Championship promotion race as 12 clubs battle to earn Premier League spot
While nine Premier League clubs do battle to avoid being one of the three teams that will suffer relegation, all 12 teams in the top half of the Championship are in the running to be one of the three teams to replace them in the top flight.
And now is the time for that dozen to front up or back out because, with the final day of the season six weeks away, time is running out to win the prize of being in with the elite next season. Barring a collapse of Devon Loch-proportions, Burnley will be one of them.
The winning line is in sight for Vincent Kompany's Clarets, who have lost just twice in 37 league games, and three is now their magic number. Third-placed Middlesbrough can reach a maximum of 91 points, meaning that three wins for Burnley in their final nine games would put them on 92 points and heading up in one of the two automatic spots.
Most likely they will win the title shortly after securing promotion. The battle below them however, could be as fascinating as the Prem’s relegation fight. In all likelihood, one of Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Luton, and Blackburn will claim the second automatic place.
But every club from Millwall in sixth to Preston in 12th is in with a genuine chance of challenging for one of the four play-off berths in a race that will go right to the last day of the regular season on May 8.
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Champions-elect: Burnley
In the home straight: Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Luton, Blackburn
Coming up on the outside: Millwall, Norwich, Coventry, West Brom
Could make a late run:Watford, Sunderland, Preston
Burnley are favourites to secure promotion to the Premier League (Getty Images)Burnley
Having led from mid October, Burnley would be lying if they said they were just focussed solely on promotion. A title in style for Vincent Kompany’s men has to be the aim with over 100 points for the fifth time this century in reach and Reading’s 106 points 2005-06 record bettered if they can win eight of their last nine. The visit of second-placed Sheffield United on April 10 can see them clinch both automatic promotion and the title and with just two losses all season an Easter Monday party looks on. Gideon Brooks
Sheffield United
What a test of nerve. Not just for the glory of getting back to the Premier League, but for the financial future of the club. Will the Blades’ big gamble come off? They have had a wobble with four defeats and three wins in seven league games. The FA Cup had been fun but a semi-final against Man City will be an emotional energy sapper... and before that away games at Norwich and Burnley could put second place in jeopardy. Simon Bird
Billy Sharp is hoping to help Sheffield United land another promotion (PA)Middlesbrough
Nailed on for a play-off berth but can Middlesbrough catch Sheffield United? Yes. Boro are a powerful well-frilled energetic unit under Michael Carrick, after he took over third bottom. Chuba Akpom is scoring virtually every game, Cameron Archer is lively and they have options. Beat Huddersfield this weekend and it is Burnley at home next week. They also face Norwich (h) and Luton (a) in a tough, but exciting run in. Simon Bird
Luton
Timed their run well and look solidly placed for the play-offs in fourth, seven points clear of seventh but with four of their last eight against play-off challengers things will not be comfortable. Leading scorer Carlton Morris, with five in his last eight (four of them 1-0 wins) looks key. And the key game? Luton manager Rob Edwards, sacked by Watford last September after just 11 games in charge, has a chance to put a spoke in his old club’s promotion hopes on Saturday. Gideon Brooks
Rob Edwards was sacked by Watford this season and then joined rivals Luton (Greig Cowie/REX/Shutterstock)
Blackburn
Burnley, Luton, Millwall is a tough final three games for Blackburn who will hope to put a play-off place to bed before then. Away form remains a concern with 10 defeats out of 19 but trips to Birmingham on Saturday and Huddersfield (April 10) are must-win games. Norwich and Coventry are waiting for a slip just four points back so the imminent return from hamstring injury of the influential Bradley Dack cannot come soon enough for boss Jon Dahl Tomasson. Gideon Brooks
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Millwall
For a striker who took 10 games to get off the mark this season, Tom Bradshaw has been an unlikely talisman in the Lions’ promotion push. Hat-tricks against Watford and Sheffield United have been the highlights but 14-goal Bradshaw has developed a happy knack of scoring against teams on the Championship’s upper slopes. And manager Gary Rowett has enjoyed a magic ingredient – consistency – to Millwall’s pursuit of a place at the top table for the first time in 33 years. Good Friday’s home date with Luton, and the final-day clash with Blackburn, look the tastiest games of their run-in. Mike Walters
Tom Bradshaw has been an unlikely talisman for Millwall (Jed Leicester/REX/Shutterstock)
Norwich
The Canaries have soared back to the Premier League with title wins after their last two relegations but now in seventh-placed, they have dropped off the pace after two points from three games. Brazilian record-signing Gabriel Sara has hit form with three goals in five games and boss David Wagner has successfully negotiated the play-offs with Huddersfield before so there is hope but goals from strikers Teemu Pukki and Josh Sargent have dried up. James Nursey
Coventry
Boss Mark Robins has done superbly to get Coventry flying after a slow start amid off the field woes. They have one of the best strikers in the division in Viktor Gyokeres, one of the top midfielders in Gustavo Hamer and have kept 17 clean sheets – the most in the Championship. Coventry are unbeaten in nine games and face only two teams above them in the run in to boost hopes of a first play-off appearance since relegation in 2012. James Nursey
Coventry have one of the best strikers in the division in Viktor Gyokeres (PA)
West Brom
Superb under Carlos Corberan, especially at home, and of their remaining four home matches, three of them see rivals in Millwall, Sunderland and Norwich visit The Hawthorns. West Brom’s final home game, against Norwich, could well have a lot riding on it. Their game-in-hand is at Sheffield United who may be distracted by the FA Cup so Coberan could complete an incredible rise from the bottom to top six. James Nursey
Watford
Undisputed champions – as the division’s biggest under-achievers. Now on their third head coach of the season, which has become par for the course at Vicarage Road, Chris Wilder is finding consistency every bit as hard to extract from his over-rated players as predecessors Slaven Bilic and Rob Edwards. What makes the Hornets’ hot-and-cold oscillations even worse for the supporters is Edwards’ impressive record up the road at hated rivals Luton. Key game? Look no further than the derby at Kenilworth Road on Saturday. It’s all over for Watford this season if they lose. Mike Walters
Watford recently hired Chris Wilder as their new manager until the end of the season (Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)
Sunderland
If Ross Stewart had been fit all season, Sunderland would be in the top six. Even if they had kept Everton loanee Ellis Simms they would have had a chance. Attractive, skillful, expansive football is on display but they need an experienced enforcer in midfield to build a promotion squad. And to keep Stewart next season. Anything more than a season of consolidation, after four seasons in League One, would have been a bonus. But the Mackems won’t be going up yet. Simon Bird
Preston
Despite eight goalless draws, some of them not as exciting as they sound, Preston are still in the mix for a return to the top flight after 62 years. Manager Ryan Lowe’s side are the Championship’s lowest scorers outside the bottom four but until a 4-0 defeat at Middlesbrough before the international break they were nobody’s pushovers. This weekend’s home derby against Blackpool – never a quiet affair – is their chance to kick-start a late surge to finish above the dotted line but with a seven-point gap to bridge it’s a long shot. Mike Walters
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