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Last weekend’s Championship curtain-raiser produced a goalfest across all 12 fixtures, and the TipsGG Rating crowned Ilias Chair of Queens Park Rangers as the standout performer with a score of 9.55. From 379 players rated across the full round, our XI lines up in a 3-4-3 this week, with Millwall the most represented club, contributing three players to the selection.
Championship Team of the Week — Gameweek 1
| Player | Club | Pos | TipsGG Rating | Standout number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max O’Leary | West Bromwich Albion | GK | 8.80 | Saves: 7 |
| Caleb Taylor | Millwall | DEF | 7.94 | Long balls: 4/4 (100%) |
| Sean McLoughlin | Blackburn Rovers | DEF | 7.66 | Goals: 1 |
| Jake Cooper | Millwall | DEF | 7.65 | Clearances: 10 |
| Ilias Chair | Queens Park Rangers | MID | 9.55 | Goals: 2 |
| Manor Solomon | West Ham United | MID | 8.20 | Successful dribbles: 4/4 (100%) |
| Thierry Gale | Bolton Wanderers | MID | 7.83 | Shots: 3 |
| Iker Bravo | Watford | MID | 7.83 | Blocked shots: 3 |
| Josh Coburn | Millwall | ATT | 9.45 | Goals: 2 |
| J. Morgan | West Bromwich Albion | ATT | 9.00 | Assists: 1 |
| Will Lankshear | Middlesbrough | ATT | 8.93 | Goals: 2 |
Nine of the eleven picks came from winning sides, with the remaining two drawn from drawn games and none from losing teams — a reflection of how cleanly the TipsGG Rating rewarded match-winning contributions in Gameweek 1. Millwall’s clean-sheet victory at Bristol City alone accounts for three selections, while Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion each supply two.
Goalkeeper
Max O’Leary, West Bromwich Albion — 8.80
Busy throughout West Brom’s victory at Norwich City, O’Leary made seven saves — as many as any goalkeeper in the gameweek, level with one other — to keep his side in front when the hosts pressed. Thirty-five of his 51 passes found a teammate, with only one goalkeeper recording more accurate passes across the round, and he also landed more accurate long balls than any other player on the pitch.
Stats: 7 saves, 1 assist, 1 high claim, 35/51 accurate passes (69%), 9/24 long balls (38%), 90 minutes
Defence
Caleb Taylor, Millwall — 7.94
Commanding at the heart of Millwall’s defence in a 2-0 win, Taylor completed all four of his long balls — as good a long-ball accuracy as any defender with four or more long balls in the gameweek, level with one other. He made 13 clearances, with only one defender recording more across the round, and won ten of his 14 duels, with only two defenders bettering that tally in the gameweek.
Stats: 13 clearances, 78/84 accurate passes (93%), 4/4 long balls (100%), 10/14 duels won (71%), 7/9 aerial duels won (78%), 90 minutes
Sean McLoughlin, Blackburn Rovers — 7.66
Contributing at both ends in Blackburn’s 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers, McLoughlin scored — one of only six defenders to reach that mark in the gameweek. Defensively, he made more clearances than any other player on the pitch, and his four duels won from six attempts gave him a better duel success rate than anyone else in the match.
Stats: 1 goal, 8 clearances, 60/66 accurate passes (91%), 4/6 duels won (67%), 2/2 aerial duels won (100%), 90 minutes
Jake Cooper, Millwall — 7.65
Alongside Taylor in Millwall’s backline, Cooper was equally assured in the 2-0 win. He made ten clearances, with only two players in the match recording more, and 66 of his 77 passes found a teammate, with only one player in the match recording more accurate passes. He also won five of his six duels — one of only six defenders with five or more duels to reach that mark in the gameweek.
Stats: 10 clearances, 66/77 accurate passes (86%), 5/6 duels won (83%), 3/3 aerial duels won (100%), 1 interception, 90 minutes
Midfield
Ilias Chair, Queens Park Rangers — 9.55
The defining performance of the opening round: Chair scored twice — more goals than any other midfielder in the gameweek — and added an assist as Queens Park Rangers ran out 3-1 winners at Portsmouth. He also registered three shots on target, more than any other midfielder managed across the round. A complete attacking display that the TipsGG Rating rewarded with the highest mark of the gameweek.
Stats: 2 goals, 1 assist, 6 shots, 3 shots on target, 3 key passes, 21/26 accurate passes (81%), 90 minutes
Manor Solomon, West Ham United — 8.20
Relentless with the ball at his feet, Solomon completed all four of his dribbles — a better dribble success rate than any other midfielder with three or more dribbles in the gameweek — as West Ham drew 2-2 with Burnley. He also scored, and won seven of his ten duels, more than any other player on the pitch.
Stats: 1 goal, 3 shots, 4/4 successful dribbles (100%), 7/10 duels won (70%), 23/25 accurate passes (92%), 89 minutes
Thierry Gale, Bolton Wanderers — 7.83
A goal helped Bolton to a 2-1 win over Preston North End, and Gale’s broader contribution backed it up. He registered three shots, with only one player in the match recording more, and completed four of his five dribbles — one of only five midfielders to reach that mark in the gameweek.
Stats: 1 goal, 3 shots, 2 key passes, 4/5 successful dribbles (80%), 7/10 duels won (70%), 85 minutes
Iker Bravo, Watford — 7.83
Watford’s 2-1 win over Southampton owed something to Bravo’s industry in midfield. He scored and produced three blocked shots — as many as any midfielder in the gameweek, level with two others — while his four shots placed him among only six midfielders to reach that mark across the round.
Stats: 1 goal, 4 shots, 3 blocked shots, 2 interceptions, 9/13 accurate passes (69%), 61 minutes
Attack
Josh Coburn, Millwall — 9.45
Coburn was the focal point of Millwall’s attack in their 2-0 win, scoring twice — as many goals as any forward in the gameweek, level with two others. He also delivered four key passes, matching the highest tally recorded by any forward in the round, and his three shots on target were bettered by only one forward across the gameweek.
Stats: 2 goals, 4 shots, 3 shots on target, 4 key passes, 1 big chance created, 5/7 aerial duels won (71%), 83 minutes
J. Morgan, West Bromwich Albion — 9.00
Providing the creative spark in West Brom’s win at Norwich, Morgan registered an assist — as many as any forward in the gameweek, level with two others — and added a goal. Two of his three dribbles were completed, matching the best success rate of any forward with three or more dribbles in the round, level with two others.
Stats: 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots, 2 shots on target, 3 key passes, 1 big chance created, 2/3 successful dribbles (67%), 89 minutes
Will Lankshear, Middlesbrough — 8.93
Middlesbrough’s 2-1 win over Lincoln City was built around Lankshear’s relentless threat. He scored twice — as many goals as any forward in the gameweek, level with two others — and generated six shots across the match, with only one forward recording more in the round. Twelve of his 15 passes found a teammate.
Stats: 2 goals, 6 shots, 3 shots on target, 1 hit woodwork, 12/15 accurate passes (80%), 90 minutes
On the bench
The reserves are headed by two goalkeepers who shared the round’s save tally: Nathan Trott (Cardiff City, 8.80) made seven saves in the 1-1 draw with Wrexham, while Max O’Leary’s superior passing output edged him to the XI. In defence, Maximilian Kilman (West Ham United, 7.62) scored and completed 57 of 61 passes, and Ryan Leonard (Millwall, 7.45) delivered three accurate crosses — as many as any defender in the round. In midfield, Tyreece Campbell (Charlton Athletic, 7.79) scored and put two shots on target, while Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United, 7.70) created three big chances — more than any other midfielder in the gameweek. Up front, Andri Guðjohnsen (Blackburn Rovers, 8.11) scored and won nine of his 14 duels, and Aune Heggebo (West Bromwich Albion, 8.07) scored and matched the best dribble success rate of any forward with three or more dribbles in the round.
Unlucky to miss out
Five players were next in line on the ratings but could not displace the XI. Sam Dalby (Bolton Wanderers, 7.90) scored and put more shots on target than any other player in his match. Zian Flemming (Burnley, 7.87) scored twice and led all forwards for shots on target in the gameweek. Pierce Charles (Queens Park Rangers, 7.81) made five saves and recorded more accurate passes than any other goalkeeper in the round. Cyle Larin (Southampton, 7.74) scored and put more shots on target than any other player on the pitch. Kieffer Moore (Wrexham, 7.70) scored and won seven aerial duels, with only one forward recording more across the gameweek.
Flop XI of the gameweek
At the other end of the scale, the lowest-rated eleven were drawn heavily from losing sides. Nicolas Schmid (Portsmouth, 5.54) and Ben Wilmot (Stoke City, 5.47) struggled by the numbers in defeats, while Bristol City contributed three players — Robert Dickie (5.60), Jason Knight (5.53) and Sam Greenwood (5.68) — from their 0-2 home loss to Millwall. Preston North End supplied three of their own in Pol Valentin (5.50), Liam Lindsay (5.65) and Delano Burgzorg (5.88) from the defeat to Bolton.
| Player | Club | Pos | TipsGG Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Schmid | Portsmouth | GK | 5.54 |
| Ben Wilmot | Stoke City | DEF | 5.47 |
| Pol Valentin | Preston North End | DEF | 5.50 |
| Harry Pickering | Blackburn Rovers | DEF | 5.53 |
| Robert Dickie | Bristol City | DEF | 5.60 |
| Liam Lindsay | Preston North End | DEF | 5.65 |
| Jason Knight | Bristol City | MID | 5.53 |
| Sam Greenwood | Bristol City | MID | 5.68 |
| Ethan Galbraith | Stoke City | MID | 5.75 |
| Delano Burgzorg | Preston North End | MID | 5.88 |
| Rumarn Burrell | Queens Park Rangers | ATT | 5.93 |
How we pick our Championship Team of the Week
Our Team of the Week is a proprietary TipsGG system. Both the TipsGG Rating and the selection rule set out below are built and maintained in-house, and they are applied to every gameweek in exactly the same way. There is no vote, no fan poll and no third-party team of the week behind these picks.
The TipsGG Rating
The TipsGG Rating scores an individual performance in a single match on a 1–10 scale, where about 6.0 is an average afternoon. It is calculated from that player’s own recorded match statistics — what he did on the ball, in duels, in front of goal and in his own box — so a rating always describes one player in one match, never a season and never a reputation.
Who is eligible
- Minutes. An outfield player must complete at least 60 minutes of the match; a goalkeeper at least 85. Cameos are not judged against full performances.
- Discipline. Anyone sent off, by straight red card or second yellow, is excluded, and so is any player credited with an own goal.
- Heavy defeats. Outfield players whose side lost by three goals or more are excluded from the eleven. Goalkeepers are exempt, because a busy goalkeeper in a one-sided defeat is a legitimate pick rather than an accident of the scoreline.
How the eleven is built
- Every eligible player is ranked inside his position group — Goalkeeper, Defence, Midfield, Attack — strictly by the TipsGG Rating. No bonus for the result, the opponent or the venue: the rating already reflects what happened in the match.
- Exact ties are broken in a fixed order: minutes played, clean sheet (goalkeepers and defenders), goals and assists excluding penalties, duel success rate, accurate passes, defensive actions, possession lost, then surname. The chain is published so that the same gameweek always produces the same eleven.
- The shape follows the players, not the other way round. We take the best goalkeeper and the best ten outfield players inside set limits — three to five defenders, three to five midfielders, one to three forwards — testing every legal shape and keeping the eleven with the highest combined TipsGG Rating. That is why the formation changes from gameweek to gameweek.
- No more than three players from one club and no more than four from any single match, goalkeeper included, so one result cannot take over the team.
- The bench is the next seven in line — one goalkeeper, two defenders, two midfielders, two forwards — and the club and match limits do not apply to it.
- The Flop XI is the same machine run in reverse: lowest ratings first, same minutes requirement, and here red cards and own goals are left in, because in that context they are the story.
Selection rule totw-v2.0, applied to 12 of 12 Championship matches in Gameweek 1.
Championship Team of the Week: Gameweek 1 — Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the best player in the Championship in Gameweek 1?
Ilias Chair of Queens Park Rangers was the highest-rated player in the gameweek, earning a TipsGG Rating of 9.55 after scoring twice and adding an assist in QPR’s 3-1 win at Portsmouth.
Which club has the most players in the Championship team of the week?
Millwall are the most represented club, with three players — Caleb Taylor, Jake Cooper and Josh Coburn — all selected from their 2-0 win at Bristol City.
How is the EFL team of the week chosen?
The team of the week is selected using the TipsGG Rating system; the full methodology is explained in the section below.
When does the Championship team of the week come out?
The team of the week is published once all matches in the round are complete. Gameweek 1 ran from 14 August to 17 August 2026, and this selection covers all 12 fixtures.
How many players in the Championship team of the week Gameweek 1 came from winning sides?
Nine of the eleven players in the team of the week came from winning sides, with the remaining two drawn from drawn games.