Last published · 23–24 October 2026
Burnley had the highest number of shots on target in the Championship this weekend and were still beaten 4-1. QPR finished third with the same tally, beating Swansea 5-0. Burnley hit four of their eight attempts on target but conceded one goal; QPR hit five of 12 on target and scored five goals.
That contrast runs through this edition of the Numbers Championship. Middlesbrough’s 31 shots gave Bolton five goals and three points, while Sheffield United’s 25 shots led to one goal and a draw. West Brom had 72% possession at Preston but also only took one point. Compare all 24 clubs below and see how the numbers translate into results.
Championship: highest percentage of shots on target
Burnley topped the rankings with 50% of their shots on target: four out of eight attempts. However, they scored just once and went without a point in a 4-1 defeat at Lincoln. Third-placed QPR had a lower goal share of 41.7% – five from 12 – yet scored five goals and took all three points in a 5-0 win over Swansea.
Southampton, second with 46.7%, hit 7 of 15 attempts and scored 3 goals in a 3-2 win at West Ham. Hitting the target more often as a proportion of attempts didn’t make Burnley the most effective finishers: their one goal to QPR’s five tells a very different story than the percentage rankings.
This is the share of shots that test the target, rather than the share converted into goals. Burnley’s position in this ranking shows why it should not be used alone to judge performance.
Share on target
| 1. Burnley · Lincoln 4–1 Burnley | 50.0% |
2.  Southampton · West Ham 2–3 Southampton | 46.7% |
3.  QPR · QPR 5–0 Swansea | 41.7% |
Click to open the rest of the table (21 more clubs)
Championship: most hits
Middlesbrough fired 31 shots at Bolton, scoring 12 goals and scoring five goals in a 5-1 win and three points. West Ham had ten of their 28 attempts on target, but their two goals produced no points in a 3-2 defeat at home to Southampton. Sheffield United had 10 of their 25 shots on target but managed just one goal in a 1-1 draw with Derby.
Wrexham had 23 shots at Blackburn but only put one on target, scoring no goals and remaining scoreless in a 2-0 defeat. Watford scored four tries at Wolves, none of which were on target, and went goalless and pointless in a 1-0 defeat. Boron’s volume paid off; It didn’t pay off after a busy afternoon in front of goal for West Ham and Wrexham.
Shots
1.  Middlesbrough · Bolton 1–5 Middlesbrough | 31 |
2.  West Ham · West Ham 2–3 Southampton | 28 |
3.  Sheffield Utd · Sheffield Utd 1–1 Derby | 25 |
Click to open the rest of the table (21 more clubs)
Championship: most shots on target
Middlesbrough converted 12 shots on target into five goals in their 5-1 win over Bolton. Sheffield United and West Ham both registered ten, but their returns were less: United scored one goal in a 1–1 draw with Derby, West Ham scored twice and still lost 3–2 to Southampton.
Southampton scored three goals from seven shots in their win over West Ham. Lincoln also scored seven goals and scored four goals in a 4-1 win over Burnley. The contrast is stark: United had more attempts on target than the winning sides, but finished with fewer goals and just one point.
QPR scored five goals from five shots against Swansea. Bristol City and Watford both finished without a shot on target; Bristol City picked up a point from a goalless draw with Stoke, while Watford lost 1-0 to Wolves.
On target
| 1. Middlesbrough · Bolton 1–5 Middlesbrough | 12 |
| 2. Sheffield Utd · Sheffield Utd 1–1 Derby | 10 |
| 2. West Ham · West Ham 2–3 Southampton | 10 |
Click to open the rest of the table (21 more clubs)
Championship: highest possession
West Brom recorded their highest share of possession of the round in a 1-1 draw at Preston. Although the home side had 28% possession, Albion’s 19-20 shots were recorded, a reminder that possession alone does not describe the balance of chances.
Wolves and Stoke both had 63%. “Wolves” beat “Watford” 1-0, and “Stoke” drew with “Bristol City” 0-0. 60% of Swansea offered less defense in the five-goal defeat at QPR.
Ownership
1.  West Brom · Preston 1–1 West Brom | 72% |
2.  Stoke City · Stoke City 0–0 Bristol City | 63% |
2.  monsters · Wolves 1-0 Watford | 63% |
Click to open the rest of the table (21 more clubs)
Championship: the highest expected goals
Expected goals (xG) increases the estimated goal probability of each recorded chance. Middlesbrough’s chances were 4.40 xG and they scored five goals in a 5-1 win at Bolton: a big chance turned into just a big score and three points. QPR scored five goals from 3.30 xG in their 5-0 win over Swansea, finishing with a modeled total of 1.70 goals.
The result of “Sheffield United” went differently. Their 2.55 xG was more than double Derby’s 1.15, but both scored once in the 1-1 draw. United finished 1.55 goals short of their chances and earned a point, showing that a higher-rated set of chances did not guarantee victory.
Burnley provide the sharpest contrast: they scored one goal from 2.37 xG, while Lincoln scored four goals from 1.94 xG and won 4-1. Lincoln finished 2.06 goals above its modeled total; Burnley were 1.37 behind them and left without a point. These gaps illustrate the difference between chance estimates and real goals, rather than proving that completion or chance alone caused the outcome.
Expected goals
| 1. Middlesbrough · Bolton 1–5 Middlesbrough | 4.40 |
| 2. QPR · QPR 5–0 Swansea | 3.30 |
| 3. Sheffield Utd · Sheffield Utd 1–1 Derby | 2.55 |
Click to open the rest of the table (21 more clubs)
Championship: last five form table
Points from each club’s last five league games, including this round. Equal returns share the form rate. A separate league-position column shows the overall standings after this round.
Points from five games
| Form rate · Club and result | League position | Points · last five |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Middlesbrough · Bolton 1–5 Middlesbrough | 1 | 11 |
2.  Birmingham · Cardiff 1–0 Birmingham | 7 | 10 |
2.  Blackburn · Blackburn 2–0 Wrexham | 10 | 10 |
Click to open the rest of the table (21 more clubs)
