Following another entertaining and drama-filled weekend of action in the Championship, Sports Mole picks out five of the biggest talking points.
1. Brighton the team to beat
During pre-season, when pundits were asked to provide their predictions for the campaign ahead, many were split down the middle when it came to offering a long-term outlook for Brighton & Hove Albion.
A side used to battling at the top end of the division since their promotion in 2011, last year acted as a reality check for the Seagulls as they were left to tough it out at the opposite end of the table.
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It has been a solid start this time around, though, and already they have opened up a five-point gap on third-place Middlesbrough. That is some going for boss Chris Hughton, who has assembled a decent squad which is spearheaded by Israeli forward Tomer Hemed.
The summer signing from Almeria has a proven pedigree of scoring goals, marking him out as one of Sports Mole's players to watch prior to the first ball being kicked, and should the service to him continue then Brighton's promotion charge may just last the distance.
2. Gray off the mark at Turf Moor
It is never easy for a player to live with the pressure of a hefty price tag, but Andre Gray has managed to break his Burnley scoring duck just two games after joining in a £9m deal from Championship-rivals Brentford.
That makes it three goals in four games so far this season for the 24-year-old, putting him well on course to surpass his tally of 17 from last term.
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Many questioned the valuation of the player who was plying his trade for Hinckley United just a few years ago but, no matter what the level, if you want a goalscorer you must spend big.
Fulham did exactly that to land Ross McCormack last summer, paying an even bigger fee to take him from Leeds United, yet his 23 goals to date underlines that point of reaching deep into the pockets to land a proven scorer. If Gray is quick to settle at Turf Moor, as is looking likely, then Burnley can certainly expect to be competing at the top end come May.
3. Draw specialists Leeds can march on
Glass half full or half empty? That is the question Leeds United supporters will be asking themselves at the moment, having registered their fifth draw of the campaign on Saturday afternoon.
Eight points from six games leaves them just about in the top half of the table, but Uwe Rosler will now be looking to turn those stalemates into three-point hauls.
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For too long the Whites have found themselves well out of promotion contention, failing to push on after battling their way out of League One five years ago and instead becoming mid-table cannon fodder for large parts.
Leeds now have a decent forward partnership, with Chris Wood and Mirco Antenucci bagging six between them already, which should be used to spearhead a push for the top six.
4. Derby finally get it right
Heavily backed for automatic promotion in the summer, it is fair to say that things have not gone quite to plan for managerial rookie Paul Clement thus far.
Four draws in succession to kick off the campaign was somewhat underwhelming, while the defeat to Leeds prior to the international break forced the Rams to delve back into the market.
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They ended the summer as the second-tier's highest spenders, bringing in both Jacob Butterfield and Bradley Johnson - both named Player of the Year at their respective clubs last season - in a mammoth deadline-day swoop.
Things look a little rosier all of a sudden, as a 2-1 win over Preston North End - which included a superb opening goal from Chris Martin - finally gave the big spenders lift off.
5. Royals feed off feel-good factor
The performance of the weekend has to go the way of Reading, who completely dismantled Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town in Friday night's curtain-raiser.
Steve Clarke has helped to bring some positivity back to the stands of late, with the captures of Lucas Piazon, Ola John and, most impressively of the lot, Matej Vydra - Player of the Year at this level two years ago - adding another dimension to the Royals.
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Key to the win was striker Orlando Sa, a man who now has four goals in his last two outings, but a lot of the credit must also go to Nick Blackman out wide. The 25-year-old was a menace all evening, playing a big part in what was the best showing of the campaign to date.
Discounted by many to claim a top-six place, Reading looked as strong as they have done at any other point since their relegation into the Championship when cruising to a 5-1 win. All that is needed now is some more consistency.
Daniel Lewis
