Ranking the top 12 best EFL Championship strikers so far this season | OneFootball

From proven scorers to breakout stars, we rank the Championship's most lethal finishers as the season takes shape

As we pause for the November international break, the Championship table is starting to take shape - and so too is the race for the division’s Golden Boot.

Coventry City have set the pace at the top, while Middlesbrough, Stoke City, and Preston North End are all close behind, but what’s striking this season is the sheer spread of attacking talent across the league.

Amid all that, one thing has stood out - this has already been a great season for strikers, at both ends of the second tier’s table.

From proven goalscorers rediscovering their touch to breakout stars seizing their first real shot at senior football, the division is full of forwards shaping their clubs’ fortunes.

Here’s the Football League World ranking of the top 12 Championship strikers so far this season.

12 ? ? George Hirst (Ipswich Town)

After relegation from the Premier League, Ipswich’s season was always going to hinge on how they adapted to the grind of the Championship.

Amid the turbulence, George Hirst has been one of the few steady hands.

His numbers - five goals, one from the spot - don’t scream headline-grabber, but Hirst’s impact goes well beyond stats.

In a squad readjusting to the second tier, Hirst has become the kind of player every successful side needs: dependable, disciplined and in the right place.

11 ? ? Will Lankshear (Oxford United)

Will Lankshear’s brief stint at West Brom last season didn’t set the world alight, but the Tottenham loanee has found his footing at Oxford.

Five goals and a sharper edge in his movement suggest a player settling into senior football on his own terms.

Lankshear has brought both energy and composure to Oxford’s attack. For a teenager in a team still adapting to the Championship’s intensity, that’s no small feat.

10 ? ? Rumarn Burrell (Queens Park Rangers)

Rumarn Burrell’s rise from the lower leagues to being QPR’s leading scorer has been one of the more understated stories of the season.

His five goals have come through graft as much as guile - he’s a relentless presser, clever mover, and his composure in front of goal is growing.

It’s impressive, too, that he’s outscored Richard Kone - a far more hyped and sought-after name when the season began.

QPR’s

9 ? ? Divin Mubama (Stoke City)

On loan from Man City, Divin Mubama has taken his chance at Stoke with both hands.

He's recently looked fearless - and while he had a slightly slow start to life in the Championship, he's shown exactly why he's rated so highly.

Five goals in his first 15 appearances, all from open play, and he's been a constant threat with his pace and direct running.

There's a rawness to his game, sure, but that's part of the appeal. Mubama's ceiling feels sky-high - and for a promotion-chasing side, his emergence might be season-defining.

It’s been a grim autumn on the south coast. Southampton’s anticipated revival has evaporated under the recently sacked Will Still, with Saints languishing towards the end of the table.

Through it all, Adam Armstrong’s form has quietly sharpened after a slow start. Five goals and a growing influence in build-up play underline a forward who remains incredibly capable at this level.

No longer the bright young hope learning on the job, Jay Stansfield has stepped up as Birmingham’s main man.

It took him a few weeks to adjust after the step up, but he’s grown steadily into the role. Six goals, two from the spot, underline how consistently he’s delivering.

Stansfield’s sharpness off the ball is just as crucial. He makes clever runs that constantly stretch defences and create space for others.

At 22, he’s now leading Birmingham’s line with a maturity that belies his age - a genuine focal point rather than just a spark of promise.

6 ? ? Zan Vipotnik (Swansea City)

Swansea’s season has been erratic, but Zan Vipotnik has been anything but. The Slovenian forward has scored six times, becoming a fan favourite in the process.

He has quietly become one of the Championship season’s surprises. Cheeky and confident in equal measure, he’s the type of striker who seems to thrive just out of the spotlight.

Few would have expected him to appear on a list like this so early in the campaign, but six goals in 13 appearances underline that Swansea might just have a real gem.

Few players in the Championship divide opinion like Oli McBurnie, but there’s no arguing with his output this season.

Six goals in ten starts have made him the reliable focal point Hull City have been crying out for.

He’s led the line with aggression and intelligence, looking revitalised, sharper and fitter than he’s been in years.

After a few nomadic seasons and off-field struggles, he’s found a side that suits him - and his resurgence has mirrored Hull’s quiet rise into the top six.

After a tough start for the newly promoted Wrexham, they’re beginning to look like they belong in the Championship, and Moore has led the charge.

His first career hat-trick since 2018 highlighted just how influential he can be at this level, combining power and presence with an eye for goal that makes him the perfect focal point for Phil Parkinson’s attack.

Seven goals so far, all from open play, Moore brings experience and physical dominance, but he’s more than just a battering ram - his hold-up play and awareness make him central to how Wrexham build attacks.

Coventry’s attacking identity has evolved this season, but much of their threat still runs through Haji Wright.

Eight goals in 14 games - one from the spot - show how far the American has come since his early months in England. Wright combines pace with physical presence and has become lethal in transition, constantly peeling off defenders and punishing space.

He’s also become far more clinical: his finishing sharper, his positioning more instinctive. Coventry’s surge to the top of the table owes as much to Wright’s development as anything else.