Five weeks into the Championship season and the early contours of the promotion picture are already taking shape. BBC Final Score pundit Sam Parkin has been casting an eye over the second tier's most eye-catching stories, and two clubs are dominating the conversation at the top of the table: West Ham United and Swansea City.

West Ham building a head of steam

West Ham sit top of the Championship after winning their last four matches, most recently a 6-0 dismantling of Wrexham on Friday night. It is a run that has silenced any early-season doubts about their credentials.

"They've scored 20 goals in just seven games and their attacking players are coming to the fore," Parkin told Final Score. "In the early part of the season, they probably had a few defensive issues and their forward players papered over the cracks to a certain degree, but on Friday night it all came together."

Parkin pointed to the settled nature of the squad as a significant factor, with Jarrod Bowen himself highlighting the importance of a closed transfer window. "Ultimately when you can get Manor Solomon, Jarrod Bowen, Valentin Castellanos and Joel Piroe in the same Championship side, they're going to cause havoc," Parkin said. "Those were the ingredients on Friday night."

He was careful not to read too much into the margin of Friday's result, noting that Wrexham were well below their best. Even so, his verdict on what West Ham represent for the rest of the division was unambiguous: "It's looking pretty ominous already for the rest of the Championship when you consider the amount of goals they've scored across the last four games."

Twenty goals in seven outings is a pace that, if sustained, would comfortably surpass any recent Championship-winning tally. Whether or not West Ham maintain it, the attacking depth at their disposal gives them a margin for error few clubs in the second tier can match.

Swansea's balance catching the eye

Level on points with West Ham but behind on goal difference, Swansea City are making the kind of start that invites serious questions about their ceiling this season. Vitor Matos's side beat Burnley 3-1 on Saturday to register a fourth win from seven, with both centre-forwards, Zan Vipotnik and Adam Idah, getting on the scoresheet.

"Swansea have made an amazing start to the season," Parkin said. "It's important to have both centre-forwards scoring, and both Vipotnik and Idah scored against Burnley. They've got strength in depth there. They've made some really interesting signings from different leagues, which you always expect from Swansea, going back over the years."

One name Parkin singled out was defender Stephen Welsh, recruited from Celtic. "He's really hit the ground running and I think their main strength is their defending, which maybe is not something you always associate with Swansea," he observed. Four clean sheets in seven games lends weight to that assessment: Matos has constructed a side that is hard to beat as well as capable of scoring freely.

The key question is how far Swansea can go. Parkin was candid about the automatic promotion picture, expressing doubt that they can sustain a challenge for the top two. However, he was more optimistic about their prospects under the expanded play-off format. "With the extension to the play-offs, they can fight and win a place in the top eight. That would definitely be a realistic ambition for them," he said.

A top-eight finish would represent a significant step forward for a club that has been rebuilding steadily, and if the current form is any guide, Swansea have both the squad depth and the defensive structure to be genuine contenders for that bracket.

A two-club statement week

Taken together, the performances of West Ham and Swansea across the weekend underlined just how competitive the top of the Championship already looks five games in. West Ham's firepower and Swansea's defensive organisation represent contrasting but equally compelling models, and supporters of both clubs will head into the international break with a genuine sense of optimism about what the season might hold.

Whether either club can maintain these levels over a 46-game campaign remains the central question. For now, the evidence is hard to argue with.

Frequently asked

How many goals have West Ham scored in the Championship this season?
According to BBC Final Score pundit Sam Parkin, West Ham have scored 20 goals in their first seven Championship games, a run that has taken them to the top of the table.
Where do Swansea City sit in the Championship table?
Swansea are second in the Championship, level on points with West Ham but behind on goal difference after winning four of their first seven matches, including a 3-1 victory over Burnley.
Can Swansea City get promoted from the Championship this season?
Pundit Sam Parkin doubts Swansea can sustain a challenge for the automatic promotion places, but believes a top-eight finish and a place in the play-offs is a realistic and achievable ambition given their strong start.