Championship round-up: The best and worst performers from gameweek one

Following the first round of fixtures in the 2018/19 Championship season, we reveal our team of the week and bring you a low down of the best and worst performers from gameweek one.

Brentford were the big winners from the weekend, proving why many people see the Bees as a good bet for a top-six finish this season with a 5-1 rout over newly-promoted Rotherham.

Dean Smith’s side unsurprisingly have the most representatives in our Best XI and two of their players rank among the top three from the opening matches in England’s second tier.

Placing in third is French striker Neal Maupay, who got the ball rolling for the West London outfit with a strike inside four minutes, adding his second and Brentford’s fourth on the hour mark. The 21-year-old found the net with both of his attempts at goal and created a further two chances for teammates, one of which was converted by Ollie Watkins just after the break, helping to earn Maupay a rating of 8.93.

Coming in just ahead of his teammate in second, Scottish midfielder Lewis MacLeod (9.19 rating) will be looking to kick on this season after a number of injury problems and certainly put his best foot forward on Saturday. The 24-year-old completed Brentford’s goal haul late on against Rotherham having registered the assist for Sergi Canos’ first half strike and had three shots, created three chances and completed 3 dribbles in a fine all round display from the middle of the park.

The top performer in gameweek one, however, was Wigan Athletic winger Michael Jacobs, whose match-winning display ensured the promoted outfit got off to the perfect start back in the Championship. Paul Cook’s side are well fancied to avoid the drop this season and were worthy victors over Sheffield Wednesday, with Jacobs (9.84 rating) scoring twice from five shots, making four tackles, creating three chances and completing two dribbles in a man of the match display.

It was a bad weekend for a number of goalkeepers, however, with the bottom three players in the Championship all occupying a place between the posts. Stoke’s Jack Butland, Hull’s David Marshall and Reading’s Vito Mannone all made costly mistakes in opening game defeats, though the latter earned the lowest rating (4.94) having allowed Mason Mount to score on his Derby debut and produced just one save as the Rams came from behind to win at the death in Friday night’s curtain raiser.