Pulsating promotion: how the top tier of the championship is developing

Clockwise from top left: Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy, Leeds striker Wilfried Gnonto and Ipswich’s Kieffer Moore.Composite: Getty Images; Action images; PA images

Leicester City: P36 Pts81

With ten games to go, Leicester, three points clear at the top, are in the box seat, but three defeats in the last four games have given their rivals encouragement and what for so long looked like a parade looks to be anything but that.

Promotion, with its financial spin-offs, seems essential given the bleak financial picture. Leicester are at serious risk of breaching the English Football League’s profit and sustainability rules for the 2023-2024 season, and there are concerns they will fall foul of the Premier League’s financial rules for their accounts over the three-year period years before the relegation last May. Sanctions are unlikely to come into effect this term, but a new round of player sales will likely be required; homegrown midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is their most valuable asset after a fine season.

Jamie Vardy, one of the summer’s top earners without a contract, has picked a good time to rediscover his form, with the 37-year-old scoring six goals in his past seven games. Jannik Vestergaard, whose contract also expires in June, was central to the title battle. Enzo Maresca’s possession-hungry side have won more games than any other team in the division but have occasionally struggled to eliminate teams. How they could do it to get over the line.

Ipswich Town, P36 Pts78

At the start of the season, Ipswich insiders were quietly hoping they would finish in the top half, but the club could start next in the top flight, a stage they have not entered since 2002. Regardless of how stylishly Kieran McKenna’s side won promotion last season – they scored 101 goals and finished second with 98 points – it is notable that they have lost just four league matches, and two of those were against Leeds, who were breathing down their necks.

Ipswich have been impressed with McKenna since the former Manchester United coach took charge of the club in mid-League One less than two and a half years ago and the 37-year-old has instilled a tigerish attitude into his squad; they scored eight goals in the 89th minute or later, including Leif Davis’ winner against Bristol City in midweek which secured a sixth straight league win. “When we see 90 minutes [on the clock]And with extra time we always think we can score another goal,” Ipswich’s Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson said recently.

The story continues

Davis – who has 14 assists in the league – was excellent at left back, Wes Burns electric on the right and captain Sam Morsy unselfish in midfield. The deadline-day signing of Kieffer Moore, who first brought Mick McCarthy to the club for £10,000 in 2017, has proved inspired with the striker scoring five goals in five weeks. Ipswich, which was acquired in 2021 by US investment fund Gamechanger 20 Ltd led by a Los Angeles businessman, could be on the verge of hitting the jackpot – and well ahead of schedule.

Leeds United, P36 Pts76

It probably didn’t feel like it amid the clouds of uncertainty, but on the eve of the season, fresh from a takeover and with a new manager in Daniel Farke, Leeds were pulling the pieces into place to give themselves a chance to bounce back return to the Premier League. on the first try. Wilfried Gnonto didn’t get his wish after submitting a transfer request and for seven months he has been central to Leeds’ promotion, while the likes of Tyler Adams, Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra are distant memories.

In Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray, Leeds have two excellent candidates to take home the EFL Player and Young Player of the Season awards next month. The rise of Gray, who turns 18 next week and is the great-nephew of legendary Leeds winger Eddie Gray, has been one of the stories of the season. Georginio Rutter failed to score after joining from Hoffenheim for £36m last season but has delivered this campaign.

Leicester’s strength in depth has been praised, but slowly Leeds have put together a squad that can rival theirs in quality. In January, full-back Connor Roberts, promoted from champions Burnley last season, became Wales’ third international this season and the fourth in the team. One of them, Ethan Ampadu, the captain in recent months, has missed two minutes of the campaign. “It’s not about passports,” Farke said, “it’s all about character.”

Southampton, Pl35 70 points

When Southampton kicked off the season at Hillsborough on Friday evening with a late 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, it was a sign of things to come. It has been a rollercoaster ride for Russell Martin’s Saints, who lost four games on the spin in September by an aggregate score of 12-2 before embarking on an extraordinary, record-breaking 25-match unbeaten run.

Since then, they have lost three of their last five league games and needed a 96th-minute winner to beat Birmingham in a chaotic 4-3 win last weekend, when Adam Armstrong scored their first goal. Only Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics has scored more than Armstrong, whose prolific form for Blackburn earned him a move to Southampton in the division this season.

Will Smallbone has had a breakout year in midfield after spending the past season on loan at Stoke and Kyle Walker. Peters and Che Adams showed their class. “I still know a lot of players in this league and they talk to me after games and say, ‘Kyle Walker-Peters: wow,’” former Norwich defender Martin said recently. “He’s been a big player for us.”

Saints, who have a game in hand against their rivals, face a busy schedule after Wednesday’s home game against Preston was postponed due to a fire next to St Mary’s. If they want to secure a place in the top two, they will have to do that. do it the hard way. They still have to visit Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds, the last of which on what could be a season-defining final day.