Wed Jul 22, 2020 3:14 pm
Championship final day: Promotion, play-offs and relegation still to be decided
Slaven Bilic is one of three managers hoping to take their side up automatically
"The prize is not that somebody's going to clap you or you're going to get a standing ovation. The prize is the Premier League."
That was West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic summing up Wednesday's crucial final round of Championship matches.
After 45 games and almost 12 months of a season interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, almost everything in English football's second tier is still to be decided.
Who will finish second and claim the huge financial rewards of a place in the top flight? Who will grab the final couple of play-off places? And who will drop down into League One?
Who needs what? The Championship final day permutations
Could lawyers decide Championship relegation?
The fight for second
Championship top six going into final games: Leeds, West Brom, Brentford, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Cardiff
West Brom, Brentford and Fulham are fighting for one automatic promotion place
Key fixtures: West Brom v QPR, Brentford v Barnsley, Wigan v Fulham
Leeds have already wrapped up the title and a place in the top flight for the first time since 2004.
Beneath them, there is an almighty fight between West Brom, Brentford and Fulham for that second automatic promotion place. Last season, it was estimated that promotion could result in a £170m increase in revenue.
The Baggies have had a rollercoaster ride since league fixtures resumed on 20 June. They were six points clear of third-placed Fulham and 10 ahead of fourth-placed Brentford when the season was put on hold because of the pandemic.
It looked like they had blown their chances of going up after losing at Huddersfield Town on Friday, but Brentford's amazing run of eight successive wins was halted at Stoke a day later to leave West Brom one point clear with a game to go, and Fulham only two points off second spot.
"The Championship is hard anyway," said Bilic, who is hoping to take Albion back to the top flight after two seasons in the second tier.
"This season is longer than ever and we should be proud of what we have done so far. Now is the time to finish it off, we've got to do it."
Benrahma, Mbeumo, Watkins
Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins have scored 57 goals between them this season
Two sides from the capital, separated by just a few miles, are also hoping they can make it to the promised land.
Third-placed Brentford have played some of the best football of any side this season and, in their 'BMW' front three of Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins, they have an attacking force that would cause many a Premier League defence problems.
The three of them alone have combined for 57 of Brentford's 79 league goals - more than eight teams have scored all season.
"One more big game on Wednesday against Barnsley," said boss Thomas Frank after their loss at Stoke on Saturday.
"I promise you we're ready to fight and play and run on Wednesday night."
But five miles east along the north bank of the River Thames, Fulham can still have a say.
Having lost to Brentford and then Leeds in their first two games back after the resumption, it looked like Scott Parker's men had lost their chance.
But a run of six wins and a draw from their past seven matches has given the former England midfielder hope his side can take one more step.
"We had two negative results coming out of lockdown, but since then my team have been very good at grinding out results," said Parker.
"There are times we've been 10 to 13 points adrift. We've had to fight and battle with pressure that comes with that and the outside voices. We've not got the credit we deserve at times. To take this season, and the teams above us, like Brentford and West Brom who are fantastic teams, to the wire is fantastic."
Trio in the play-off hunt
Play-off push: Championship table 5th to 10th - Nottingham Forest, Cardiff, Swansea, Preston, Millwall, Blackburn
Key fixtures: Nottingham Forest v Stoke, Cardiff v Hull, Reading v Swansea
The race for the final play-off places is also quite intriguing.
Two of West Brom, Fulham and Brentford are guaranteed to be in the play-offs, but the other two spots are still up for grabs between Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City and Swansea City.
"What I don't want is anything interfering with our performance and us winning our game," Swansea boss Steve Cooper told BBC Wales before his side's trip to Reading, which they must win to stand any chance of finishing in the top six.
"We've got to go and play well, be confident, be clinical in both boxes and do whatever it takes win any football match.
"We can't influence what happens elsewhere anyway, but if there's something that we need to know and we're in a position where we need to know I'm sure we'll get that info."
Wed Jul 22, 2020 3:35 pm
Cardiff City, Swansea City and Nottingham Forest will go into the final day of the Championship fighting for two play-off spots.
The likelihood is that Cardiff and Swansea are competing for one place, although Forest's loss at Barnsley means they are not secure in fifth.
Forest are level with sixth-placed Cardiff on 70 points, with Swansea three adrift in seventh.
The Reds' goal difference is +11, while Cardiff stand at +7 and Swansea +6.
Sabri Lamouchi's Forest side, who have not won in five matches, need only a point when they host a Stoke City team with nothing to play for on Wednesday to book their play-off place.
Cardiff are at home to Hull City, who need a first win in six games to give themselves any hope of staying up, while Swansea go to mid-table Reading.