Join @TonyIncenzo each week for his Championship review, with a look at the biggest moments in the latest round of games in England's second tier...


ANALYSING the concluding round of fixtures before international duties, we have new table toppers in our EFL Championship.

In addition, there were some significant outcomes affecting promotion and relegation issues and a freshly appointed caretaker manager took his first game in charge. 

Here are the main stories catching my eye…

LEEDS NEW LEADERS

Leicester City’s FA Cup involvement meant Leeds United would capture pole position in the Championship on goal difference if they could pull off a two goal successful margin against Millwall in Sunday’s Elland Road showdown.

And it is exactly what happened! Wilfried Gnonto and substitute Dan James scored in a 2-0 triumph.

The 20 yard sizzling left footer by Gnonto was our best EFL strike registered over the weekend in my opinion prompting the host club to tweet: “WILLY GNONTO!!! THAT IS SUPERB!!!”

And joyous chants of “We’re Leeds United, we’re top of the League” reverberated at full-time. Leeds thus elongated their 13 unbeaten Championship extravaganza beyond January 1st winning 12 of them.

Furthermore, Daniel Farke’s men maintain the division’s only undefeated home record from 19 fixtures played in 2023/24 (15 victories, four draws).

This result terminated the Millwall run of three wins during a spirited four match unconquered streak since boss Neil Harris returned on 21st February cementing 16th place.

Incidentally, a disappointing weekend for Leicester City fans was compounded losing 4-2 at Chelsea in FA Cup Quarter-Finals action. However, the Foxes presently possess a game in hand on Leeds. 

SIX OF THE BEST FOR IPSWICH

Third placed Ipswich Town kept up their concerted push hammering visitors Sheffield Wednesday 6-0. I particularly liked the Omari Hutchinson double somersault celebration once he supplied his second goal.

That made it seven wins from eight for the Tractor Boys remaining a point off automatic promotion discussions.

Terrific entertainers too because the 19 EFL Championship fixtures staged at Portman Road throughout 2023/24 have dished up 82 goals (53 for, 29 against). Moreover they’ve become the division’s leading scorers on 80.

All this leaves Sheffield Wednesday slumbering second bottom on two straight defeats after previously accumulating four consecutive maximum pointers and five victories in six.

BAGGIES MARCH ON

Filling the fifth rung, West Bromwich Albion are unbeaten in six following the 2-0 home stroll past Bristol City. Albion move eight points clear of seventh spot and will be near certainties for a Play-Off berth.

As for 14th ranked Bristol City, current form embraces five defeats amid six outings.

CANARIES ON SONG

A 3-0 saunter away to Stoke City saw Norwich City continue to occupy sixth thanks to six wins and two draws across nine outings. Josh Sargent slid home from close range to net an eighth goal in his last nine appearances and reach 13 for the season.

Meanwhile, Stoke stay 19th only two points above those relegation places nursing eight defeats within 11 encounters. 

CLEVERLEY DONE

In a tight battle of two interim bosses, Watford’s newly installed Tom Cleverley edged his inaugural engagement 1-0 at Birmingham City. Emmanuel Dennis provided the vital breakthrough on 44 minutes crisply capitalising via a desperate defensive mix-up.

Sitting 13th, the Hornets sacked boss Valerien Ismael last week due to him earning just one win in 12 League and Cup games.

Contrastingly, Birmingham City caretaker Mark Venus has suffered five defeats in his six match fruitless spree deputising while Tony Mowbray undergoes medical treatment for unspecified illness.

Blues are 21st with only goal difference keeping them out of the bottom three. It is worth recalling Birmingham were sixth when they surprisingly dismissed head coach John Eustace on 9th October.

Wayne Rooney and then Mowbray subsequently accepted the hot seat.

MILLERS HOLD TERRIERS

A cross-Yorkshire relegation tussle ended scoreless between Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town. The rock bottom Millers are 19 points adrift of survival but at least curtailed their dismal catalogue of nine successive defeats culminating in a pair of back to back 5-0 capitulations.

They’ve only won three games in 2023/24 – all at home - the most recent being 1-0 versus Middlesbrough on Boxing Day.

Alternatively, Huddersfield hover below the safety line on goal difference in 22nd reflecting four matches bereft of victory.


*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

Tony is an experienced football broadcaster who has worked for Clubcall, Capital Gold, IRN Sport, talkSPORT Radio and Sky TV. 

His devotion to Queens Park Rangers saw him reach 50 years without missing a home game in April 2023.

Tony is also a Non-League football expert having visited more than 2,500 different football grounds in his matchday groundhopping.

You can follow Tony on Twitter at @TonyIncenzo.