In this article, with another busy few days ahead, we look at who can be promoted, relegated and secure European or playoff spot this week?
With the season’s end just around the corner, and many already turning their focus to new campaign, there is still a lot at stake and everyone checking out the weekend football tips.
This is the third matchweek which sees potential ups and down in professional English football, so here is what could be confirmed…
The business end of the 2021/22 season is fast approaching and the EFL Championship, League One and League Two standings are beginning to take shape.
And while it might be difficult to keep track of potential promotions and relegations across the three divisions, we’ve got you covered.
Take a look at this week’s permutations…
The business end of the 2021/22 season is here and the standings are beginning to take shape.
And while it might be difficult to keep track of potential promotions and relegations across the three divisions, we’ve got you covered.
Take a look at this week’s permutations…
We already know that the top four teams will qualify for the Champions League group stage.
There are also places in the Champions League group stage kept for those who win this season’s Champions League and Europa League, regardless of their domestic league positions.
If English sides win both competitions but finish outside the top four, there can only be a maximum of five English teams in the Champions League, so the fourth-placed team will enter the Europa League.
The Premier League team that finishes in 5th place will qualify for the Europa League group stage, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa place reverts to the league. Still with us?
Liverpool winning the Carabao Cup final means at worst they will qualify for the Europa Conference League play-off round. However, qualify for Europe also by their league position, that Conference League spot will revert to the league.
Manchester City are also assured of playing in Europe as they can finish no lower than sixth, but both of those teams are bound to qualify for the Champions League with both City and Liverpool really the only teams battling from the title.
If Leicester win the Europa Conference League, they will qualify for the Europa League group stage.
Placement of clubs in European competitions is expected to change after UEFA suspended Russian teams from all its competitions following the invasion of Ukraine.
The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship, no one can do that this weekend.
Saturday 23rd April 2022
12.30pm – Arsenal v Manchester United
5.30pm – Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
3pm – Leicester City v Aston Villa
3pm – Manchester City v Watford
3pm – Norwich City v Newcastle United
Sunday 24th April 2022
2pm – Brighton & Hove Albion v Southampton
2pm – Burnley v Wolverhampton Wanderers
2pm – Chelsea v West Ham United
4.30pm – Liverpool v Everton
Monday 25th April 2022
8pm – Crystal Palace v Leeds United
SEE MORE: Premier League fixtures live on TV this week
Championship
Fulham sealed promotion on Tuesday evening after seeing off Preston North End 3-0 and the Cottagers could take the title this weekend with a win against second-placed Bournemouth, who currently trail by nine points and are guaranteed of at least a playoff place. The two face each other this weekend.
Huddersfield, Luton and Nottingham Forest are the only ones who can catch Bournemouth.
Sheffield United are the other side who sit in the remaining top-six places and up to five teams below them will still hope to make the cut, too.
After losing 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers on Easter Monday, Derby became the first Championship side to be relegated to League One.
Barnsley and Peterborough will join them unless they take maximum points from their remaining matches and Reading pick up no ore than a point from theirs.
Friday 22nd April 2022
7.45pm – Huddersfield Town v Barnsley
Saturday 23rd April 2022
3pm – AFC Bournemouth v Fulham
3pm – Birmingham City v Millwall
3pm – Derby County v Bristol City
3pm – Hull City v Reading
12.30pm – Luton Town v Blackpool
3pm – Peterborough United v Nottingham Forest
3pm – Sheffield United v Cardiff City
3pm – Stoke City v Queens Park Rangers
3pm – Swansea City v Middlesbrough
3pm – West Bromwich Albion v Coventry City
Monday 25th April 2022
7.30pm – Preston North End v Blackburn Rovers
Why not check out David Prutton’s predictions for the Championship this weekend by clicking HERE.
League One
Crewe Alexandra, who sit at the bottom of League One, became the first EFL side to suffer relegation. After losing to rivals Doncaster Rovers, the Alex ended their two-season stay in the third tier.
Donny are vulnerable as they are six points from safety with two games remaining and need a large swing in goal difference.
AFC Wimbledon could also been relegated as early as Saturday, they are away to Fleetwood Town, who sit a place above them, three points ahead and a point from safety with a game in hand. Eyes will also be on what result Gillingham get against Portsmouth with the Gills just outside the relegation zone.
Wigan Athletic’s return to the Championship was put on hold after drawing with Ipswich Town during midweek. However, they could achieve promotion again this weekend with the visit of Plymouth Argyle to the DW Stadium. The Latics, already assured of at least a playoff place, will go up if they beat the Pilgrims or if other results go their way.
Saturday 23rd April 2022
3pm – Accrington Stanley v Lincoln City
3pm – Charlton Athletic v Shrewsbury Town
3pm – Cheltenham Town v Bolton Wanderers
3pm – Crewe Alexandra v Ipswich Town
3pm – Doncaster Rovers v Burton Albion
3pm – Fleetwood Town v AFC Wimbledon
3pm – Milton Keynes Dons v Morecambe
3pm – Portsmouth v Gillingham
3pm – Rotherham United v Oxford United
3pm – Sunderland v Cambridge United
3pm – Wigan Athletic v Plymouth Argyle
3pm – Wycombe Wanderers v Sheffield Wednesday
League Two
All eyes were on Forest Green Rovers, who are already assured of a playoff place at least, heading into the Easter weekend with the Gloucestershire side, who sit top of the table, look to be the first to claim promotion in League Two.
This weekend now presents the earliest opportunity for Rob Edwards’ side to secure promotion to League One for the first time in the club’s history, when they make the trip to Bristol Rovers, needing just one more point to do so.
Exeter could be promoted if they win on Saturday and several results go their way.
Elsewhere, Scunthorpe United’s fate was sealed as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Leyton Orient at the weekend, ending the Iron’s 72-year stay in the EFL.
Oldham will join them on Saturday if they lose and Barrow and Stevenage both win.
Friday 22nd April 2022
7.45pm Newport County v Colchester United
Saturday 23rd April 2022
3pm – Barrow v Sutton United
3pm – Bradford City v Scunthorpe United
3pm – Bristol Rovers v Forest Green Rovers
3pm – Exeter City v Rochdale
3pm – Harrogate Town v Carlisle United
3pm – Hartlepool United v Swindon Town
3pm – Leyton Orient v Northampton Town
3pm – Mansfield Town v Crawley Town
3pm – Oldham Athletic v Salford City
3pm – Stevenage v Tranmere Rovers
3pm – Walsall v Port Vale
National League
Leaders Stockport are assured of at least a playoff place, with Wrexham and Halifax close to joining them.
Dover are already relegated, and they are likely to be joined by two from Aldershot, King’s Lynn and Weymouth, and the latter two could go down as early at Saturday if results go against them.
Saturday 23rd April 2022
3pm – Altrincham v Wealdstone
3pm – Boreham Wood v Bromley
3pm – Chesterfield v Dover Athletic
3pm – Dagenham & Redbridge v King’s Lynn Town
3pm – Eastleigh v Barnet
3pm – Grimsby Town v Torquay United
3pm – Notts County v Weymouth
3pm – Solihull Moors v Aldershot Town
3pm – Southend United v FC Halifax Town
5.20pm – Woking v Wrexham
3pm – Yeovil Town v Stockport County
National League South – watch for
Welling United vs Havant & Waterlooville sit at both ends of the table with the hosts sweating on survival and the away side having one hand on the final playoff spot up for grabs.
It’s Welling and Billericay in the relegation scramble and they have a one-point advantage – but their relegation rivals have just changed their manager and get set to face Bath City who sit a place above Welling.
Welling’s unexpected three-goal comeback at Eastbourne showed they are able to give those challenging for promotion a hard time, though they were easily beaten 4-0 by Dorking on Bank Holiday Monday.
Havant will need to be better if they want to claim seventh place. They have only won once in nine away from home.
Saturday 23rd April 2022
3pm – Billericay Town v Bath City
3pm – Chelmsford City v Slough Town
3pm – Chippenham Town v Dulwich Hamlet
3pm – Dartford v St Albans City
3pm – Dorking Wanderers v Concord Rangers
3pm – Hampton & Richmond Borough v Hungerford Town
3pm – Hemel Hempstead Town v Maidstone United
3pm – Oxford City v Braintree Town
3pm – Tonbridge Angels v Ebbsfleet United
3pm – Welling United v Havant & Waterlooville
National League North – watch for
Kettering Town vs Gateshead – the title is for the Heed Army to lose with three wins needed to secure the title at the very least.
Some would say these two are the surprise of the packages this season and Kettering could just steal a playoff place, a finish so high that no one could predict.
Gateshead have secured four wins from their last six away games and have recovered brilliantly from defeat at title rivals Brackley at the beginning of April.
Their Bank Holiday weekend couldn’t have gone any better with a 6-0 win over Guiseley and then came back from 2-0 down against nearby Darlington to win 4-2.
Brackley now head up to the Quakers on Saturday, another opportunity for Gateshead to get the job done with Darlo goping to get a positive result of their own if they want to get a playoff place.
Saturday 23rd April 2022
3pm – Blyth Spartans v Kidderminster Harriers
3pm – Boston United v AFC Fylde
3pm – Chester v Farsley Celtic
3pm – Chorley v AFC Telford United
3pm – Darlington v Brackley Town
3pm – Guiseley v Curzon Ashton
3pm – Hereford v Bradford (Park Avenue)
3pm – Kettering Town v Gateshead
3pm – Leamington v Alfreton Town
3pm – Southport v Spennymoor Town
3pm – York City v Gloucester City

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