Divine Mukasa strike gives West Ham 1-0 win at Championship leaders Swansea as Middlesbrough hit back to draw

West Ham United closed in on the top of the Championship on Saturday, 17 October. Divine Mukasa scored the only goal as they beat leaders Swansea City 1-0 at the Swansea.com Stadium, in a game that kicked off at 10pm Malaysia time. Nuno Espirito Santo's side move up to second, one point behind Swansea. Middlesbrough came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Cardiff City, and Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion both won to stay close to the leading group.

Mukasa ends Swansea's winning run

Luke Williams' Swansea had won their previous four league games, but West Ham were the better side. The goal came in the 34th minute. Pablo won the ball from Marko Stamenic and found Mohamadou Kante, who squared it for Mukasa to score from close range.

Swansea's best chance came just before half-time, when Ben Cabango hit the crossbar from a set piece. They also had penalty appeals turned down. In the second half, Adam Idah and Eom Ji-sung had half-chances, but Swansea did not manage a shot on target all game. West Ham had four. Jarrod Bowen and Pablo both tested goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux on the counter-attack.

According to the Associated Press, it was Swansea's first home defeat since April and only their second loss of the season.

Lankshear comes off the bench to rescue Middlesbrough

At the Riverside, in the 12.30pm UK kick-off (7.30pm in Malaysia), Middlesbrough found themselves 2-0 down at half-time. Jack Moylan put Cardiff ahead midway through the first half, and Ollie Tanner doubled the lead just before the break.

Kim Hellberg had started Will Lankshear on the bench, and Boro turned the game around after the break. Tommy Conway pulled one back 13 minutes into the second half, and Lankshear equalised three minutes later. It was his 11th goal of the season. Cardiff defender Gabriel Osho was then sent off for a reckless tackle on Lankshear with seven minutes left.

Hellberg defended his decision to leave Lankshear out of the starting line-up. "It doesn't matter if you're Real Madrid or Middlesbrough," he said. Boro are now unbeaten in nine league games.

Birmingham and West Brom keep pace

Liam Millar scored twice and Demarai Gray added a third as Birmingham beat Queens Park Rangers 3-0. West Brom came back from 2-0 down against Blackburn Rovers. Andri Gudjohnsen scored twice for Blackburn in the first 12 minutes, but Barney Stewart pulled one back in the 19th minute. Isaac Price levelled from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute, and Felix Horn Myhre scored the winner in the 89th minute for James Morrison's side.

Elsewhere, Wrexham beat bottom club Preston North End 4-1, and Watford beat Charlton Athletic 2-0. Stoke won 1-0 at Derby, Sheffield United won 1-0 at Bristol City, and Portsmouth won 1-0 at Norwich. Millwall came from two down to draw 2-2 with Lincoln City, and Southampton and Bolton Wanderers drew 0-0.

The top of the table

After Saturday's games, Swansea lead on 23 points. West Ham and Middlesbrough have 22 each, with West Ham second. Birmingham and West Brom have 20, and Stoke are sixth on 19.

Key takeaways

• Divine Mukasa's 34th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at leaders Swansea.
• West Ham are now second, one point behind Swansea, and level on points with Middlesbrough.
• Will Lankshear came off the bench and scored as Middlesbrough came from 2-0 down to draw with Cardiff.
• Birmingham beat QPR 3-0, and West Brom came from 2-0 down to beat Blackburn 3-2.

FAQ

What was the score in Swansea vs West Ham? West Ham won 1-0 away at Swansea on 17 October 2026. Divine Mukasa scored in the 34th minute.

Who is top of the Championship? Swansea City are top on 23 points. West Ham and Middlesbrough are next on 22 each.

Who scored for Middlesbrough against Cardiff? Tommy Conway and Will Lankshear scored in the second half as Boro came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. Jack Moylan and Ollie Tanner scored for Cardiff.

Sources: Sky Sports, Associated Press, EFL Championship, Read West Ham, Dave Sport