Automatic Promotion Battle
The race for the two automatic promotion spots has become a three-way battle following Leicester’s victory over Southampton. The Foxes, who are four points clear at the top, are in the driver’s seat but are not yet guaranteed promotion as Leeds and Ipswich follow closely behind. Ipswich, who trail Leicester by five points, have an additional game in hand. Leicester, on the other hand, have three fixtures remaining, each against opponents with something left to play for, making their path to promotion far from straightforward. Leeds, sitting on 90 points, will need their rivals to slip up to earn a first-time return to the Premier League. They will be hopeful of securing six points from their final two fixtures after a dramatic 4-3 victory away to Middlesbrough turned around their momentum following defeat to Blackburn.
Play-Off Race
Joining the sides vying for automatic promotion in the play-offs will be Southampton, along with another team to be determined. West Brom and Norwich currently sit six points clear of Hull, and nine points clear of Coventry. The Tigers hold one game in hand and have three games remaining, while FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry have two games in hand, albeit with one against Ipswich. Coventry’s remarkable comeback from 3-0 down against Hull in the 71st minute to force extra-time highlights the unpredictable nature of the play-off race. Wednesday witnesses the two teams currently outside of the play-off places, Hull and Coventry, face off in a crucial encounter, where defeat for either side could effectively end their hopes of securing a top-six finish. For everyone else, final-day drama remains a possibility.
Relegation Battle
With Rotherham already relegated, seven sides – Stoke, QPR, Blackburn, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham, and Huddersfield – find themselves in a tense battle for Championship survival, with a mere six points separating them. Stoke and QPR are both four points from the relegation zone, and a win, or a defeat for Birmingham, will ensure their safety. The Blues, who face Huddersfield next, will see the Yorkshire side relegated if they lose. Regardless of the results this weekend, the battle to stay up is guaranteed to go down to the wire on the final day of the season.
