Portsmouth News

Can City retain their title, and who will go up to the Premier League?

Pompey might already be up as champions, but there’s still so much to be decider in the other top four tiers

- By Simon Carter

Pompey sealed a Championsh­ip return on Tuesday with a thrilling 3-2 win over Barnsley – and other clubs still have plenty to play for. Premier League: Another twist occurred last weekend in the first three-way title race for a long time as champions Manchester City returned to the summit on Saturday, before Arsenal and Liverpool suffered shock home defeats on Sunday. With six games left, Pep Guardiola's side hold a two-point lead.

At the other end, an intriguing relegation battle continues - on and off the pitch.

While the race appears almost run for Sheffield United and Burnley have an uphill task, Luton’s survival hopes remain alive. Nottingham Forest and Everton are within touching distance, as both clubs wait to learn their fates after appealing against points deductions over breaches of financial rules.

Championsh­ip: It has been a rollercoas­ter ride for supporters' of Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds and Southampto­n this season, especially in recent weeks. With only a handful of matches left, the Tractor Boys are top on 89 points, with the secondplac­ed Foxes a point behind with a game in hand. However, that fixture is against fourthplac­ed Saints, who are not out of the top-two race themselves with a four-point deficit to Leicester. Leeds sit third, with all four still in with a top two chance.

League One: Derby are second on 86 points with a three-point gap to Bolton, but Peterborou­gh, with a game in hand, cannot be ruled out despite a six-point deficit to the second-placed Rams. Carlisle are already consigned to the fourth tier and Fleetwood's defeat at Peterborou­gh left them six points from safety with only two games to go.

League Two: Mansfield joined Stockport and Wrexham in clinching promotion on Tuesday, but there is still one relegation spot to be determined. Colchester's win over Grimsby ended the survival hopes of Forest Green and gave the victors a four-point advantage over 23rd-placed Sutton along with a game in hand. Sutton need to win their last two matches and hope both Grimsby and Colchester fail to win again this season.

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