West Bromwich Albion moved to the top of the Championship with a gritty 1-0 win at Derby County, despite playing over an hour with 10 men.

Aune Heggebo opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing a fast counter-attack from a low cross. But the lead was threatened when Brayann Pereira was sent off on his debut after receiving a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Charlie Taylor in the 34th minute.

Derby pushed for an equalizer, with David Ozoh flashing a ball across the box and Henrik Meister heading over from close range. West Brom's defense held firm, with Nat Phillips making a crucial clearance late on.

Manager John Eustace praised his team's resilience: "The lads did exactly what I wanted them to do... West Brom defended really well." The win takes them to the summit, while Derby remain winless at home.