Championship Action Brightens Blue Monday

This week officially began with Blue Monday, a term coined by psychologists to describe the statistically most depressing day of the year.

A scientific formula underpins this concept, accounting for factors such as poor weather, increasing debts, unmet New Year's resolutions, dwindling motivation, and a growing urge to take action.

These issues have already manifested throughout what is shaping up to be one of the most captivating Championship seasons in recent memory.

Fortunately, the EFL schedulers have provided a remedy for those blues with a full slate of Championship matches scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, along with an additional League One fixture to enjoy.

Below are this week's fixtures and tables, along with five key points to watch in the EFL this week.

Blue Skies Ahead for Sky Blues?

The pressing question remains: Will Coventry's troubles continue, or will the clouds finally part as spring approaches?

After a shaky period surrounding Christmas, where Frank Lampard's team secured only nine points from eight league games and exited the FA Cup early, the Sky Blues staged a comeback to defeat Leicester 2-1 in the M69 derby on Saturday.

This victory restored City’s five-point lead over Middlesbrough at the top of the table, placing them eight points clear of third-placed Ipswich, ahead of their match against Millwall at the CBS on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT).

Millwall, currently fourth after a 2-0 victory over Watford, remain unbeaten in five league matches, having collected 11 points and conceded just twice during this stretch. They will be eager to avenge a 4-0 defeat to Coventry at The Den back in October.

If Millwall manages to secure a win, Ipswich could narrow the gap to the leaders to five points with a game in hand, provided they overcome the inconsistent Bristol City at Portman Road (19:45 GMT), where they have won five consecutive league matches and conceded only three goals in their last eight outings.

Tigers Burning Bright Ahead of Deepdale Showdown

When Preston and Hull City finished 20th and 21st last season, narrowly avoiding relegation, fans might not have believed they would soon be involved in a crucial promotion race.

Despite facing an injury crisis at the MKM Stadium, Hull City has climbed into the top five, just five points shy of the automatic promotion spots, with a game in hand on second-placed Middlesbrough.

Manager Sergej Jakirovic was uncertain about his starting eleven just a day before Saturday’s impressive 2-1 victory at Southampton, but the team still managed their fourth win in five unbeaten away matches. They will look to extend this streak at Deepdale (19:45 GMT).

Once regarded as a challenging away fixture, Preston has struggled at home recently, winning just one of their last six matches, with that victory coming against bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday. They have also suffered consecutive 1-0 defeats to League One Wigan in the FA Cup and Derby over the past two Saturdays.

North End currently sits sixth, one point behind Hull, and can return to the top four for the fifth time this season with a win. However, they will need to score more than once at home, something they have not achieved since Bonfire Night.

Baggies Bid to Stop Canaries Soaring Clear

In the midst of what was once a promising season, few would have predicted that the clash between West Brom and Norwich on January 20 would be a potential relegation 'six-pointer'.

West Brom currently holds 31 points from 27 matches, sitting 19th and four points ahead of Norwich, who occupy the last relegation spot in 22nd.

The Eric Ramsay era at The Hawthorns began dramatically, as the team came back from a 2-0 deficit to level against Middlesbrough, only to concede a last-minute goal for the second consecutive league match, marking three straight losses and seven defeats in their last nine outings.

Despite the absence of striker Josh Sargent due to disciplinary reasons, Norwich has shown improvement under Philippe Clement, with Jovon Makama scoring his 13th goal of the season to secure a 2-1 win at Wrexham, extending their unbeaten run on the road to four games.

This performance has brought Norwich within a point of safety, and another positive result at the Hawthorns (19:45 GMT) would lift them out of the relegation zone for the first time since October.

Blues Seeking to Banish Away-Day Blues

Forget Blue Monday; it has been a 'Blue 2025-26' for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls hit a new low on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth, widening the gap to safety to 36 points with 20 games remaining, largely due to a negative goal difference.

Sadly for the most optimistic Owls fans, this defeat also means Henrik Pedersen's team can no longer mathematically win the title, as leaders Coventry are already out of reach.

Portsmouth's victory ended a 10-match winless streak on the road, and now Birmingham will hope that their upcoming match against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough (19:45 GMT) will cure their own travel woes.

Following Saturday's 1-1 draw at Swansea, which marked just their second point from the last eight away games, Birmingham aims for their first road victory since October, a win that could bring them within five points of the playoff spots.

Boro Bid to Bounce Back Before it's Too Late

Additionally, a crucial League One match is set for Tuesday night as Stevenage hosts Bolton Wanderers (19:45 GMT).

Stevenage has slipped out of the playoff positions following a disappointing run of just two wins in 14 matches since leading the league in early October, culminating in a 3-0 defeat at Exeter on Saturday.

Alex Revell's squad is winless in their last five home games, with four of those ending in draws. However, with games in hand on teams above them, they recognize that a win could propel them back into the top six, having only lost once in ten home games while conceding just six goals.

Bolton ended a four-match winless streak with a derby victory against Wigan on Saturday, and another three points on the road would elevate them to fourth place.

BBC Sport will provide live text coverage of all the EFL action across Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Championship Action Brightens Blue Monday

Topics

Related news