The race for the Premier League hots up on Friday night when the top two teams in the Championship meet in south Wales. Norwich lead the way as they seek an immediate return to the Championship but have failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.
Watford have looked like genuine contenders for a quick return to the Premier League of late and are taken to prove too strong for QPR at Vicarage Road. Rangers are rated a solid, but unspectacular mid-table Championship outfit at best, so this is the kind of test the Hornets should safely negotiate.
Bournemouth received a welcome boost to morale in the FA Cup and are now fancied to get their Championship campaign back on track at Reading. The Cherries scored four unanswered goals in the second half when coming from behind to beat the Royals at Vitality Stadium a couple of months ago.
Birmingham boss Aitor Karanka could badly do with a positive result to ease the pressure on him as he prepares to return to his former club Middlesbrough on Saturday. Blues have taken just one point from their last six league games and are only four points clear of the relegation zone.
Bournemouth ended 2020 with two successive away games and start the new year on their travels once again as they head to promotion rivals Stoke. The Cherries lost 2-1 at Brentford on Wednesday but are still three points clear of the seventh-placed Potters, plus they have a game in hand.
Nottingham Forest and Cardiff are both expected to be in the promotion mix this season but have made a slow start ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off. They were both beaten on the opening weekend and were knocked out in the first round of the EFL Cup so there is pressure on them to avoid a third straight defeat.
Birmingham finished 31 points below Brentford in the Championship last season but maintained a good head-to-head record against the Bees. City took four points from two tight tussles, having picked up a couple of draws during the previous campaign’s hard-fought encounters.
While the Premier League grabs the lion’s share of the football headlines in England, there are more than three times as many professional clubs below the top flight with stories of their own to tell. To celebrate those working away from the limelight, we’ve ranked the top 20 managers based on their achievements with EFL clubs.
Fulham ultimately looked a cut above Cardiff in the first leg of their Championship play-offs semi-final and can also shade the return fixture. However, the Bluebirds did create enough chances early on to suggest they will have their moments at Craven Cottage on Thursday night.
Brentford’s clash with Barnsley at Griffin Park could prove hugely significant at both ends of the Championship table. The Bees are still in with a chance of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the Tykes must win to keep alive any hopes of avoiding relegation to League One.
West Brom can clinch automatic promotion to the Premier League if beating QPR at The Hawthorns and it will be a big surprise if they fluff their lines. The Baggies have prevailed in their last three encounters with the Hoops, including a 7-1 romp when they met at this venue early on last season.
Middlesbrough are 333/100 in bwin’s Championship relegation odds after appointing Neil Warnock as manager to replaced the sacked Jonathan Woodgate. Boro are sitting outside the bottom three on goal difference after resuming their season with a 3-0 home defeat to Swansea on Saturday.
With COVID-19 causing havoc among the sporting world, we are taking a look at the latest football coronavirus news in terms of fixtures being postponed. Major leagues and competitions have been shut down around the globe, with a number of high-profile players and managers already affected by the disease.
With almost all professional football shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, we’re jumping on the eSoccer bandwagon with Ultimate QuaranTeam predictions. League Two outfit Leyton Orient have hit the headlines by organising this FIFA 20 tournament, which has attracted interest from clubs across the globe.