Middlesbrough surged to the top of the Championship on Friday evening after securing an emphatic 5-1 victory away against Bolton Wanderers. Head coach Kim Hellberg's side produced an incisive attacking masterclass, peppering the hosts with 31 attempts on goal—19 of which came during a breathless first half. Middlesbrough recorded 12 efforts on target and accumulated an expected goals (xG) figure of 4.16, with only a string of impressive saves from Bolton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu preventing Steven Schumacher's side from suffering an even heavier defeat.
Division-leading marksman Will Lankshear spearheaded the blitz, bagging a brace to lift his league total to 11 goals in 12 appearances and 13 strikes across all competitions. The 21-year-old player of the match, who arrived from Tottenham for an initial £10m fee in July, sits four goals clear of Southampton's Cyle Larin in the second-tier scoring charts. Lankshear credited wingers Tommy Conway and Amario Cozier-Duberry for their service, while former Middlesbrough midfielder Neil Maddison hailed the display as a "five-star performance" and the best under Hellberg, praising Lankshear's evolving movement and varied runs.
Bolton entered the contest on the back of a win over Wolves and a draw against Southampton, but former Wanderers manager Keith Hill was left in awe of the visiting side. Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Hill labelled Middlesbrough "special" and asserted that their creative "artists" worked harder than virtually any team in the league, stating they will claim an automatic top-two spot if they maintain this standard. The result leaves Middlesbrough with 25 points from their opening 12 fixtures—having won seven times—matching their exact tally from the same stage last term. During that previous campaign, Boro topped the division in February before fading to fifth and ultimately losing to Hull in the play-off final, which they reached only after Southampton were expelled for spying.
Despite Bolton replying with a goal late in the opening half, Hellberg was delighted by the "beauty" of Middlesbrough's offensive rhythm and the clinical nature of their finishing. The Swedish manager also highlighted the positive contributions of five substitutes who entered from the bench to help close out the match before the travelling support. Having laid down a firm promotion marker before their rivals take to the pitch for the weekend fixtures, Middlesbrough will look to ensure this season's fast start translates into sustained success.