The first half of the 2021/22 Championship season has been entertaining, and everything is still to play for as the 24 teams start the long road to the final round of fixtures in early May. Fulham currently top the table and Derby County are cut adrift, but is that how things will end? Here are three predictions for the rest of the season.
Blackburn or West Brom to achieve automatic promotion
Fulham and Bournemouth have occupied the top two spots for most of the season and were well ahead of the chasing pack just a few weeks ago. However, that has changed after just a single win between them over their last ten matches collectively. Fulham currently appear to be the more solid of the two, with four draws and a win. They can also rely on the prolific Aleksandar Mitrović, who has scored 22 goals this season.
With Bournemouth failing to register a win in their last five games, both West Brom and Blackburn will be confident of sustaining a promotion challenge during the second half of the season. Blackburn are currently the form team in the division with 13 points from 15, which included an impressive 2-0 victory at Bournemouth in early December.
Derby to pull off the great escape
Derby fans have been put through the wringer this season following two separate points deductions for historical financial breaches. The 21-point deficit has surely sealed their fate, but Wayne Rooney's men won't go down without a fight, as evidenced by their excellent defensive record. Only the top three teams have conceded less than the Rams this term.
In a normal season, Derby would have 25 points and be six clear of the relegation zone by now, but they currently sit with a meagre four points and are 17 points behind 21st-placed Reading. This may be the boldest prediction yet, but if Derby can find a goal scorer in the near future, they could pull off what would be a remarkable escape.
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Nottingham Forest to make the playoffs
When Chris Hughton was sacked in September, Nottingham Forest were languishing at the foot of the table with just a single point from their first seven matches. However, the arrival of Steve Copper as their new manager has triggered a remarkable turnaround in form. Forest's 4-1 thumping of Cooper's former side Swansea in December extended Forest's unbeaten run to eight games and left them just four points off the top six.
After losing just one of their last 15 matches, Forest will surely have enough to secure a playoff place if they keep up their recent run of form. The top half of the Championship is currently quite congested, with seven teams within six points of one another. QPR and Stoke occupy the playoff spots right now, but even Sheffield United and Preston at 13th and 14th will still be harbouring hopes for a playoff push.
