Every Championship club’s last five games of 2019/20 season time, we’ve taken a look and listed below with the season’s end fast approaching.
Leeds and West Brom are the front-runners for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Fulham look in good contention of getting a playoff place if they maintain positive results.
Preston have slipped down the table, losing the last playoff spot which is filled by Cardiff instead.
Derby, Swansea, Millwall and Preston still look in good stead of getting it should results go their way, whilst it looks more unlikely for Blackburn and Bristol City. QPR, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday are just below mid-table.
The sudden news that Wigan are in administration means they will face a 12–point penalty. If they finish in relegation zone, it will apply next season (20-21). If not, it will count this season. Effectively, they are down, though pick up 12 points more than the highest relegation spot and they could just about stay up, it will be very close.
Birmingham, Stoke, Charlton, Huddersfield and Hull sit above the drop zone, and just a few points ahead of those in the relegation zone, which includes Middlesbrough, Barnsley and Luton. Take a look at every team (from 1st to 24th)’s run-in below:
Leeds United
Fixtures: Stoke (H), Swansea (A), Barnsley (H), Derby (A), Charlton (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: A tough run-in against opposition who have something to play for at both ends of the table. Bielsa will nevertheless use all his managerial nous to navigate Leeds to promotion as champions.
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West Bromwich Albion
Fixtures: Derby (H), Blackburn (A), Fulham (H), Huddersfield (A), QPR (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: With in-form Brentford breathing down their neck, the margins for error are small and games against Derby and Fulham in particular being pitfalls which will ultimately cost them second place.
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Brentford
Fixtures: Charlton (H), Derby County (A), Preston North End (H), Stoke City (A), Barnsley (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Derby County pose the trickiest of their upcoming opponents and should they overcome that then they will pip West Brom for the second automatic promotion place.
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Fulham
Fixtures: Nottingham Forest (A), Cardiff City (H), West Bromwich Albion (A), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Wigan Athletic (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Although Mitrovic will return against Cardiff, over-reliance on him will see the Cottagers finish fifth and in the lottery of the Play-Offs.
Nottingham Forest
Fixtures: Fulham (H), Preston (A) , Swansea (H), Barnsley (A) , Stoke City (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: The Fulham game is the big one – a game which Forest should edge over a Fulham side missing Mitrovic and will help them eventually finalise a more than creditable fourth-placed finish
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Cardiff City
Fixtures: Blackburn (H), Fulham (A), Derby (H), Middlesbrough (A), Hull City (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: The games against Fulham and Derby will define their season but they should have enough about them to retain sixth place and secure a Play-Off place
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Derby County
Fixtures: West Bromwich (A), Brentford (H), Cardiff City (A), Leeds (H), Birmingham City (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: The Rams undoubtedly have the toughest run-in compared to anyone else in the league and for this reason they will just miss out on a top six finish.
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Swansea City
Fixtures: Birmingham (A), Leeds (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Bristol City (H), Reading (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: The Swans will have to rely on other fixtures as well as get results against the likes of Leeds and Nottingham Forest meaning that the Play-Offs will be a step too far this season.
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Millwall
Fixtures: Middlesbrough (H), Hull City (A), Blackburn Rovers (H), QPR (A), Huddersfield (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: The Lions’ form since the restart is not good enough to challenge for the Play-Offs but a ninth place finish will give them something to build on next season.
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Preston North End
Fixtures: Sheffield Wednesday (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brentford (A), Birmingham City (H), Bristol City (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Out of form and too out of touch with the rest of the pack means any chance of achieving a Play-Off place is well beyond their reach.
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Blackburn Rovers
Fixtures:
Cardiff City (A)
West Bromwich Albion (H)
Millwall (A)
Reading (H)
Luton Town (A)
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Bristol City
Fixtures:
Hull City (H)
Middlesbrough (A)
Stoke City (H)
Swansea City (A)
Preston North End (H)
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Queens Park Rangers
Fixtures:
Wigan Athletic (A)
Sheffield Wednesday (H)
Luton Town (A)
Millwall (H)
West Bromwich Albion (A)
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Reading
Fixtures:
Huddersfield Town (H)
Charlton Athletic (A)
Middlesbrough (H)
Blackburn Rovers (A)
Swansea City (H)
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Sheffield Wednesday
Fixtures:
Preston North End (H)
Queens Park Rangers (A)
Huddersfield Town (H)
Fulham (A)
Middlesbrough (H)
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Wigan Athletic
Fixtures: QPR (H), Barnsley (A), Hull (H), Charlton (A), Fulham (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Relegated – Paul Cook’s men are one of the better sides of the nine candidates to go down but it appears unlikely they’ll be able to pick up enough points to counter any 12 point deduction.
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Birmingham City
Fixtures: Swansea (H), Stoke (A), Charlton (H), Preston (A), Derby (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Stay up – Pep Clotet’s team have had a largely inconsistent season but they have enough quality to keep their heads above water, especially with on-loan striker Scott Hogan in their ranks, who has scored seven goals in 12 games.
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Stoke City
Fixtures: Leeds (A), Birmingham (H), Bristol City (A), Brentford (H), Nottingham Forest (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Stay up – the star quality possessed by the likes of Tom Ince means this Stoke side – on their day – can be a match for most teams in the division.
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Charlton Athletic
Fixtures: Brentford (A), Reading (H), Birmingham (A), Wigan (H), Leeds (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Stay up – Charlton’s defensive strength compared to those around them means they should be able to pick up enough points to stay up – particularly with lots of the relegation candidates taking on each other.
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Huddersfield Town
Fixtures: Reading (A), Luton (H), Sheffield Wednesday (A), West Brom (H), Millwall (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Stay up – games against two sides with relatively little to play for and fellow strugglers Luton give the Terriers good opportunities to pick up points, which should be enough to keep them up.
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Hull City
Fixtures: Bristol City (A), Millwall (H), Wigan (A), Luton (H), Cardiff (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Stay up – Wigan’s expectant points deduction should mean Hull, just about, stay up – despite their obvious lack of defensive quality after conceding nine goals in four matches.
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Middlesbrough
Fixtures: Millwall (A), Bristol City (H), Reading (A), Cardiff (H), Sheffield Wednesday (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Stay up – Boro’s Woodgate experiment did not at all go to plan, leaving Warnock with a difficult task. Despite that, the Teesiders should stay up – although it could be at the expense of Wigan.
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Barnsley
Fixtures: Luton (A), Wigan (H), Leeds (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brentford (A)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Relegated – Playing three of the top five in their final three games is far from ideal for the Oakwell outfit while they do not have enough quality in their ranks to take many points from those games, if any.
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Luton Town
Fixtures: Barnsley (H), Huddersfield (A), QPR (H), Hull (A), Blackburn (H)
Verdict according to London Football Scene: Relegated – the Hatters do not have enough players who are able to turn games on their head to pick up unlikely results and have some tough fixtures against teams in and around them.
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Now you have seen every Championship club’s last five games, who do you think will win promotion, get a playoff place and go down? Let us know by commenting HERE.
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