The UK Football seasons are into the final stages, and there’s plenty to play for across all four divisions. Like someone who has sat through the boring first 2 hours of a movie so you can enjoy the excitement of the last 30 minutes without the effort, we’ll go through the leagues for the points of interest.
EPL – 7 games to go.
Chelsea have a seven point lead and two games in hand, and look like they’ll add an EPL to their League Cup won earlier in the year.
The battle for second originally looked like Manchester City’s domain, but their awful run of form including a loss to Crystal Palace during the week has condemned them to fourth and their manager to a rumoured exit.
Second looks like the tightest battle up high, and Arsenal are playing best of the three at the moment. The other two actually meet each other in the match of the round and Manchester derby. Northern bragging rights and momentum toward second is on the line.
Down the bottom the three promoted look like they will be the three relegated, and that is a shame as Burnley have offered plenty with their underdog status and tenacity, and Leicester’s manager always provides some entertainment. If the three new boys go down, some EPL regular can breath a sigh of relief they barely deserve. Team like Aston Villa and Sunderland have been clogging up the EPL for years by just surviving every season, and they won’t be the biggest loss if they go down instead.
CHAMPIONSHIP – mostly 5 games to go. Mostly.
The race for the riches of the EPL from the UK’s second tier is the closest it has been for a long time. Usually by this time a runaway leader is lining up disappointments for their EPL campaign, and second place isn’t far away either. Not this year.
The top four are separated by 2 points and include 3 EPL yo yo teams in Norwich, Middlesbrough and Watford. Bournemouth are the new team to be up this high, and most EPL fans who are ignorant of any team outside the top 6 will need some assistance in working out who they are. Two of these teams will automatically go up, the rest will join up for a four team mini league and a playoff final for the same riches.
Talking about the rest, there is another little group separated by only 3 points from 5th to 8th and are only 4 points behind 4th. These sides are unlikely to be automatically promoted but the promise of a trip to Wembley will ensure that this goes down to the last day. Like the top 4 this group is comprised of EPL yoyos like Wolves, Derby and Ipswich, whilst the newcomer and the most unlikely EPL for a while is Brentford. All of these teams have led or been in the top two at some stage this year, and may regret a bad run at the wrong time either lately like Derby or earlier in the year like Wolves.
At the bottom Blackpool confirmed their relegation to go with the misery that has been hanging around all year, with Wigan trying desperately not to join them, and decided sacking your manager at this late stage will help. It won’t and a recent FA Cup winner will drop down to the third division. Millwall are the only side that could make the unlikely happen as they have a game in hand. But they will need wins starting this weekend.
The rest are stuck in the sweet spot of mid to lower table mediocrity that is usually the safe haven of Ipswich Town.
LEAGUE ONE – 5 or 6 games to go.
League One looked sewn up for Bristol City a few weeks ago as a League One title looked in the trophy cabinet which already houses the knockout Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
Whilst it still looks like Bristol City will win the title, they play their nearest rival and the most in form team in the competition Preston this weekend. A win will almost remove the need for calculators, whereas a loss will get their rivals within 5 points and add a little momentum their way.
A Preston loss will allow the third placed Milton Keynes side to increase their chances of an overdue promotion to the second tier. Otherwise they will join the other three sides in the race for the final promotion spot via the playoffs. The other three sides look reasonably stable with two playoff regulars in Swindon and Sheffield United, and the outsider Chesterfield. Only Rochdale with a game in hand look a chance to break into the 6.
The big battle is at the other end with the closest relegation battle this year, and probably ever as any team from 15th down could be relegated. Only bottom placed Yeovil look like they are relegated and that will be confirmed soon and their 6 losses in a row hasn’t helped.
With just 4 points from 15th to 23rd, and a mere 2 points from 15th to 21st, the other three teams to go down will go down to the wire and will no doubt be a movable feast on the last day of the year.
LEAGUE TWO – 5 games to go.
Three teams go up automatically from the fourth tier, and those 3 teams look reasonably decided in Burton, Shrewsbury and Wycombe. Although the latter’s two losses in a row have allowed Southend and Bury to get much closer.
With another two teams needed for the playoffs, the battle for those places is tight with 6th to 10th separated by just one point. A trip to Wembley and a move up a potential move up a division will ensure it is another battle that goes down to the last day.
Talking of going down, the dreaded drop into the Conference, a division which requires Houdini style skills to escape, looks like it could be any of the bottom 6. Somehow Hartlepool, who were doomed two months ago have started winning and have got out of the relegation zone just. Cheltenham are dead last now, but there will now doubt be more movement to come. All clubs will be hoping is isn’t down.
THE GURGLER’S BEST BET MULTIS
EPL – $1 for $10
CRYSTAL PALACE to beat Sunderland
SOUTHAMPTON to beat Hull
ARSENAL to beat Burnley
SPURS to beat Aston Villa
CHAMPIONSHIP – $1 for $13
IPSWICH to beat Blackpool
MIDDLESBORO to beat Rotherham
WATFORD to beat Millwall
DRAW – Shef Wed v Charlton
LEAGUE ONE – $1 for $29
SHEFFIELD UTD to beat Oldham
MILTON KEYNES to beat Port Vale
ROCHDALE to beat Doncaster
COVENTRY to beat Colchester
LEAGUE TWO – $1 for $35
WIMBLEDON to beat Oxford
LUTON to beat Burton
SHREWSBURY to beat Exeter
BURY to beat Newport
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
[soccer-info id=’2′ type=’fixtures’ title=’EPL GAMES’ limit=’10’ /]
[soccer-info id=’20’ type=’fixtures’ title=’CHAMPIOSNHIP GAMES’ limit=’24’ /]
[soccer-info id=’21’ type=’fixtures’ title=’L1 GAMES’ limit=’24’ /]
[soccer-info id=’22’ type=’fixtures’ title=’L2 GAMES’ limit=’24’ /]
