The Championship promotion race is hurtling towards its climax, with just two more weekends of action to go. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson assesses the prospects of the four sides involved in the battle for automatic promotion

 

1 WATFORD (85pts, goal difference +39)

Apr 25 Brighton (a)

May 2 Sheff Wed (h)

The Northern Echo:

Having burst from the pack in the last month or so, Watford suddenly find themselves in a position where two more victories will guarantee them the Championship title.

Will Slavisa Jokanovic’s side pull through? Their recent form suggests they should as they have claimed 12 wins from their last 16 matches at the most critical stage of the campaign.

Their remaining two games do not look too testing on paper. Brighton’s relegation worries would intensify if Millwall were to win at Blackburn this evening, but they are likely to be hosting Watford on Saturday with very little to play for.

Sheffield Wednesday have even less to aim at, and while they pushed Bournemouth all the way at the weekend, a final-day encounter in front of a Vicarage Road crowd whipped into a promotion frenzy would be a testing proposition.

Watford’s major strength has been their attacking line-up, and in Troy Deeney, Matej Vydra and Odion Ighalo, they boast a trio of forwards who are bang in form.

They have been slightly less reliable at the other end, although a tally of three clean sheets from their last four matches hardly suggests they are on the brink of a wobble.

STAR MAN: Troy Deeney – The striker boasts 20 Championship goals this season and is the focal point of Watford’s attacking.

TITLE ODDS: 10-11

 

2 BOURNEMOUTH (84pts, goal difference +47)

Apr 27 Bolton (h)

May 2 Charlton (a)

The Northern Echo:

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday might have seen Bournemouth cede top spot, but their hugely impressive goal difference means they still head into the final two games knowing two more wins will secure a top-two finish.

The fixture list has been kind to Eddie Howe’s side, as they meet Bolton and Charlton in their remaining matches, two sides nestled in mid-table with no chance of either promotion or relegation.

The Bolton game is at home, but it could prove the more difficult as it will take place on the Monday evening after all the other clubs involved in the promotion race have played on the Saturday afternoon.

By the time the Cherries next take to the field, they could find themselves in fourth position, and for all that their free-flowing, attacking style has enabled them to sweep pretty much all before them this season, it would be interesting to see how they handled the increased pressure of playing catch-up.

Their attacking arsenal is their greatest asset, with Matt Ritchie providing effective attacking-midfield support to an established front two of Callum Wilson and Yann Kermorgant that is as good as anything in the division.

On paper, Bournemouth’s defence does not look that strong, but Howe has formed a well-drilled unit that has coped admirably in recent weeks. Can a Bolton attack featuring Emile Heskey and Eidur Gudjohnsen unsettle it? It looks unlikely.

STAR MAN: Matt Ritchie – The winger is in the form of his life, with his sensational long-range strike proving crucial as Bournemouth claimed a priceless point last weekend.

TITLE ODDS: 7-4

 

3 MIDDLESBROUGH (84pts, goal difference +32)

Apr 25 Fulham (a)

May 2 Brighton (h)

The Northern Echo:

When Middlesbrough won a thrilling promotion battle with Norwich on Friday night, it looked as though the race for the Premier League had tilted in their favour. By Saturday night, however, their fate was back out of their hands.

Aitor Karanka’s side performed superbly at Carrow Road, but it increasingly looks as though their recent defeats to Bournemouth and Watford might prove decisive. Having the poorest goal difference of the four promotion contenders could also prove crucial.

All Boro can do now is win their remaining two games, and while Saturday’s trip to Craven Cottage could be tricky, they should finish with a maximum six points.

Fulham guaranteed their Championship survival last weekend, and while Ross McCormack has proved a thorn in Boro’s side before, it is hard to imagine the Teessiders coming unstuck in four days time, even if they will have to find a replacement for Tomas Kalas at right-back.

Brighton on the final day should not present too many problems, with Boro boasting more Championship home wins than anyone else this season.

Karanka will be urging his players to continue fighting to the finish, and if either of the current top two slip up, Boro will surely be the side that step in. Even if they take care of their own business, however, their fate will be decided elsewhere.

STAR MAN: Patrick Bamford – The Chelsea loanee, who was deservedly named Championship Player of the Year on Sunday, has scored seven goals in his last ten matches.

TITLE ODDS: 5-1

 

4 NORWICH (82pts, goal difference +38)

Aug 25 Rotherham (a)

May 2 Fulham (h)

The Northern Echo:

Friday’s home defeat to Middlesbrough didn’t end Norwich’s hopes of claiming automatic promotion, but it certainly blew a massive hole in the Canaries’ chances of making the top two.

As well as winning their two remaining games, Alex Neil’s side also need at least two of the sides above them to suffer at least one defeat. Even in a league as unpredictable as the Championship, that looks extremely unlikely.

Having played some fantastic attacking football since the turn of the year, Norwich’s failure to carve out too many clear-cut chances on Friday was a surprise.

Middlesbrough defended superbly, but Cameron Jerome failed to fire and neither Bradley Johnson nor Jonny Howson in the wide areas carried much of a threat. Given the need to score in the final two games, surely Nathan Redmond will return to the starting XI.

Saturday’s trip to Rotherham could prove tricky, as the Millers still need at least one more win to secure their survival. If Millwall were to win at Blackburn tomorrow, Rotherham would suddenly find themselves just a point above the bottom three.

A final-day home game with Fulham should be much more appealing, although the likelihood is that automatic promotion will only be the slimmest of possibilities by then.

STAR MAN: Wes Hoolahan – The midfielder tends to play in the hole behind Cameron Jerome, and his creative vision is a key part of Norwich’s goalscoring threat.

TITLE ODDS: 25-1

 

PREDICTION:

Given its reputation for delivering remarkable twists and turns, the Championship’s title run in could well produce a few surprises. For once though, this looks like the season when everything goes according to the script.

That would be bad news for Middlesbrough, but while it will be interesting to see how Bournemouth handle the pressure if they kick off their penultimate game in fourth position, the sensible money would have to go on both the Cherries and Watford winning their remaining two matches.

That would see both sides promoted no matter what Boro and Norwich do in the next two weeks, and the likelihood of the top two remaining unchanged is enhanced by the fact that both are facing mid-table opposition in the games that remain.

Boro should beat both Fulham and Brighton, and while that might not be enough to secure automatic promotion, it should guarantee the best possible passage through the play-offs.