Sheffield United missed out on the chance to return to the top as the result of an 88th-minute Joe Allen free-kick that earned Stoke a 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane.
Chris Wilder’s side had lost their grip on top spot after their defeat at Derby on Saturday but seemed set to get back to winning ways when Leon Clarke tapped home from close range with 20 minutes to go. Allen, though, stroked a low free-kick past Dean Henderson.
Middlesbrough stayed top, despite being held to a 0-0 draw at home by struggling Rotherham. Norwich surged up to fourth with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, consigning Dean Smith to his first defeat as the Villa manager. They had led at Carrow Road through James Chester’s header but two Jordan Rhodes goals in the second half completed the turnaround.
Blackburn lost ground in the play-off race after slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Swansea, who ended a three-match winless run. Charlie Mulgrew’s penalty put Blackburn ahead but the keeper David Raya turned in Jay Fulton’s long-range shot for the equaliser. Connor Roberts’ low finish put Swansea ahead three minutes later before Bersant Celina clipped in a late third.
Birmingham continued their steady start with a 2-1 win over Reading, who slip closer to the bottom three after Millwall’s 2-1 win over Wigan. QPR’s recent upswing continued with an emphatic 3-0 win over injury-hit Sheffield Wednesday at Loftus Road.
