Leeds are again among the pre-season favourites to gain promotion from the Championship but face a tricky start when visiting Bristol City on Sunday. The Robins finished just outside the play-off places last term and are a settled outfit under Lee Johnson, so this has all the makings of a close contest.
Derby upset the odds by knocking Leeds out of the Championship play-offs but Aston Villa still have to be rated a form pick for the final at Wembley. Dean Smith’s side only just shaded West Brom on penalties to get this far, but thrashed the Rams 3-0 away and then 4-0 at home during the regular season.
West Brom can be backed at 6/1 in bwin’s Championship promotion odds, as they seek to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Aston Villa. Dwight Gayle gave the Baggies a lead, but Conor Hourihane’s stunner and a Tammy Abraham penalty turned it around for Villa, who are 29/20 to go up.
Sheffield United are fancied to celebrate their promotion to the Premier League by closing the season on a high note with victory at Stoke. The Blades still have an outside chance of winning the Championship title on goal difference, if they beat the Potters and Norwich lose at Aston Villa.
We’ve looked back over the recent history of the game to track what happens to those who miss out on a trophy to see how often they repeat the trick or succeed at the second attempt.
Sheffield United should briefly go top of the Championship table by easing past already-relegated Ipswich at Bramall Lane on Saturday evening. The red-hot Blades go into this game just three points behind Norwich and have a better goal difference, while City do not play until later the same night.
Norwich can close in on Championship title glory by brushing aside a Sheffield Wednesday outfit that seems to have run out of steam. The Canaries have already beaten the Owls 4-0 at Hillsborough this season and are unbeaten on home turf in this division since the turn of the year.
Leeds are within sniffing distance of a return to the Premier League and should prove too strong for poor travellers Wigan at Elland Road. The Latics held Championship leaders Norwich to a draw at DW Stadium on Sunday but have only picked up two points from their last eight away matches.
Sheffield United’s hopes of earning automatic promotion have faltered of late but they have a good chance to get back on track when hosting Nottingham Forest. The visitors look resigned to mid-table mediocrity following a run of three straight defeats and should be there for the taking at Bramall Lane.
We were curious to find out which managers are the best at changing games using their substitutes and which players are best – and worst – when introduced from the bench, so we’ve analysed the data from the last five seasons for every Premier League and EFL club.
Norwich saw their eight-game winning run in the Championship come to an end after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Reading at Carrow Road on Wednesday night. Wigan suffered a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Hull on the same night and are just two points above the relegation zone with five matches remaining.
Bristol City’s play-off push was dented by a 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Wigan at Ashton Gate on Saturday. West Brom’s automatic promotion hopes are now slim after a 2-0 reverse at Millwall, where they missed a penalty and finished the game with 10 men.
Norwich should edge closer to automatic promotion by beating QPR, but the visitors may be worth backing to grab a consolation goal. Despite being five points clear at the top of the Championship table, only three teams have conceded more goals at home than the Canaries in this division.
Norwich hold a four-point advantage at the top of the Championship table with eight games remaining courtesy of a six-game winning streak. The international break came at a good time for Middlesbrough, who have lost their last three and are winless in four.