Brenden Aaronson scored a 95th-minute equaliser for Leeds United as they began their Championship campaign with a thrilling 3-3 draw versus Portsmouth at Elland Road. Aaronson, who spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Union Berlin, squeezed his finish into the bottom-left corner deep into stoppage time to deny John Mousinho’s newly promoted visitors a dream start to the season.
Pascal Struijk’s early penalty gave Leeds the lead but they were quickly pegged back by Elias Sorensen’s leveller, and Portsmouth then inched ahead on two occasions.
Callum Lang’s stunning strike from distance put them 2-1 up shortly before half-time, only for Wilfried Gnonto to drag Leeds level just 54 seconds into the second half, beating Will Norris with a clever reverse finish.
Leeds dominated for long periods and should have killed the game off, finishing with 22 shots to Portsmouth’s five and 39 touches in the penalty area to the visitors’ six.
Daniel Farke’s hosts were almost condemned to a shock defeat by Lang’s 92nd-minute penalty, conceded cheaply by Jayden Bogle, but Aaronson had other ideas.
Elsewhere, West Brom fought from behind for a 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, with Josh Maja scoring a hat-trick. Lucas Andersen put Marti Cifuentes’ hosts ahead after 16 minutes, but Maja soon hit back with a near-post header before adding two more close-range finishes after the break.
Maja’s treble made him the first Albion player to score a hat-trick in their opening game of a league season since Alf Bentley accomplished the feat in 1913-14.
Norwich City, who joined Leeds and West Brom in falling short in last season’s play-offs, endured a miserable start to their campaign as they went down 2-0 to newly promoted Oxford United. Mark Harris cut inside from the left before squeezing a finish through Angus Gunn’s legs for 1-0, then Cameron Brannagan made the points safe with a side-footed finish in the 58th minute.
Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough also got off to a winning start, beating Swansea City 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium as Emmanuel Latte Lath continued his fine run in front of goal. Latte Lath converted from the penalty spot 25 minutes in after Azeem Abdulai felled the marauding Isiah Jones, netting in a seventh straight Championship game.
He has nine goals in total throughout that run, which is the joint-longest scoring streak by any player since the Championship’s 2004 rebrand, alongside Charlie Austin in 2012, Jordan Rhodes in 2013, and Aleksandar Mitrovic in 2021.
It was an action-packed start to the Championship season with thrilling comebacks, hat-tricks, and surprise victories. Football fans were treated to a spectacle of goals, drama, and late equalisers, showcasing the excitement and unpredictability of the sport.
As the season progresses, teams will be looking to build on their opening performances and establish themselves as contenders for promotion. With plenty of talent on display and competitive matches ahead, fans can expect more entertainment and memorable moments in the weeks to come.
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