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Brentford stay in automatic promotion hunt
Remaining fixtures: Stoke (a), Barnsley (h)
Thomas Frank’s side are certainly making a fight of it.
Brentford have not played in the top flight since 1946/47 but a stunning run of form since the restart means they’re still in the race for automatic promotion.
The Bees have won the last eight league games, and will fancy their chances of making it nine and 10 at Stoke then at home to Barnsley in their final two games. A win against Preston on Wednesday moved them to within a point of West Brom with two games to go.
Stoke vs Brentford
July 18, 2020, 12:00pm
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“It’s a privilege to be part of a team who is winning eight games straight,” said boss Thomas Frank. “There’s some that are more important and bigger wins and this one was one of them, definitely. I think it was a fair and square win. In the end, I just need to praise my defence. That’s the single best area we’ve improved in this season.
“I think I will watch the West Brom game on Friday but mainly because I’ll be sitting on a bus heading to Stoke!”
Brentford head to Stoke on Saturday lunchtime – live on Sky Sports Football – with the chance to respond to whatever it is West Brom do on Friday. Coverage gets under way at midday, while kick-off is at 12.30pm.
West Brom holding on
Remaining fixtures: Huddersfield (h), QPR (a)
West Brom, like Leeds, returned this campaign with a vengeance having missed out in last season’s play-offs.
The two sides have played out an enthralling game of cat and mouse – since October, no other sides have occupied the division’s top two spaces – though Leeds have finally put some daylight between themselves and Slaven Bilic’s side.
Huddsf’ld vs W Brom
July 17, 2020, 5:00pm
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Automatic promotion remains in the Baggies’ hands but a draw against Fulham on Tuesday gave Brentford the chance to close the gap, and they did just that by beating Preston on Wednesday.
“Everything is in our hands,” Bilic said after Tuesday’s stalemate. “We started the restart a bit slower, were a bit unlucky in the first couple of games but after that, in the last five games, we are creating and dominating.
“We are in good form, playing good football. That’s where I have my optimism and belief.”
They head to Huddersfield on Friday evening in hope of extending their gap over Brentford to four points again.
Who else is in the play-off mix?
Fulham failing to beat West Brom means their automatic-promotion hopes are very slim. They trail the Baggies by five points with two games to go.
The race below them remains compelling.
Nottingham Forest have a three-point cushion over sixth-placed Cardiff, after drawing with Swansea on Wednesday, while the Swans are three points behind their Welsh rivals in eighth.
Sitting between them is Millwall in seventh, who are two points behind Cardiff.
Preston and Bristol City are in ninth and 10th, but with a five-point gap and two games to spare, they are unlikely to make it, while Derby are six behind Cardiff and would need a massive swing.
Who’s going down?
The outlook seems bleak for Barnsley. They have lost just one of their last six games but with rivals also picking up points in a chaotic survival scrap, they are four points from safety and have Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Brentford left to play – although with a game more to play than all their rivals.
Luton‘s failure to beat QPR on Tuesday has left them in 23rd, two points adrift of safety. Their match against Hull on Saturday is crucial. Hull are level on points with the Hatters, but were thumped 8-0 at Wigan on Tuesday.
Wigan themselves are 12 points clear of the drop, but are facing a potential 12-point deduction at the end of the season after going into administration. Their vastly superior goal difference means that a 12-point cushion would be enough to keep them up.
Charlton are 21st and two points clear of Hull and Luton after drawing 1-1 with Birmingham on Wednesday. That point moved the Blues five clear of the relegation zone with two games to go. Sat between them in 20th is Huddersfield, who are three points clear of the drop.
Stoke picked up a point at Bristol City on Wednesday to move themselves up to 17th and five points clear of the relegation zone, while Middlesbrough are 18th with the same points tally.
Follow the Championship finale live on Sky
Sky Sports will show 30 Sky Bet Championship games by the end of the season, as well all EFL play-off games., exclusively live. You can follow the action with our dedicated blogs on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app, as well as watching match highlights shortly after full-time.
Thurs July 16: Leeds vs Barnsley – 5pm
Friday July 17: Huddersfield vs West Brom – 5.30pm
Saturday July 18: Stoke vs Brentford – 12.30pm
Sunday July 19: Derby vs Leeds – 2pm
Further games selected for live broadcast to be confirmed.
- Barnsley fixtures | Birmingham City fixtures | Blackburn fixtures | Brentford fixtures | Bristol City fixtures | Cardiff City fixtures | Charlton Atheltic fixtures | Derby County fixtures | Fulham fixtures | Huddersfield Town fixtures | Hull City fixtures | Leeds United fixtures | Luton Town fixtures | Middlesbrough fixtures | Millwall fixtures | Nottingham Forest fixtures | Preston North End fixtures | Queens Park Rangers fixtures | Reading fixtures | Sheffield Wednesday fixtures | Stoke City fixtures | Swansea City fixtures | West Bromwich Albion fixtures | Wigan Athletic fixtures
All the Championship fixtures
Thursday July 16
Leeds United vs Barnsley – 5pm, Sky Sports
Friday July 17
Huddersfield Town vs West Bromwich Albion – 5.30pm, Sky Sports
Saturday July 18
Charlton Athletic vs Wigan Athletic – 12.30pm
Stoke City vs Brentford – 12.30pm, Sky Sports
Blackburn Rovers vs Reading – 3pm
Fulham vs Sheffield Wednesday – 3pm
Hull City vs Luton Town – 3pm
Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City – 3pm
Preston North End vs Birmingham City – 3pm
Queens Park Rangers vs Millwall – 3pm
Swansea City vs Bristol City – 3pm
Sunday July 19
Derby County vs Leeds United – 2pm, Sky Sports
Barnsley vs Nottingham Forest – 3pm
Wednesday July 22
Birmingham City vs Derby County
Brentford vs Barnsley
Bristol City vs Preston North End
Cardiff City vs Hull City
Leeds United vs Charlton Athletic
Luton Town vs Blackburn Rovers
Millwall vs Huddersfield Town
Nottingham Forest vs Stoke City
Reading vs Swansea City
Sheffield Wednesday vs Middlesbrough
West Bromwich Albion vs Queens Park Rangers
Wigan Athletic vs Fulham
Sourse: skysports.com
