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Championship final day: Where could each club still finish in the table?

Ahead of the final day of the 2019-20 Championship season, Sports Mole looks at where every club could still finish in the final standings.

The 2019-20 Championship season comes to an end this evening with plenty still to be decided at both ends of the table.

Leeds United have already secured their long-awaited promotion - and as champions too - but the second automatic promotion place, as well as the last two playoff spots, remain up for grabs.

There is also a fascinating picture developing at the bottom of the table, with five clubs going into the final day in danger of relegation.

Here, Sports Mole looks at where each club could still finish the season.



LEEDS UNITED

Leeds United players celebrate winning promotion to the Premier League in July 2020© Reuters

Current position: 1st
Possible final league positions: 1st

Leeds have already been confirmed as champions and go into the final day boasting an eight-point lead over their nearest rivals.



WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Current position: 2nd
Possible final league positions: 2nd-4th

A slip-up last time out for West Brom leaves them with work still to do on the final day. The Baggies are one point above Brentford in third heading into their home match against Queens Park Rangers, where victory would secure promotion but defeat could see them finish as low as fourth.



BRENTFORD

Current position: 3rd
Possible final league positions: 2nd-4th

Brentford could also finish anywhere from second to fourth, with only two points separating those three teams. The Bees were in flying form until a shock defeat last time out, and they host relegation-threatened Barnsley on the final day.



FULHAM

Fulham's Neeskens Kebano celebrates with teammates after scoring against Sheffield Wednesday on July 18, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 4th
Possible final league positions: 2nd-4th

Fulham are the third team still in the hunt for automatic promotion on the final day. A two-point deficit and vastly inferior goal difference to West Brom means that they will need the Baggies to lose, while also beating Wigan Athletic themselves to stand any chance to going up without the need for playoffs. They cannot finish any lower than their current position of fourth though.



NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Current position: 5th
Possible final league positions: 5th-7th

Nottingham Forest's playoff spot is not yet mathematically confirmed, but it would take an unlikely set of results to see them miss out. Sabri Lamouchi's side boast a three-point lead over seventh-placed Swansea City heading into their final-day meeting with Stoke City, and crucially have a goal difference of five more too.



CARDIFF CITY

Current position: 6th
Possible final league positions: 5th-7th

Cardiff's position is slightly more vulnerable than Forest's in that they only have a goal difference one better than their bitter rivals Swansea, meaning that if they lose to Hull City and Swansea beat Reading then Swansea will finish in the final playoff spots. Should Cardiff avoid defeat then they will be in the playoffs, though.



SWANSEA CITY

Swansea City's Connor Roberts celebrates scoring against Bristol City on July 18, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 7th
Possible final league positions: 5th-9th

Swansea need results elsewhere to go their way to stand any chance of breaking into the playoffs, while they must also beat Reading themselves in order to take advantage of any slip-ups. Defeat could see them finish as low as ninth.



PRESTON NORTH END

Current position: 8th
Possible final league positions: 7th-11th

Preston cannot break into the playoffs on the final day and could only possibly climb one place if they beat Bristol City on the final day. Alex Neil's side are guaranteed a top-half finish, though.



MILLWALL

Current position: 9th
Possible final league positions: 7th-11th

Millwall's dreams of playoff football were dashed by defeat last time out, leaving them level on points with Preston and therefore with the same range of possible finishes.



BLACKBURN ROVERS

Sam Gallagher celebrates scoring the winner for Blackburn Rovers on July 18, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 10th
Possible final league positions: 8th-12th

Tenth-placed Blackburn are guaranteed a top-half finish and could end the campaign as high as eighth, which would equal their highest league position since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2011-12.



BRISTOL CITY

Current position: 11th
Possible final league positions: 8th-12th

Bristol City's poor form since the restart has seen them slip from playoff hopefuls to mid-table mediocrity, but the managerless Robins are at least guaranteed a top-half finish.



DERBY COUNTY

Current position: 12th
Possible final league positions: 10th-12th

Derby have been in freefall in recent weeks, but the encouraging news for them is that they cannot drop any lower on the final day, with none of the teams below them able to break into the top half.



WIGAN ATHLETIC

Wigan Athletic players celebrate their opening goal of the 8-0 hammering of Hull on July 14, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 13th
Possible final league positions: 20th-24th

Wigan Athletic go into the final day in 13th place and would ordinarily have nothing to play for with a 10-point cushion to the bottom three. However, they have an imminent 12-point deduction hanging over their heads which will be applied after tonight's games and will immediately drop them down into the relegation zone, two points from safety. Survival is still possible, but they must beat Fulham and hope that other results also go their way if they are to avoid the drop.



QUEENS PARK RANGERS

Current position: 14th
Possible final league positions: 13th-15th

QPR have very little to play for against West Brom - Wigan's deduction will automatically lift them up to 13th and they can finish no lower than 15th meaning that they are already guaranteed their highest finish since 2015-16.



READING

Current position: 15th
Possible final league positions: 13th-16th

Reading have also already secured a season of improvement, having finished 20th in the previous two campaigns.



SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

Sheffield Wednesday's Jacob Murphy celebrates scoring against QPR in the Championship on July 11, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 16th
Possible final league positions: 13th-16th

Sheffield Wednesday finished 15th last season and so will be keen to improve upon that as they host Middlesbrough on the final day.



STOKE CITY

Current position: 17th
Possible final league positions: 14th-19th

Safety is now secured for Stoke and they could even finish a season which began so poorly as high as 14th, which would be some achievement from Michael O'Neill.



HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

Current position: 18th
Possible final league positions: 17th-21st

Huddersfield, who sacked manager Danny Cowley in the wake of victory over West Brom last time out, are one of the teams to benefit from Wigan's impending points deduction. Without it, they would still have some work to do on the final day - although their goal difference would essentially make them safe regardless - but as it is the lowest they can now finish is 21st.



MIDDLESBROUGH

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock pictured on June 27, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 19th
Possible final league positions: 16th-21st

Middlesbrough currently sit only two points above the relegation zone heading into the final day, but Wigan's 12-point deduction would increase that cushion to four points, making them safe from the drop.



BIRMINGHAM CITY

Current position: 20th
Possible final league positions: 16th-21st

Birmingham are in the same boat as Middlesbrough in that they have effectively been made safe by Wigan's plight, despite only sitting two points clear of danger with three left to play for.



CHARLTON ATHLETIC

Current position: 21st
Possible final league positions: 17th-24th

Of the five teams still in danger of relegation on the final day, Charlton are in the best position. As things stand it is only goal difference keeping them out of the bottom three, but Wigan's deduction suddenly makes that a much more comfortable two-point lead. However, they travel to champions Leeds for their final match and have an inferior goal difference to Wigan, and so even a draw at Elland Road might not be enough if other results also go against them.



LUTON TOWN

Luton players look dejected after drawing with QPR on July 14, 2020© Reuters

Current position: 22nd
Possible final league positions: 17th-24th

Luton stand to gain the most from Wigan's deduction; they currently sit in the relegation zone going into the final day, but once the Latics' 12-point hit is applied they will be the team to move out of the bottom three. There is still work to do on the final day, though, as they host Blackburn.



BARNSLEY

Current position: 23rd
Possible final league positions: 20th-24th

Only a win will do for Barnsley away to promotion-chasing Brentford this evening, while they will need other results to go their way too if they are to pull off a great escape. Victory last time out kept their hopes alive, but it will still take an unlikely twist of fate for them to survive.



HULL CITY

Current position: 24th
Possible final league positions: 20th-24th

Hull have plummeted to the bottom of the table since January, winning just one and losing 15 of their last 19 league games - including each of their last five, most recently a near-fatal home loss to fellow strugglers Luton. The Tigers have conceded a whopping 50 goals in that time and now need a miracle on the final day.

Wigan's deduction could actually help them as it makes Luton essentially safe as things stand and their goal difference is much easier for Hull to overturn than Charlton's is, although the Tigers will still need a string of results to go for them too and they face a Cardiff side with plenty to fight for themselves.

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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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Leeds United players celebrate winning promotion to the Premier League in July 2020
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd20135228111742
2Leeds UnitedLeeds20125336142241
3Burnley2010822471738
4Sunderland20107329151437
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn1910452317634
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2071122314932
7Middlesbrough209473425931
8Watford199462725231
9Swansea CitySwansea207672119227
10Norwich CityNorwich206863530526
11Bristol City206862525026
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds207582329-626
13Millwall196762017325
14Derby CountyDerby216692626024
15Preston North EndPreston2041062026-622
16Luton TownLuton2064102335-1222
17Coventry CityCoventry205692529-421
18Stoke CityStoke205692126-521
19Queens Park RangersQPR204972026-621
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd194692030-1018
21Portsmouth193882134-1317
22Cardiff CityCardiff1945101730-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth1945101940-2117
24Hull City2037101828-1016


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