The Championship is often described as the most competitive league in world football with the bottom team capable of beating the team in first place and the drama unrivalled.
While millions of people around the world tune in, hundreds of thousands of fans pack out stadiums weekly to cheer on the clubs competing in England’s second tier.
This Championship season has produced another enthralling narrative with the campaign poised at both ends of the table. For football followers assessing Championship and Premier League betting, it’s important to properly research team news, form, and other factors like home advantage as the beauty of English football is its unpredictability.
Leeds
Boasting young talent like Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter, Leeds was always going to be capable of scoring goals at this level and so it has proved as they top the Championship.
However, it is at the other end of the pitch where the team is particularly excelling, having conceded only 28 goals in 38 matches.
Daniel Farke’s men are impressive going forward and at the back and it is a perfect combination to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Leicester
The Foxes led the way at one stage and looked certainties for the Championship title and promotion. However, enduring stuttering form in recent months has seen their rivals catch them and Leicester slipped to second in the table.
However, manager Enzo Maresca has supreme quality at this level to call on, including Premier League title winner Jamie Vardy.
Despite the recent setbacks, which included a home defeat by struggling Queens Park Rangers and getting beat at Elland Road against promotion rivals Leeds, the international break perhaps came at the right time to give Leicester time to regroup and attack the remaining games of the season strongly.
Ipswich
Ipswich Town are flying under the guidance of Kieran McKenna. The former Manchester United coach has revolutionized the football club, leading the club to the League One summit before pushing for promotion in the first season back in The Championship.
The Tractor Boys have played blistering football at times this season, blowing teams away with rapid attacking play.
Sharing the goals around the team, Ipswich are the Championship’s top goalscorers with 80 in 38 games (that’s more than two per game). Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead lead the way with 12 each.
Kieffer Moore, meanwhile, looks to be an inspired signing. The towering striker has returned to Portman Road on loan from Bournemouth and, while offering Ipswich a new dimension in attack, has scored six goals in ten games.
Southampton
The Saints were relegated from the Premier League with Leeds and Leicester last season having finished bottom of the table. However, just like the two sides they dropped down with, Southampton have won the majority of their games and are still very much part of the automatic promotion picture.
While not as solid at the back as Leeds and Leicester, Russell Martin’s side has scored eight goals in their last two Championship fixtures while strikers Adam Armstrong and Che Adams have a combined 30 goals between them so far this campaign.
This Championship season could see more than four teams earn more than 90 points and so it seems at least one of these sides will face the crushing disappointment of missing out on promotion despite amassing such an impressive haul.
West Brom
The Baggies have endured a difficult spell since Premier League relegation in 2021, finishing ninth and 10th in the Championship. However, Carlos Corberan has helped West Brom find consistency this campaign, with six wins and only one defeat in the last 10 seeing the team climb into the play-off places.
Finding form at the back end of the season is key in the second tier as it can carry you through into the play-offs where anything can happen. West Brom will fancy their chances against any team home and away or at Wembley in the final.
Norwich
David Wagner guided Huddersfield to the Premier League back in 2017 and returned to The Championship in January 2023 with Norwich hoping he could repeat the feat at Carrow Road.
Josh Sargent and academy graduate Jonathan Rowe each have 13 goals this season while Gabriel Sara has had a huge influence from midfield, scoring 11 times and setting up another 12. The Canaries have lost just one of their last nine games to see them sit in sixth place.
The Hunt for the Play-offs
While the top four teams look set in stone and will battle for the two automatic promotion spots, West Brom and Norwich can certainly be caught with Hull, Coventry, Preston, and Middlesbrough all in hot pursuit of the remaining play-off spots.
Summing Up
The Championship is set for another stunning climax to the season as Leicester, Leeds, Southampton, and Ipswich battle it out for a place in the Premier League. For the two unfortunate sides who miss out, they will have to go again and compete in the play-offs.
While Norwich and West Brom currently hold the last remaining positions, last year’s finalists Coventry, Hull, Preston, and Middlesbrough will all feel they have a chance of making the top six come May.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief at The Real EFL, Gary is a passionate Lincoln City fan with extensive content creation across the Championship and EFL. He also shares expert football betting tips.
