Another weekend of Championship football is done, with the Festive fixtures due to come thick and fast over the coming weeks.
There are still another three rounds of fixtures to be played before the end of the year, but how is the league table looking, who’s in form, and where is there trouble brewing?
Let’s take a quick look at this weekend’s winners and losers.
Winners
Leeds United
They may have dominated possession (65%) and all the attacking statistics, but they still went into added time at the end of the game trailing Preston by a goal to nil.
And while they may not have been happy with a point, they were delighted to level matters up in the 93rd minute. Late goals and perseverance to the very end are hallmarks of Daniel Farke sides and stealing that point will almost feel like a win for Leeds. It will be a big boost for mood and momentum.
Sheffield United and Burnley
If you want to get promoted, you need to keep on winning. You don’t need to be pretty; you need to be effective – and perhaps most important of all, you need to be hard to score against.
The Blades and the Clarets were both outgunned this weekend in terms of possession and shots, but they both came out winners.
For Burnley, their young keeper James Trafford was in inspired form pulling off a series of good saves, while for the Blades, it was Michael Cooper who did the business between the sticks.
Blackburn Rovers
Currently the league’s form team, Rovers are now six games in a row without defeat after a 2-0 win over Luton Town.
They have a tough run of fixtures coming up, with three of the top four on their agenda in the next five games, but they won’t be low in confidence as they prepare to face Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley over the busy Festive period.
Watford
The Hornets went into the weekend’s fixtures a point behind West Brom, both sides sitting just outside the playoff places.
Beating the teams around you in the table is always important and that’s exactly what Watford did as they leapfrogged the Baggies with a 2-1 win that came more than a little against the run of play.
Watford are now seventh on the table, level on points with Middlesbrough but just outside the playoff spots on goal difference.
Frank Lampard
New Coventry boss Frank Lampard made it two wins from three as the Sky Blues saw off Hull City 2-1.
Playing at home, it was a game that Coventry had to win, and they duly delivered, despite going down to a Joao Pedro Galvao goal just before the break. The win means there is now a degree of daylight between Lampard’s side and the bottom three.
Losers
Norwich City
Three games on the trot without a win is not the end of the world, but it’s also not the sort of form that gets you into the playoff places.
After taking an early lead at Carrow Road, the Canaries let it slip as they went down 2-1 to Burnley. Coming on top of a 0-0 draw against Portsmouth and a 3-0 loss at QPR, it’s a lot of points dropped by Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side.
Preston North End
The league’s draw specialists looked like they were set to take all three points from their game against Leeds, who went into the game knowing that a win would put them top of the table (they kicked off earlier in the day than Sheffield United).
But it was heartbreak for the Paul Heckingbottom’s side as they conceded an own goal in the 93rd minute to share the spoils.
Plymouth Argyle
It has not been easy for the Pilgrims this season but on Saturday they looked a whole lot better than they have in a long time against a team at the opposite end of the table to them.
Form is a cruel mistress and when things aren’t going your way, it can sometimes seem impossible. Wayne Rooney’s side had plenty of chances in their 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United, but they just couldn’t get the ball over the line when it counted.
Maybe it was bad luck, maybe it was a case of wanting it too much – whatever the situation, it was a fourth consecutive loss and with sixth-placed Middlesbrough looming next, it doesn’t get any easier.
Cardiff City
The Bluebirds are in desperate need of points, so to be leading 2-1 away from home in the 95th minute, they would have been hopeful of heading back to Wales with a full haul of points from their trip to Stoke.
However, Potters skipper Ben Gibson found himself on the end of a late freekick to head the ball in and force the draw. The two points dropped mean Cardiff are just one point above the drop zone.
Championship results
Saturday 14 December
- Bristol City 1-1 QPR
- Coventry City 2-1 Hull City
- Preston North End 1-1. Leeds United
- Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Luton Town
- Middlesbrough 1-0 Millwall
- Oxford United 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday
- Sheffield United 2-0 Plymouth Argyle
- Stoke City 2-2 Cardiff City
- Swansea City 2-3 Sunderland
Sunday 15 December
- Watford 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
- Norwich 1-2 Burnley
How to watch the Championship on DAZN in Canada
Canadian subscribers can watch the EFL with their DAZN account.
Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
More Football