City v Saints looks on course to be an almighty showdown
WE LOOK AT THE FINAL MATCHES FOR THE TOP FOUR TEAMS IN PROMOTION RACE
A WEEK is a long time in the Championship. Leicester City have dropped from top spot after twice losing to relegation battlers.
But those results didn’t cause as much damage as they might have done with Ipswich and Leeds failing to win their last two matches too.
In fact, Leeds failed to score twice at home and finally lost their long unbeaten Elland Road record at the hands of Blackburn.
All that means that Southampton, scorers of a 99th-minute winner at Watford, are back in the hunt for the automatic promotion places.
There’s another big week coming up.
City play twice over the next eight days, Leeds play once, Southampton play three times, and Ipswich don’t play at all because their scheduled opponents Coventry are in FA Cup semi-final action.
Here’s a rundown of each of the four teams’ remaining fixtures.
Leicester City
Fixtures: West Brom (H), Southampton (H), Preston (A), Blackburn (H)
Average position of remaining opponents: 9th
City faced three relegation candidates last week and took just three points in what will be reflected on as a missed opportunity. Now they have some of the division’s better teams to play.
The next two matches are key, with West Brom and Southampton the visitors to the King Power Stadium.
The Baggies are well-placed to earn a play-off spot, but they still need to win two of their remaining three games to be absolutely cretain of it. They won’t roll over.
And Southampton have a chance to make the most of the stuttering form shown by teams in front of them to win two matches and surge back into the automatic promotion race.
That’s going to be an almighty showdown a week from now.
However, City’s last two matches could be the types of fixtures any promotion-chasing side wants at the end of the season.
With an eight-point gap to sixth, even with a game in hand it feels like Preston have left themselves too much to do to make the play-offs and so their season could be over by the time City travel to Deepdale.
City will also hope that Sammie Szmodics keeps firing in the goals so that Blackburn, currently five points clear of the drop zone, are safe by the final day.
Ipswich Town
Fixtures: Hull (A), Coventry (A), Huddersfield (H)
Average position of remaining opponents: 12th
Ipswich have taken just one point from their recent fixtures against play-off chasers Norwich and Middlesbrough, and they have two more to come. Their next two games see them travel to Hull and Coventry, both grounds where City failed to win this season.
However, the Tractor Boys don’t play this weekend, and before they face either Hull or Coventry, the pair take on each other, a match that will likely knock one of the two out of the running for a place in the play-offs.
On the final day, Ipswich are at home to Huddersfield.
With the Terriers currently 22nd, and with the relegation battle very tight, it’s possible they will still be fighting for survival on the final day.
Leeds United
Fixtures: Middlesbrough (A), QPR (A), Southampton (H)
Average position of remaining opponents: 11th
A couple of weeks ago, it felt like Leeds’ remaining opponents wouldn’t have much to play for, but that may now have changed.
Middlesbrough have drawn one too many games of late to keep themselves in the race for the top six, but only Ipswich and Norwich have picked up more points over the past 10 games than Michael Carrick’s side and so they could be a difficult proposition for Leeds.
Meanwhile, a run of three without a win has dragged QPR back into the relegation mix and they’re now only three points clear at the bottom.
Then, the much-awaited promotion showdown with Southampton, which seemed like it may be a damp squib after the Saints’ iffy run, is now back on after the results of the past week. That could be a huge game for all four clubs in the race.
Southampton
Fixtures: Preston (H), Cardiff (A), Leicester (A), Stoke (H), Leeds (A) Average position of remaining opponents: 9th
Well, well, well, looks who’s back.
Winning twice in a row while those around them kept slipping up means Southampton are back in the hunt all of a sudden.
They’re eight points behind leaders Ipswich, but with two games in hand over them and Leeds.
They play one of those tonight at home to Preston, who, as mentioned, are hanging on to their slim play-off hopes.
Then it’s a trip to Cardiff, who are one of a handful of clubs who mathematically cannot be promoted or relegated.
The final three games are huge for the Saints.
If they win their next two, Southampton will definitely still be in the race by the time they face City, while the tightness of the table means the Leeds game could be a barnstormer too.
Stoke are in the thick of the relegation battle as well, so that penultimate game will have plenty riding on it too.