Andrew Aloia
BBC Sport at ProAmpac Stadium

Same division, different league...

To say as much can easily be interpreted as some sort of put down for Lincoln City, but sitting here at Sincil Bank where the 11th Century, Gothic Cathedral has just been swallowed up by the night sky, you can't help but admire what this means to the Imps tonight.

It was less than three years ago that West Ham won the Europa Conference League by beating Italian side Fiorentina in the final.

Nine years ago, Lincoln were a non-league club.

West Ham's relegation from the Premier League has landed them in the Championship where they are expected to bounce straight back with promotion.

Lincoln, promoted from League One last season to get back to the second division for the first time in 65 years, are all about survival this season. To do so, they need to get the most out of one of the smallest budgets in the league.

Image source, Opta

Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have decided on five changes to the Imps side which went down 3-0 at Sheffield United on Saturday.

Callum Elder, Tom Hamer, Ivan Varfomoleev, Chiedozie Ogbene and Daniel Oyegoke all come in.

Rob Street, Adam Reach, Tom Bayliss, Ryley Towler and Dom Jefferies drop to the bench.

Nuno Espirito Santo has made four changes to the Hammers XI which drew 1-1 at home to QPR last Friday night.

Joel Veltman returns to the defence after a month out while Mohamadou Kante is back after missing the last game through suspension following his red card at Millwall.

Joel Piroe and Pablo are handed starts in attack with Kyle Walker-Peters, Tomas Soucek, Divine Mukasa and Taty Castellanos all dropping to the bench.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Shutterstock

The day has arrived. The blood-curdling fixture used to taunt West Ham and Tottenham fans as they slogged their way through the back end of the last Premier League season is here.

Lincoln have made a solid enough start to life in the Championship for the first time in 65 years while the Hammers have begun like they want to make their first visit back to the second tier in 14 years a brief one.

These two last met in the league in December 1957 when the Irons ran out 6-1 winners and another win tonight would take the visitors back up to third, hot on the heels of Swansea, whom they visit on Saturday.

After romping to the League One title last term the Imps have failed to win in their opening four home games, claiming two points and scoring only three goals, while the Hammers are unbeaten in their four matches on the road, scoring eight but drawing three of those games.

Prime time, under the lights... we'll learn a lot about both Lincoln and West Ham tonight.

Image source, Opta

Norwich City will be without their number one keeper as Vladan Kovacevic is ruled out with concussion.

In steps Daniel Grimshaw with under-21s stopper Caleb Ansen on the bench.

Ben Chrisene comes back into the XI alongside Anis Ben Slimane to complete the triple change.

Saints make four changes as James Bree, Cyle Larin and Leo Scienza move to the bench.

Cam Bragg's red card against Portsmouth means he also misses out.

Zach Abbott, on loan from Nottingham Forest, makes his first start and Kuryu Matsuki, Lewis Dobbin and Sam Edozie are also in.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

Both Norwich City's Philippe Clement and Southampton's Tonda Eckert turned their sides' seasons around when they came into the job last season - but where one has continued to thrive, the other has stumbled.

Even with a four point deduction Southampton are just a point away from a play-off position and arrive at Carrow Road fresh off derby day delight despite a first-half red card for Cam Bragg against Portsmouth.

Many would have expected the Canaries to be in a similar position this campaign after Clement took the club from a bottom three dweller to a potential play-off contender, but it has not been so.

One point and a healthier goal difference keeps Norwich out of the bottom three and with a three match losing streak, it's unlikely confidence will be high.

Image source, Opta

John Mousinho has made three changes to the Pompey XI which went down 1-0 at Southampton on Sunday.

Adrian Segecic, Marko Milanovic and Iyad Mohamed all come in with Colby Bishop and Ebou Adams dropping to the bench and Tyrese Shade missing out altogether, having originally being named among the replacements.

Why change a winning side? Chris Wilder has named the same Blades team which beat Lincoln 3-0 on Saturday.

Kalvin Phillips has been added to the substitutes bench, however.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

Portsmouth will seek to bounce back from Sunday's derby dismay at Southampton as they welcome the Blades to Fratton Park.

Chris Wilder's men began the season with three straight draws but have since won three and lost three, overcoming Lincoln 3-0 at Bramall Lane on Saturday to move within striking distance of the play-off places.

Pompey have lost their past three at the hands of the Blades, who are seeking to win back-to-back league games at Fratton Park for the first time in more than 39 years.

John Mousinho's men have claimed four points from their opening four home games to lie outside the drop-zone on goal difference alone, with a game in hand, but Wilder is unbeaten against the Blues in the second tier, taking 10 points from four previous encounters.

Image source, Opta

Harvey Vale and Alfie Lloyd are back in the starting XI for QPR as part of a double change from Friday's contest with West Ham.

Jake Clarke-Salter and Kwame Poku are on the bench.

Derby County are unchanged from the side that drew 1-1 with Wrexham on the weekend.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

Queens Park Rangers have enjoyed a positive start to their season, one that sees them with the second best defensive record in the league next to leaders Swansea and the potential to go third with victory.

But without a win in five, and four draws in a row, they will want to ensure they keep notching up the points to keep themselves at the right end of the table.

Tonight they will have the chance to reinvigorate their winning ways as they host Derby County, a side in the bottom three and, after a rocky summer, are looking down the barrel of a mighty tough season despite a brilliant campaign last time around.

The Rams are also winless in five, with back-to-back draws, and will also be looking to convert those to one pointers to three point victories soon. They also happen to know how to beat their hosts, having won both fixtures against QPR last season.

Though this doesn't appear to be the Rams of 2025-26 so far and many Hoops fans will hoping that this is not the same mid-table R's side of years gone past either.

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

Championship leaders Swansea have won four games since West Ham's last win on 11 September, during which the Hammers have come from behind to secure draws with Millwall and QPR.

It means that even a win at Lincoln tonight wouldn't be enough to take the Irons back into the automatic promotion places.

The middle of the pack is so tight you could throw your cap over a dozen teams and should the 17th-placed Imps spring a surprise they would move within two points of Nuno Espirito Santo's side.

QPR are also within striking distance of the top-three ahead of their game at home to second-bottom Derby while Southampton could jump into the play-off spots with a win at Norwich, one point above the drop zone.

Portsmouth are only out of the bottom three on goal difference but will aim for breathing space as they welcome Sheffield United to Fratton Park, with a win potentially enough to haul the Blades up eight places in the standings, depending on results elsewhere.

Image source, Shutterstock

Big night, this. One fifth of the unforgiving grind of the Championship season is in the rear view mirror and we're in the middle of one of those testing three-match weeks - the last full midweek programme during British Summer Time.

The table is beginning to take a very interesting shape and the Championship looks as open as it has in many years at both ends.

We have four games for you tonight, with promotion chasers and basement battlers setting their sights on three precious points under the lights.

Grab a brew and let's bring you up to speed before the first action gets under way at 19:45 BST.