The final month of the Sky Bet EFL season has begun.
As yet, no teams have been either promoted or relegated from the Championship, League One or League Two, but races are hotting up at each end of the respective tables.
Seven games from across the three divisions are live on Sky Sports+ at 12.30pm this Saturday and nearly every side in action is still involved in a promotion race, a play-off chase or a relegation battle…
What EFL is live on Sky Sports+ on Saturday?
(All 12.30pm Kick Off)
- CH: Coventry vs Burnley, Luton vs Leeds (also on SSF), West Brom vs Sunderland
- L1: Reading vs Wycombe, Wrexham vs Burton
- L2: Cheltenham vs Doncaster, Walsall v Port Vale
Championship
Coventry vs Burnley
Can Coventry move closer to securing a play-off spot?
Since the turn of the year, Coventry have been the team to beat. Between January 18 and March 15, they won 10 of their 12 Championship games to go from mid-table mediocrity to in-form play-off contenders. Frank Lampard had worked his magic after replacing Mark Robins.
Even so, a place in the top six is far from confirmed. It looks as though two teams from the Sky Blues, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Bristol City will get there – and just two points separate the quartet at present. Channelling that winning form of recent times will be imperative for the run-in.
Burnley have secured at least a play-off place – can they stay in the hunt for more?
Sheffield United, Leeds and Burnley have all secured at least a place in the Championship play-offs. Two of them will go up automatically, one will not. Bettering Leeds’ result will see the Clarets move into the top two this Saturday. But that, a Blades defeat and a win of their own would see them end the weekend top of the pile.
Whether that happens remains to be seen, but it’s hard to bet against them given they are unbeaten in 26 games – and on course to match the Championship record for the longest run without defeat, which was set by Reading in 2005/06 (33).
Dan Long
Luton vs Leeds
Can Luton extend unbeaten run to boost survival hopes?
It took nine games for Matt Bloomfield to win his first game as Luton boss. As a result, the Hatters slipped into the bottom three in mid-January and have, as yet, been unable to clamber their way back out.
Fortunately, March was far kinder to them. Of the 15 points on offer, they picked up 10 and kept three clean sheets along the way, meaning their hopes of avoiding a second straight relegation are still very much alive and kicking. The gap to safety is just three points at present.
Can stuttering Leeds get back on track?
While Luton did well in March, Leeds will not look back on it fondly. They won comfortably against Millwall on March 12, but lost to Portsmouth and were held on a further three occasions.
The most damaging of those draws came last weekend at Elland Road, when Zan Vipotnik’s 96th-minute equaliser earned a point for Swansea. That meant Sheffield United held on to top spot, and a two-point advantage, following their win over Coventry last Friday. It’s out of their hands now, but that could all still change in the final weeks.
Dan Long
Saturday 5th April 11:00am
Kick off 12:30pm
West Brom vs Sunderland
Can West Brom step up their play-off push?
West Brom were disappointed last weekend. A last-gasp winner meant the Baggies dropped three crucial points to fellow play-off contenders Norwich. They defended valiantly throughout the six-pointer, but fell at the final hurdle. Leading up to that, Tony Mowbray’s side were unbeaten in six. Now, after this defeat, they are treading water.
The 61-year-old has kept the Baggies in the top six since replacing Carlos Corberan, but is facing serious pressure from Middlesbrough and Bristol City. Mowbray’s men must take three points from his former side to stave off the threats around them.
Can Sunderland crank up the pressure?
Sunderland looked back to their best last Saturday following a well-timed international break. The Black Cats defeated Millwall 1-0 at the Stadium of Light, with their play-off position all but confirmed.
Regis Le Bris has transformed the Championship’s youngest team into promotion contenders – they finished 16th last season, but they are fourth now. A win may reduce the nine-point gap between themselves and second place. Like their remaining seven fixtures, this is a must-win if they want to have any late sniff of automatic promotion.
Blake Keeble
League One
Reading vs Wycombe
Can Reading bounce back in play-off push?
Amid all the off-the-field turmoil for Reading, it is pretty remarkable that the team on the pitch are doing so well. Noel Hunt took over from Ruben Selles mid-season and the transition was smooth as anything.
They are still in the play-off chase, even if they were thumped at Blackpool in midweek. But they start the weekend just a point behind Bolton in sixth, and are top of the queue of sides still hoping to take that spot.
Wycombe to put pressure on Wrexham?
It was a missed opportunity for Wycombe on Tuesday night. With Wrexham dropping points at Cambridge, it was a chance to close the three-point gap. But, while they dominated against Shrewsbury – the bottom club in the league – they couldn’t find the breakthrough.
It hasn’t been entirely smooth since Mike Dodds came in for Matt Bloomfield in the dugout, but this is must-win if they are to keep it in their own hands, and stave off the threat of Charlton and Stockport from below.
Simeon Gholam
Wrexham vs Burton
Can Wrexham hold on to second spot?
Wrexham will have breathed a sigh of relief in midweek. Their failure to beat 23rd-placed Cambridge was only matched by Wycombe, so the three-point gap remains between second and third.
Wycombe’s game in hand comes at Huddersfield next Tuesday night, so the promotion picture will likely be a lot clearer in a few days. All Wrexham can do is keep winning and hope the chasers slip up. But currently, six games stand between the Welsh club and history, as they aim to become the first side in league history to go back-to-back-to-back.
Can Burton climb out of the bottom four?
Burton have emerged as the side most likely to climb out of the long-established bottom four in League One. A huge comeback win over Leyton Orient in midweek took them to within three points of safety.
They also have a game in hand on Bristol Rovers in 20th, and a better goal difference. Considering they won just two of their first 25 games this season, it has been a remarkable recovery since Gary Bowyer took charge in December. They were 11 points adrift of safety at one stage and haven’t been out of the bottom four since mid-September. A win here and they could go above the line.
Simeon Gholam
League Two
Cheltenham vs Doncaster
Can Cheltenham end their three-game losing streak?
Cheltenham will hope to bounce back after a miserable defeat last weekend. The Robins lost comfortably to a Morecambe side who’ve been in the relegation places all season.
Michael Flynn’s Town are playing like a side who have nothing to play for. Sitting in 15th, promotion to League One or relegation to the National League is out of the question. Flynn must re-energise his side and look for a positive result if they are to turn around their fortunes.
Blake Keeble
Will Doncaster sneak back into the top three?
Doncaster were left disappointed after Tuesday’s six-pointer. Rovers conceded a goal in the dying stages to draw 2-2 with fellow promotion-chasers Walsall.
Grant McCann’s side must dust themselves off and bounce back if they are to bridge the gap to the top three. McCann will be hoping his return to Whaddon Road – he played over 200 games for Cheltenham – brings his side three points; they could move level on points with Port Vale in third, should the Valiants lose to Walsall.
Blake Keeble
Walsall vs Port Vale
Will Walsall end overdue wait for a win?
Walsall have sat top of the league since early December and, after a 4-2 win over MK Dons on January 18 – their ninth in a row at that point – boasted a 14-point lead. Promotion seemed inevitable.
But their form has dipped dramatically since. They have won just two of the last 14 and seen their lead at the summit whittled down to just two points. If Port Vale win at the Bescot, the Saddlers will drop off for the first time in four months. If they win, however, their title hopes remain in their hands.
Can Port Vale reignite their title hopes?
Before Walsall took over, Port Vale were leading the way throughout October and November. They, too, suffered a downturn in form, across the crucial festive period, which saw them lose their spot at the top.
But since New Year’s Day, they have lost just two of 17 league games, including a run of four wins in the last five, during which time they have conceded just once. They beat fellow title hopefuls Bradford last time out and would send out a strong message if they did the same to the Saddlers.
Dan Long
Listen to the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast
Sky Sports brings you the Essential EFL podcast channel, featuring all the best content from the Championship, League One and League Two.
Among the latest offerings are…
- EFL Interviews: Featuring chats with Stevenage’s Carl Piergianni, Bradford’s Antoni Sarcevic and AFC Wimbledon’s Matty Stevens
- Championship Predictions: Simeon Gholam and David Prutton look ahead to the weekend’s games.
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