CHAMPIONSHIP RELEGATION FIGHT FIXTURES IN WEEKEND THAT COULD SEAL FATE OF STOKE CITY, QPR AND HUDDERSFIELD

Nails have been bitten to the quick and there are just two more rounds of fixtures to sort out what has been one of the biggest Championship relegation battles ever. This division is renowned for being tight and competitive but rarely has it seen as many teams involved in the fight at the bottom as there have been this season.

Stoke City have gone a long way towards survival thanks to an emphatic 3-0 win over relegation rivals Plymouth Argyle. That victory puts the Potters four points above the drop zone heading into the final two weekends but there are still two places to be decided.

Sheffield Wednesday's win at Blackburn on Sunday keeps everything just a little bit too alive for everyone's comfort and Stoke still might need another point or three from an away trip to Southampton and home game against Bristol City to be sure - or results elsewhere could give everyone a chance to pull on their flip-flops.

Here is a chance to take a look at what happens next and the vital matches that will dictate the fate of clubs down at the bottom. In just a few days' time, everything will be signed off ready for 2024/25. What do you expect and predict? Have your say in the comments section.

Current state of play at the bottom of the Championship

16 Millwall - safe

17 Stoke City 44 13 11 20 44 60 -16 50

18 QPR 44 13 11 20 41 57 -16 50

19 Blackburn 44 13 10 21 58 74 -16 49

20 Plymouth 44 12 12 20 58 69 -11 48

21 Sheff Wed 44 13 8 23 39 68 -29 47

22 Birmingham 44 12 10 22 48 64 -16 46

23 Huddersfield 44 9 17 18 47 74 -27 44

24 Rotherham - relegated

Remaining fixtures at the bottom of the Championship

Round 45

Friday, April 26: QPR vs Leeds (8pm)

Saturday, April 27: Blackburn vs Coventry, Huddersfield vs Birmingham, Millwall vs Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday vs West Brom, Stoke vs Southampton

Round 46

Saturday, May 4: Birmingham vs Norwich, Coventry vs QPR, Ipswich vs Huddersfield, Leicester vs Blackburn, Plymouth vs Hull, Stoke vs Bristol City, Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday

What each team needs to finish above Stoke

If Stoke get no more points

QPR: One point from Leeds (h), Coventry (a) (or none depending on tight goal difference)

Blackburn: One point from Coventry (h), Leicester (a) - depending on tight goal difference

Plymouth: Two points from Millwall (a), Hull (h) - depending on tight goal difference

Sheffield Wednesday: Four points from West Brom (h), Sunderland (a) - because goal difference is so stark

Birmingham: Four points from Huddersfield (a), Norwich (h) - depending on goal difference

Huddersfield: Unlikely to overturn 11-goal swing in goal difference

If Stoke get one more point

QPR: One point from Leeds (h), Coventry (a) - depending on tight goal difference

Blackburn: Two points from Coventry (h), Leicester (a) - depending on tight goal difference

Plymouth: Three points from Millwall (a), Hull (h) - depending on tight goal difference

Sheffield Wednesday: Six points from West Brom (h), Sunderland (a)

Birmingham: Six points from Huddersfield (a), Norwich (h)

Huddersfield: Impossible

If Stoke get two more points

QPR: Two points from Leeds (h), Coventry (a) - depending on tight goal difference

Blackburn: Three points from Coventry (h), Leicester (a) - depending on tight goal difference

Plymouth: Four points from Millwall (a), Hull (h) - depending on tight goal difference

Sheffield Wednesday: Six points from West Brom (h), Sunderland (a)

Birmingham: Six points from Huddersfield (a), Norwich (h) - depending on tight goal difference

Huddersfield: Impossible

If Stoke get three more points

Stoke are safe

Key games that could give Stoke a hand

If Stoke win vs Southampton they are safe.

If Birmingham lose vs Huddersfield (a) or Norwich (h) Stoke are safe unless Huddersfield also win away at Ipswich and overturn 11-goal swing in goal difference.

If Sheffield Wednesday lose vs West Brom (h) or Sunderland (a) Stoke are safe barring unprecedented scorelines to reduce a 13-goal difference in goal difference.

What does Steven Schumacher say?

Stoke's head coach said at full-time last Saturday: “We felt 50 points was a milestone we needed to get to. That was the target we set but the way that games have gone and results for teams down the bottom, we know it's not done.

“I've just said to the players it's important we get in on Monday and have as good a week as we did this week and focus on the game We are going to Southampton who are one of the best teams in the division but we've got to try to get something from the game because you just never know. We've got to keep going until it's mathematically secure and at the moment it's not.”

Latest relegation odds

Huddersfield 1/12, Birmingham 4/6, Sheffield Wednesday 7/4, Plymouth 11/2, Blackburn 8/1, QPR 28/1, Stoke 100/1

Who is going down? Have your say in the comments section

2024-04-22T08:55:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd