Championship 2023/24: Leicester, Leeds, Ipswich, Southampton in four-way automatic promotion battle

There are just 12 games to go of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Ahead of another busy weekend of second-tier action, we take a look at how the race for promotion to the Premier League is shaping up...

How the league table has changed so far this season

Current standings

This weekend's fixtures

1st - Leicester, 78 points

Leicester have just looked a cut above from the opening day and look destined for an immediate return to the Premier League. They have won 25 of their 34 games to date and will break their own joint-record - with Reading (31) - if they win seven more this term.

A damaging 3-1 defeat to Leeds last Friday night, however, means they are currently set to miss out on matching Reading's points record (106) by just one point, given their current average of 2.29 points per game.

2nd - Leeds, 72 points

Leeds' start on their return to the Championship was unspectacular and it was not until October they established themselves in the promotion race. Daniel Farke's side are motoring now, though. They have won 16 of their last 21 league games and are on a run of nine league wins in succession, with just two goals conceded.

3rd - Ipswich, 72 points

Ipswich surprised many with how they handled their return to the second tier and looked nailed on for back-to-back promotions during the first half of the season. Understandably, their pace dropped off somewhat in December and January, but they are back on track after four wins in their last four outings.

4th - Southampton, 67 points

Southampton boss Russell Martin looked to be under pressure when his side lost four in a row in September, although what came next proves patience is a virtue. Saints set a new club-record unbeaten league run (22) and also a club-record unbeaten run in all competitions (25), but they have lost three of their last four league games.

5th - West Brom, 59 points

A victory for West Brom against Coventry on Friday night further bolstered their spot in the top six ahead of the rest of the weekend's action. They secured a 2-1 win at The Hawthorns to move seven clear of Norwich in seventh.

6th - Hull, 55 points

Hull have been in and around the promotion picture for the majority of the season, but struggled for form throughout December and January, picking up only 12 of the 30 points on offer. That dip seems to have abated, with Liam Rosenior having now overseen five wins and a draw in the last seven.

Who else is in the mix?

Norwich (7th, 52 points)

Preston (8th, 52 points)

Coventry (9th, 51 points)

Sunderland (10th, 47 points)

How do Opta see the final table looking?

Listen to the Championship Predictions podcast

Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek 35 in the Sky Bet Championship, predicting the results of every fixture; listen to the podcast below or via any of your regular podcast providers.