Leicester City shines in the Sky Bet Championship’s Week 22, opening a lead in the race for promotion as rivals falter.
Let’s dive into the latest winners, losers, and playoff position shifts.
Christmas cheer for Leicester City as rivals stutter in the race for automatic promotion.
Meanwhile, it’s musical chairs in the early squabble for the final play-off spot.
This way for Week 22 Winners and Losers, a tale of missed opportunities and how Wayne Rooney’s reprieve was short-lived.
CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS
Foxes’ Victory Over Birmingham City Cements Top Spot
Whatever happens during Week 23, Leicester City are guaranteed top spot at Christmas after opening a three-point lead over second-placed Ipswich Town.
The Foxes beat Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham City 3-2, unyoking themselves from Ipswich Town in joint top spot to claim pole position.
The Foxes’ vastly superior goal difference, a 9-goal advantage over Ipswich, means at worst they will be joint top if they lose their next match and the Tractor Boys win theirs.
To usurp Leicester City for top spot Ipswich will have to beat Leeds United handsomely in their next match and Enzo Maresca’s side would have to lose to bottom side Rotherham United by quite an embarrassing margin.
That scenario is as likely as fat Santa Claus falling through your chimney this Christmas.
Southampton’s Surge: Closing in on Top Three
The Saints’ Unbeaten Streak Brings Promotion Dreams Closer
Southampton moved level on points with third-placed Leeds United, courtesy of a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers to extend their unbeaten run to 14 matches.
The Saints have not lost a match since snapping a four-match losing streak with a 3-1 win over Leeds United at the end of September.
With that promotion form Southampton have inserted themselves right into the promotion narrative.
If only they had turned the draws against the likes of Rotherham, Huddersfield Town and Coventry City into wins they would be right in the mix for automatic promotion.
Hull City: New Contenders for Play-Off Spot
Hull City’s Triumph Over Cardiff City Shuffles Play-Off Deck
Hull City beat Cardiff City 3-0 to become the latest side to claim the final play-off spot, dislodging Sunderland, who themselves had deposed the Tigers after the previous round of fixtures.
The fight for the final play-off spot is becoming a battle within the larger battle for play-off positions. Any one of West Brom, Hull City and Sunderland could find themselves in sixth place at Christmas.
Sheffield Wednesday: Bouncing Back in Style
Wednesday Overcomes QPR, Eyes Safety Zone
In the last installment we asked whether Sheffield Wednesday had the character to regroup and return to winning ways after seeing their three-match unbeaten run ended by Norwich City.
The Owls responded by beating fellow strugglers QPR 2-1 to stay within striking distance of the safe places.
CHAMPIONSHIP LOSERS
Ipswich Town: Slipping in Title Race
Ipswich’s Draw with Norwich: A Missed Opportunity?
Neck-and-neck with Leicester City at the top of the table for much of the campaign, Ipswich conceded ground to the Foxes following a 1-1 draw by Norwich City.
It is an indication of how well Kieran McKenna’s men have distinguished themselves as genuine contenders for automatic promotion that a draw against a side who were in the Premier League two seasons ago was greeted with disappointment by the Portman Road faithful.
Instead of the draw being viewed as a good point gained, the stalemate was rued as two points dropped.
Leeds United: A Struggle for Consistency
Leeds United’s Draw with Coventry City Raises Concerns
It was a typically Leeds United result, true to form – overwhelming favourites on paper failing to turn that superiority into a win, much to the chagrin on their fans.
Looking to bounce back from the damaging 1-0 defeat by Sunderland in the previous round, Daniel Farke’s side could only manage a 1-1 draw against Coventry City.
It was another opportunity missed in the bid to rein in the top two, especially after Ipswich dropped points.
Now Leeds United find themselves under pressure to hold on to third place, only staying ahead of in-form Southampton on goal difference.
Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham: A Rocky Road
Leicester City Defeats Birmingham, Pressure Mounts on Rooney
It’s not going according to plan for Wayne Rooney at St Andrew’s, is it?
Just when Birmingham City fans thought their side had tuned a corner with a first home win under Rooney in the previous round, their team immediately lost their next match.
The Blues slumped to a 3-2 home defeat to Leicester City, the seventh loss of Rooney’s 11-match St Andrew’s tenure.
With a record of eights points from a possible 33 Rooney is on thin-ice territory.
Queens Park Rangers: Halted Momentum
QPR’s Setback Against Sheffield Wednesday: A Minor Blip?
QPR saw their momentum stalled by fellow basement side Sheffield Wednesday. Prior to the 2-1 defeat by the Owls, the Hoops had been on a four-match unbeaten run.
Can QPR dust themselves down and go on another mini-revival?
Sunderland: Losing Ground in Play-Off Race
Sunderland Drops to Seventh After Bristol City Defeat
Ceded sixth place back to Hull City after defeat a 1-0 defeat at Bristol City.
PART WINNERS, PART LOSERS
West Brom: Mixed Fortunes in the Promotion Chase
Baggies Draw with Stoke City: A Step Forward or Back?
West Brom lost ground on the top four following a disappointing 1-1 draw with a managerless Stoke City side who had taken just one point from the last 15 on offer.
A maximum haul would have seen Carlos Corberan’s side consolidate fifth place, with a two-point cushion over sixth-placed Hull City.
On the bright side, a defeat would have allowed Hull City to leapfrog West Brom into fifth place. So the point earned was a good one as it preserved the Baggies’ fifth place, allowing them to keep their noses in front of the Tigers by virtue of a superior goal difference.
