fans remain sceptical of Bonham, because he’s been error-prone in the past, but his previous two games have been his best two for the Potters.
RB: Archie Gray – Leeds
Only the truly elite talents play regularly in the Championship at 17, and Gray has already started 12 league games for Leeds, with only three outfielders making Daniel Farke’s line-up more often.
The midfielder deputised at right-back in Friday’s 1-0 win at runaway leaders Leicester and, in an unfamiliar position, he managed to hold his own against arguably the best one-on-one dribbler in the Championship, in Stephy Mavididi.
Gray’s versatility is yet another string to his bow, as well as his energy, spatial awareness, and ability to hold onto the ball in tight areas.
RCB: Rob Dickie – Bristol City
From heading away crosses to one-on-one defending, Dickie dealt with everything asked of him in Bristol City’s 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Zak Vyner has been the City defender gaining the most plaudits this season, and there’s no doubt his presence has helped the 27-year-old, who is given more freedom to progress the play forward alongside a quick, strong partner.
After getting his second winner in four games by converting Tommy Conway’s cross, Dickie is starting to look like one of the Severnsiders’ signings of the summer.
LCB: Bashir Humphreys – Swansea
Humphreys has represented England for three consecutive age groups up to Under-21s, where he currently shares a squad with the likes of Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis.
The 20-year-old’s international prospects will only be boosted by his spell across the border, where Swansea have totalled 1.75 points per game with him in the side, and 0.71 without him.
The Chelsea loanee helped Swansea repel visitors Sunderland while playing with 10 men for an hour to earn a point and clean sheet, making as many as 10 clearances.
LB: James Bree – Southampton
Left-back might not be an entirely new position for James Bree, seeing as he played there on occasion for Barnsley under Paul Heckingbottom in 2016, but it’s not where the right-back has really made his name.
Nonetheless, the 25-year-old has been outstanding there in the last three games, filling in initially for the suspended Ryan Manning, before earning the right to start with the latter available.
In that time, the Saints have amassed seven points after a 1-0 victory at Millwall last time out: Bree seems to defend better than Manning, and being highly technical as well as right-footed allows him to play the inverted full-back role very effectively.
RCM: Manolis Siopsis – Cardiff
Increasingly, Siopsis looks one of the signings of the season in the Championship, with the Greece international ripping it up in South Wales after signing on a free from Trabzonspor.
The 25-year-old has relished the chance to reconnect with boss Erol Bulut, with whom he worked successfully at Alanyaspor, and produced a typically tenacious showing in Saturday’s goalless draw at Stoke.
Siopsis completed three tackles and interceptions apiece, won two aerial duels, completed 85% of his passes, with 23 of the 34 being forward including one key pass, and he made one clearance too.
CM: Elijah Dixon-Bonner – QPR
With Andre Dozzell and Jack Colback suspended for Martí Cifuentes’ first game in charge, the new QPR boss took a chance on Dixon-Bonner.
The change from Gareth Ainsworth’s defensive, long ball approach to a more expansive style suited the youth prospect, who showed his talent even in monsoon conditions, and was arguably the second-best player on the pitch behind Ilias Chair, highly impressive for his first start.
The 22-year-old snatched at one chance, from Reggie Cannon’s cutback, but all in all a great effort from the Liverpool trainee.
LCM: Alan Browne – PNE 🌟
Preston North End returned to the top six with a first win in eight league games, and Alan Browne was key to the 3-2 victory over Coventry.
The 28-year-old netted from the spot in a true captain’s performance, fighting for every ball, wearing his heart on his sleeve, and playing like a fan on the pitch.
Plus, Browne took three shots, completed two dribbles, won one tackle and four interceptions and made five clearances in a showing of incredible passion and dedication.
RF: Grady Diangana – West Brom
West Brom Head Coach Carlos Corberán has demanded a lot of Grady Diangana this season, tactically and physically, and the Congolese winger has adapted admirably.
The 25-year-old was nearly sold in the summer but the offer wasn’t right, yet he’s returned from injury with the form Baggies fans remembered in his loan spell in 2019-20.
Confident, dangerous, and tactically aware, Diangana was outstanding in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Hull, bagging two assists.
CF: Josh Coburn – Middlesbrough
Coburn was linked with a loan move to Plymouth Argyle in the summer, after thriving at Bristol Rovers last season, so it seemed inevitable that he’d get on the scoresheet at Home Park.
Not only did the 20-year-old grab a brace in Devon, his first goals of the season, the powerful runner is also getting more refined in terms of his hold-up play, and has become a focal point for Michael Carrick’s side, and an excellent rotation option for Emmanuel Latte Lath.
LF: Bali Mumba – Plymouth Argyle
Expectations had been high on Mumba this season, with the incredible form he enjoyed in Argyle’s 101-point League One title win along with the £1M price tag.
As such, his start to the campaign might have been perceived as a little underwhelming, but he’s still been able to turn on the style on individual occasions, and it’s hard to argue with that seeing as the Devonians aren’t held to the same standards of consistency at this level.
Mumba fired home the equalizer in the first half from Finn Azaz’s lay-off before returning the favour four minutes later in a stunning opening 45 minutes, as Argyle carried a threat even in the absence of key striker Ryan Hardie.
The 21-year-old creates the most chances out of the front-three for Steven Schumacher’s side at 1.69 per 90, and the joint-2nd-most Expected Assists (xA) in the team at 0.15.
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