Fulham primed for an egg-cellent weekend but Peterborough and Scunthorpe in need of Easter miracles

Seb Sternik
14 April 2022

Ahead of a big weekend in the EFL, Planet Sport takes a look at the current state of play across the three divisions.

Easter eggs aren't the only mouth-watering offering this weekend, as a packed schedule awaits across the Championship, League One and League Two.

From the heights of Fulham to the despair of Scunthorpe, we run through all the biggest title fights, play-off races and relegation dogfights.

Championship title fight

If you're looking for a thrilling title race you have come to the wrong place.

Fulham will be playing Premier League football next season and it would be a miracle if they're not promoted as champions.

Despite a recent dip in form, Marco Silva's men still find themselves 10 points clear at the top with just six games left to play.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Fulham	40	25	8	7	94	35	83
2	AFC Bournemouth	39	21	10	8	62	35	73
3	Huddersfield Town	41	19	12	10	54	43	69
4	Nottingham Forest	39	19	10	10	61	36	67

Victory over Derby would be enough for Silva's side to cement promotion on Friday should Nottingham Forest lose at Luton earlier in the day.

Back-to-back wins on Friday and then on Tuesday against Preston could seal the title should Bournemouth lose against both Middlesbrough and Coventry.

Championship play-off race

Bournemouth are currently second in the standings, but an inconsistent run of results has left them in a vulnerable position.

Yes, the Cherries have got a couple games in hand. However, none of their remaining seven outings are what you could describe as 'easy'.

With that in mind, the play-off landscape is likely to shift and change over the coming weeks - only eight points separate third-placed Huddersfield from ninth-placed Millwall.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
2	Bournemouth	39	21	10	8	62	35	73
3	Huddersfield	41	19	12	10	54	43	69
4	Nottm Forest	39	19	10	10	61	36	67
5	Luton Town	41	18	11	12	59	47	65
6	Sheffield United	41	18	11	12	53	41	65
7	Blackburn Rovers	41	17	12	12	52	42	63
8	Middlesbrough	40	18	8	14	52	42	62
9	Millwall	41	16	13	12	45	40	61
10	Coventry City	41	16	11	14	54	51	59
11	QPR	41	17	8	16	55	53	59

The team to watch are Nottingham Forest who are on a 10-match unbeaten run and look unstoppable under the stewardship of Steve Cooper.

Huddersfield are also worth keeping an eye on as the Terriers look to pile the pressure on Bournemouth in the fight for the second automatic promotion spot.

Luton are currently fifth in the standings but that could change if their three-match winless run doesn't come to an end soon. The Hatters are equal on points with Sheffield United (65), who occupy the sixth and final play-off spot.

Blackburn Rovers are just two points away but considering Tony Mowbray's side have only won two of their last 13 outings, the only way for the Ewood Park side is down.

Middlesbrough and Millwall, who trail the Blades by just three and four points, respectively, could provide a late push for the top six should an opportunity present itself.

Championship relegation battle

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
21	Reading	41	12	7	22	48	77	37
22	Barnsley	40	6	11	23	30	59	29
23	Derby County	41	12	13	16	40	47	28
24	Peterborough	41	6	10	25	34	82	28

The only thing likely to change is the final positioning of the bottom three.

As things stand, Barnsley are the closest to safety, yet they still trail closest rivals Reading by a massive eight points.

Derby County and Peterborough are both a point behind the Tykes and look nailed on for League One football. It could be confirmed as soon as Easter Monday.

League One title fight

League One leaders Wigan Athletic enter Easter weekend on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run.

Leam Richardson's men are four points clear of MK Dons, seven points ahead of third-placed Rotherham United and guaranteed at least a play-off spot.

With only one of their last five games against top-eight opposition, the Latics should seal a return to the second tier and could do it as early as Easter Monday.

		P	w	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Wigan Athletic	41	26	9	6	73	36	87
2	Milton Keynes Dons	42	24	11	7	69	40	83
3	Rotherham United	41	24	8	9	64	29	80
4	Plymouth Argyle	42	23	9	10	67	40	78

League One play-off race

The battle for promotion is split into two separate categories.

The first consists of MK Dons, Rotherham and Plymouth who are separated by five points and are still in the battle for automatic promotion.

The second group is made up of Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Wycombe - all three of whom are on 73 points.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
2	Milton Keynes Dons	42	24	11	7	69	40	83
3	Rotherham United	41	24	8	9	64	29	80
4	Plymouth Argyle	42	23	9	10	67	40	78
5	Sheffield Wednesday	41	20	13	8	67	44	73
6	Sunderland	41	21	10	10	69	49	73
7	Wycombe Wanderers	42	20	13	9	69	49	73
8	Oxford United	42	20	9	13	76	54	69

Only two of those three clubs look likely to take the remaining play-off spots, meaning the battle could last until the final weekend of the season.

Oxford United were also part of the equation until a three-match losing run saw them slip to eighth. Four points further back, it would be asking a lot of them to gatecrash the top six at this late stage.

League One relegation battle

Crewe Alexandra's relegation was confirmed last weekend following a 2-0 defeat to Doncaster.

Speaking of Donny, the South Yorkshire outfit are second-bottom and five points adrift of safety, but they have given themselves the tiniest of lifelines with that recent victory.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
19	Fleetwood	41	8	14	19	55	71	38
20	Morecambe	42	9	11	22	53	82	38
21	Gillingham	42	8	14	20	32	62	38
22	AFC Wimbledon	42	6	17	19	43	66	35
23	Doncaster	42	9	6	27	30	76	33
24	Crewe	42	6	7	29	32	78	25

Their next three games are against teams in the middle of the table with nothing to play for, while their final outing is against an out-of-form Oxford side.

AFC Wimbledon are just three points from safety but recent results - including an encouraging 1-1 draw with MK Dons - could spark a turnaround in fortunes.

The fourth and final relegation spot will likely be taken by either Gillingham, Morecambe or Fleetwood who are all currently on 38 points.

All three clubs have picked up wins in recent weeks meaning we could be in for a fascinating finale.

League Two title fight

Following a seven-match winless run in February and March, it looked as though Forest Green's title bid was about to go up in smoke.

Instead, Rob Edwards' troops rediscovered their winning formula and currently find themselves five points clear at the top.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Forest Green	40	22	13	5	69	33	79
2	Exeter City	40	20	14	6	58	36	74
3	Port Vale	41	20	12	9	63	39	72
4	Mansfield Town	40	20	9	11	57	44	69

However, the title is far from settled. Exeter and Port Vale, in second and third, are in the midst of impressive winning streaks and they are likely to give the Green Devils a run for their money.

Forest Green are assured at least a play-off place if they beat Barrow and any one of Northampton, Bristol Rovers and Sutton drop points. They would then have the chance to win promotion on Easter Monday.

League Two play-off race

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
2	Exeter City	40	20	14	6	58	36	74
3	Port Vale	41	20	12	9	63	39	72
4	Mansfield	40	20	9	11	57	44	69
5	Northampton	41	19	10	12	47	34	67
6	Bristol Rovers	41	19	10	12	56	45	67
7	Newport	41	18	12	11	63	50	66
8	Salford City	41	18	11	12	52	36	65
9	Tranmere	41	18	11	12	47	37	65
10	Sutton United	40	18	10	12	59	46	64
11	Swindon Town	40	17	11	12	62	49	62

With fourth-placed Mansfield separated by just seven points from Swindon in 11th, the play-off situation is far from cut and dried.

Mansfield have 69 points but with a game in hand on third-placed Port Vale (72pts), still harbour automatic promotion hopes.

Northampton, Bristol Rovers and Newport are more vulnerable and one bad result could see them drop out of the top seven altogether.

Salford and Tranmere are a point outside the play-offs, while Sutton and Swindon are also within touching distance.

League Two relegation battle

Following a disastrous campaign, Scunthorpe are heading out of the Football League. Thirteen points from safety, they will be officially relegated from the EFL if they lose to Leyton Orient, or if their result is matched by any two of Barrow, Oldham and Stevenage.

The second relegation spot is a lot more uncertain. As things stand, Stevenage occupy the dreaded 23rd spot, but only goal difference separates them from Oldham and Barrow.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
21	Barrow	40	8	13	19	34	48	37
22	Oldham Athletic	41	9	10	22	42	64	37
23	Stevenage	40	8	13	19	36	61	37
24	Scunthorpe United	41	4	12	25	26	76	24

Barrow are arguably in the gravest danger as they head into the Easter break on the back of a four-match losing run. What's more, their next game is against league leaders Forest Green.

Oldham, in contrast, have won two of their last three and are beginning to find some momentum. The Latics are the highest scoring team in the bottom seven but have played a game more than their two rivals.

Stevenage slipped into the bottom three thanks to three consecutive single-goal defeats before finally ending their losing run with a 2-0 win over Colchester. Whether that will become a turning point is yet to be seen.

One thing is for sure, if you're looking for late-season drama, League Two is the place to be. Last-minute winner scored by a goalkeeper, anyone?