London (AFP) – Wolves brought Newcastle back down to earth with a surprise 2-0 victory, while Huddersfield consolidated their position at top of the Championship with a 2-1 win over QPR on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez’s side had climbed to second place after five successive victories capped by a 6-0 thrashing of QPR in midweek.
But their bid to secure promotion to the Premier League hit the buffers as Chancel Mbemba’s 29th minute own goal and Helder Costa’s 62nd minute strike gave Wolves an unexpected success at St James’ Park.
Adding insult to injury for Newcastle, Vurnon Anita was sent off for a late challenge on substitute Ivan Cavaleiro as the Magpies dropped to third place.
Huddersfield bounced back from their midweek defeat at Brighton to move two points clear at the top with their sixth win in eight league games.
Goals from Elias Kachunga and Kasey Palmer gave Huddersfield a sixth win in eight league games.
Kasey Palmer had put Huddersfield ahead in the 14th minute and Elias Kachunga, on loan from German club FC Ingolstadt, bagged his third goal of the season with 62nd minute header to double their lead.
QPR substitute Idrissa Sylla pulled one back for the visitors with 14 minutes remaining.
Norwich fought back to inflict Nottingham Forest’s first defeat of the season at the City Ground as second-half goals from Jonny Howson and Graham Dorrans earned the Canaries a 2-1 win.
Apostolos Vellios’ third goal in three games had put Forest ahead in the 40th minute.
But Howson scrambled Norwich level in the 52nd minute before an outstanding strike from Dorrans earned the second placed Canaries a third consecutive victory.
Aston Villa’s troubled start to their first second tier campaign since 1988 shows no signs of improving after drab 0-0 draw at Ipswich.
Roberto Di Matteo’s team have only one win from eight matches and sit just above the relegation zone.
Reading came away from Barnsley with a hard-fought 2-1 win despite playing most of the game with only 10 men.
Garath McCleary opened the scoring early on but the winger was sent off six minutes after John Swift had fired Reading into a 2-0 lead.
Adam Armstrong’s goal for Barnsley came too late to inspire a dramatic fightback.
Tomer Hemed’s 88th-minute penalty was enough to secure a first away win of the season for Brighton at Burton, ending the hosts’ five-game unbeaten run.
Leeds won 2-0 at Cardiff to ease the pressure on manager Garry Monk.
Chris Wood’s fourth goal in six games, a 62nd-minute penalty, and Pablo Hernandez’s first Leeds goal eight minutes from time secured the points.
Elsewhere, Brentford routed Preston 5-0, Blackburn beat Rotherham 4-2, Bristol City drew 1-1 with Derby and Wigan shared a goalless draw with Fulham.
