Today in the Championship: Leeds United choke, Josh Sargent has admirers, John Eustace off the mark, Coventry City march on
What a weekend of action it has been in the second tier. Here’s everything you may have missed from the Championship for gameweek 36.
As we head into the business end of the season, every point is so valuable for so many teams, whether they’re battling it out at the top of the Championship table, or fighting for their life down at the bottom.
We saw plenty of this on both sides of the spectrum this weekend, with the likes of Swansea City, Portsmouth, Hull City, and Oxford United picking up crucial points to pull away from the danger zone.
Meanwhile, Sunderland kept up their pursuit of the top three with a hard-earned win over struggling Cardiff City, while West Brom maintained their place in the play-off spots with a crucial win over QPR.
So, let’s dive into the big talking points from another action-packed weekend in the Championship, starting with a dramatic defeat on the Sunday.
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Championship title race is wide open after Leeds United defeat
With wins for Burnley and Sheffield United this weekend, Leeds United knew they needed to beat Portsmouth to restore their lead at the top of the table. Ultimately, though, they failed, and lost 1-0 thanks to a Colby Bishop goal.
Some had predicted a tough test for Leeds and it was suggested a slip up was coming, but the manner of the defeat to Portsmouth has really opened up the debate as to who will win the Championship title now.
Neutrals and Leeds fans alike seem to agree that Daniel Farke’s side are choking once more, and with just two points separating the top three now, we’re in for a thrilling final run-in.
Josh Sargent is the best striker in the league, and he’s a wanted man
On Friday night, Josh Sargent bagged another goal for Norwich City in their 1-1 draw with Oxford. It was a disappointing outcome for the Canaries, who were looking to push on and sneak into the play-offs.
But, after scoring his 12th goal of the season, Sargent has been hailed the best striker in the Championship, with fans from just about every club in agreement with that sentiment.
It’s no surprise, then, that a number of top clubs are watching Sargent with a view to signing him in the summer. We’re told the USA striker will be playing in the Premier League next season, whether Norwich are there or not.
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Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
John Eustace gets revenge on Blackburn Rovers
All eyes were on Pride Park on Saturday for John Eustace’s big reunion with Blackburn Rovers. The Derby County boss walked out on the Lancashire club to take the job with the Rams, and he didn’t exactly leave on the best terms.
Since joining Derby, Eustace had not seen his team score yet alone register any points, but as fate would have it, that all changed this weekend.
Derby ran out 2-1 winners, and Eustace hailed his players for carrying out his gameplan and there’s no doubt he will be delighted with the three points against his former club.
There’s no stopping Frank Lampard’s Coventry City
Another man who came up against a former employer this weekend was Mark Robins, who took his Stoke City side to his former stomping ground at the CBS Arena to face Coventry City.
It was a ‘really tough’ day for Robins, though, who saw Stoke peg Coventry back from 2-0 down to 2-2, and it seemed a draw was on the cards until a 97th minute winner from Bobby Thomas sealed all three points for Frank Lampard’s side.
Coventry fans raved about Victor Torp after the game, with the Danish forward bagging two goals, but the big story is that the Sky Blues now have nine wins in eight games, and are firmly in the play-off places now.
With the form they’re in and the level of belief among the squad, we wouldn’t bet against Coventry City going all the way and getting to the Premier League now.
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