For most of
the season, the Championship has been a two horse race between Leeds and West
Brom. On paper they have the two best squads in the league and were the
favourites for promotion at the start of the season.
Last season the Whites got off to a great start and at one point looked likely to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, poor form towards the end of the season saw them miss out by six points.
From there they went into the play-offs along with West Brom, Aston Villa and Derby. Both Leeds and West Brom lost their semi final games meaning they now have to try again this year.
The two sides
have been battling it out all season as the race to the finish draws ever
closer. They matched each other game-for-game winning every clash throughout
November and into the first week of December. That form meant both were sitting
pretty at the top of the table, ten points clear of third place.
However, form
on both sides has dipped significantly recently. Between them, they have won
just one game in their last 13 which was when Leeds beat Birmingham in the 5-4
thriller at St Andrews on December 29th.
This has given
the rest of the teams in the Championship a ray of hope and the chance to catch
up and put pressure on the top two.
Nottingham
Forest are currently in fifth place but have a game in hand worth
three very valuable points.
Next up them
is a home game against 16th place Reading, who haven't won since New Years Day. A win for Forest will see
them move into third spot, just two points behind Leeds and three behind leaders West Brom.
Even if
Nottingham Forest don't win they,
along with Fulham and Brentford, will only be five points off Leeds.
Considering the Premier League is as good as done with the title almost
certainly going to Liverpool, this makes the Championship easily the most
exciting league in England currently.
Nottingham
Forest play Brentford, Leeds and West Brom in their next six games. As all are
now looking for promotion these results are going to have a huge impact on who
goes up to the Premier League. Forest have already taken seven points from
these three teams this season so will go into the next few weeks with plenty of
confidence that they can get a few solid results.
Leeds United will be hoping for a turn around in form soon. Every year they look as if they are going to be the ones to go up but end up bottling it in the latter stages of the season.
They are one of the biggest clubs in England and were last in the Premier League in 2003/04. Since then they have been down to League One and back up but under Marco Bielsa, they really should be back in England's top flight.
