Middlesbrough 5-1 Bolton to go top of the Championship, confirming themselves among the promotion favourites. Boro's play was slick and incisive, registering 31 shots at goal, 19 in the first half alone, with 12 on target. The 4.16 expected goals (xG) racked up under Kim Hellberg underlined the number and quality of chances created.
Former Bolton manager Keith Hill, working as a BBC Radio Manchester pundit, praised Boro's creative players as "artists" and said they "worked like soldiers". He added: "I think the Bolton staff, players and fans know they've been beaten by the best team in the Championship."
Middlesbrough are on 25 points after 12 games - the same tally they had at the equivalent time last season. Neil Maddison hailed it as possibly Boro's best performance under Hellberg, singling out player of the match Will Lankshear, whose movement he described as "ridiculously good".
"If that is the bar in this league then they will finish in the top two," Hill predicted.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing