Will Lankshear's stunning start continues as Middlesbrough sink West Brom

Will Lankshear scored twice as Middlesbrough beat West Brom 3-1 at the Riverside Stadium, taking his tally to six goals in just five games since his summer move from Tottenham. It's the kind of return that's already making him one of the Championship's standout stories.

Both of Lankshear's goals came from close range after rebounds off Baggies goalkeeper Max O'Leary, a sign of the striker's instinct for being in the right place as much as any moment of individual quality. Jimmy-Jay Morgan briefly levelled for West Brom in the second half, but Alfie Jones added a third with three minutes remaining to make sure of the points and send Boro back to winning ways after last weekend's defeat.

How the win over West Brom unfolded at the Riverside

Middlesbrough had lost for the first time this season the previous weekend at Blackburn Rovers, but they responded in the best possible fashion, following a 3-1 Carabao Cup win at Doncaster in midweek with another victory back in the league. West Brom, managed by Boro academy graduate James Morrison, arrived having won both of their opening league games and pushed Newcastle United close in the cup, so this was no formality. Felix Myhre's first-half chance, set up by a clever Jayson Molumby through-ball, was the closest the visitors came to taking an early lead, but Lankshear's movement in the box proved decisive either side of the break, with Jones' late strike putting a firm gloss on the scoreline.

Will Lankshear's numbers since arriving from Tottenham

Lankshear's rapid start has quickly turned him into one of the most talked-about forwards outside the Premier League, and the underlying numbers back up the eye test.

• Goals this season: Six in five appearances across all competitions since his summer transfer.
• Previous club: Signed permanently from Tottenham Hotspur, where he had progressed through the development squad without breaking into the first team.
• Goal pattern: Both strikes against West Brom came from close-range finishes after rebounds, a hallmark of his instinctive style so far.
• Team impact: Has scored in a Carabao Cup tie and multiple Championship matches, showing an ability to perform across competitions rather than just picking off weaker opposition.

What Lankshear's form means for Middlesbrough's season

Kim Hellberg's side have made a habit of bouncing back quickly from setbacks this season, and having a forward finding the net with this level of consistency gives the team a focal point every side in the Championship needs over a long campaign. Boro's squad building this summer has been built around adding proven quality in key areas, and Lankshear's early impact suggests that recruitment strategy is already paying dividends. For a club with genuine promotion ambitions, having a striker scoring at close to a goal a game this early in the season changes the calculus on what's realistically achievable by May.

Where Middlesbrough go from here

With Lankshear finding this kind of form and Middlesbrough showing the character to respond immediately to their first defeat of the campaign, there's genuine reason for optimism at the Riverside. The challenge now is consistency over a 46-game season rather than a five-game hot streak, but few strikers in the division are attracting this much attention this early, and Boro will hope his sharp start is a sign of things to come rather than a purple patch that fades.