Just when it looked like Leicester City had done their damndest to hand the Championship title initiative to their big promotion rivals, both Leeds United and Ipswich Town suffered setbacks too.
The Foxes had gone to lowly Plymouth on Friday looking to extend their lead at the top of the table, but instead lost 1-0 at Home Park to spark angry recriminations amongst frustrated fans.
It capped an awful week for Enzo Maresca and Co after a similarly painful loss at Millwall, but help was at hand. Leeds promptly lost at home to Blackburn a few hours after the Home Park debacle, while Ipswich could only inch towards the top of the table by drawing with Middlesbrough at Portman Road.
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So, it would seem Leicester have been handed an almighty left-off. Although now trailing Ipswich by a point at the summit, their destiny remains in their own hands. They have a game in hand on the Tractor Boys - they also lead Leeds by a point too - so just need to win all four of their remaining games to limp over the title line.
The team who could yet cause a promotion upset are Southampton. While the Saints face an almighty struggle to finish in the top two, they could have a big say on who goes up and who are crowned champions.
That’s because not only have they played two games less than both Ipswich and Leeds, they also clash with both Leicester and United in their final four games. It is going to be a thriller…
Here’s a look at an increasingly tense Championship run-in…
Ipswich (1st, played 43, 89 points, +32 goal difference)
Run-in: Hull (a), Coventry (a), Huddersfield (h).
Ipswich’s unlikely tilt at back-to-back promotions has hit the buffers in recent weeks after a remarkable run of nine wins in 10 Championship outings was brought to an end by derby rivals Norwich.
A 1-0 defeat at Carrow Road on April 6 has been followed by home draws with Watford and Middlesbrough and Town must rediscover the form which earned manager Kieran McKenna the accolade of Championship Manager of the Season on Sunday evening if they are to reach the top flight.
However, all three of their remaining opponents still have something to play for with Hull and Coventry on the fringes of the play-off race and Huddersfield battling desperately to avoid the drop.
Promotion odds: 2/5
Leicester (2nd, played 42, 88 points, +41 goal difference)
Run-in: West Brom (h), Southampton (h), Preston (a), Blackburn (h).
Once seemingly certain to return to the top flight after a single season in the wilderness – Enzo Maresca’s side were 17 points clear of Leeds – Leicester have suffered a crisis of confidence just at the wrong time.
A 2-1 home defeat by Middlesbrough on February 17 launched a run of 10 league games culminating in Friday night’s 1-0 reverse at Plymouth which has seen them lose six times and collect just 10 of the 30 points available.
Their fate, however, remains in their own hands and with three of their last four fixtures taking place at the King Power Stadium – perhaps the most significant of them Saints’ visit next week – they will hope they can make home advantage count.
Promotion odds: 1/10
Leeds (3rd, played 43, 87 points, +42 goal difference)
Run-in: Middlesbrough (a), QPR (a), Southampton (h).
Like the two clubs immediately above them in the table, Leeds have suffered a wobble at the most inopportune moment.
The 2-1 defeat at Coventry on April 6 was their first in the league since the turn of the year and having seen Sunderland leave Elland Road with a point three days later, Daniel Farke’s men lost on home soil for the first time this season on Saturday when Sammie Szmodics fired Blackburn to victory in West Yorkshire.
Monday’s trip to Middlesbrough is followed by another away fixture at QPR before Southampton head north for a final-day clash which could have a major say in the promotion race.
Promotion odds: 1/2
Southampton (played 41, 81 points, +27 goal difference)
Run-in: Preston (h), Cardiff (a), Leicester (a), Stoke (h), Leeds (a).
Southampton’s bad patch arrived in February, when they lost to Bristol City, Hull and Millwall either side of a 2-0 success at West Brom in the space of 12 days.
A run of four wins and only one defeat in their last seven games, including Saturday’s last-gasp 3-2 victory over Watford, has edged them back into the hunt, but points on the board in the latter stages of a season are precious and Saints are playing catch-up.
Russell Martin’s men face difficult trips to Leicester and Leeds, but their cause will be forlorn if they slip up in theoretically less taxing encounters with Preston, Cardiff and Stoke.
Promotion odds: 5/4
