Bournemouth vs Brentford and Derby vs Birmingham live on Sky Sports Football on Saturday afternoon; Watch Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports News from 3pm to keep up to date with all of Saturday’s potential ups and downs in the Sky Bet EFL.
It is set to be a huge Saturday in the Sky Bet EFL, with a title that could be won, three possible promotions to be sealed and the potential of seven relegations across the Championship, League One and League Two.
It could all happen by 5pm on Saturday. Here, we take you through all the permutations.
Can Norwich seal the Championship title?
Norwich have already sealed promotion back to the Premier League, but missed their first chance to cap it with the title in midweek as they lost at home to their nearest rivals Watford.
Should the Canaries win at QPR and Watford fail to win at home to Millwall, Daniel Farke’s side will be champions on Saturday with two games to spare.
Watford to join Norwich in the Premier League?
Watford are on the verge of joining Norwich in completing an immediate return to the Premier League. A win for them against Millwall will be enough for them, whatever happens elsewhere.
If Bournemouth and Brentford draw in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday – live on Sky Sports Football from 12pm ahead of a 12.30pm kick-off – then Watford will only need a draw to seal their promotion.
Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe to be relegated?
Both Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe sealed massive wins in midweek to keep their aims of survival alive.
Wednesday head into the weekend on 39 points, four adrift of safety with three games to go, while Wycombe are on 37 points. Both their situations are made slightly more complicated by the fact the other side in the relegation zone Rotherham, also on 39 points, have two games in hand on everyone around them.
On Saturday, however, both are reliant on Derby (43 points), dropping points. Wednesday will be relegated if they lose at Middlesbrough and Derby win at home to Birmingham – live on Sky Sports Football from 2.45pm ahead of a 3pm kick-off.
Wycombe will be relegated back to League One at the first time of asking if Derby simply better their result at Cardiff.
League One
Hull to make immediate return to Championship?
It was such a bleak relegation for Hull City as they fell apart in the second half of 2020, but they stuck with Grant McCann and he has steered them to the verge of an immediate return to the Championship.
With three games to play, they are four points clear of Peterborough in second and, more importantly, 11 clear of Sunderland in third – although both sides do still have a game in hand on Hull.
Victory on Saturday at Lincoln – who are level on points with Sunderland and still have two games in hand on Hull – would guarantee promotion. Anything other than three points and the wait goes on at least a little longer.
Can Bristol Rovers, Swindon and Northampton stay afloat?
Four sides get relegated from League One, and three of them could be decided on Saturday.
Bristol Rovers are bottom of the table and already on the verge of relegation. They are nine points adrift of safety with just three games to play. If they fail to win at Portsmouth in the 1pm kick-off they are down. But even if they win they will be down if Wigan – in 20th – avoid defeat at home to Burton at 3pm.
Swindon, in 23rd, will be another side with eyes on Wigan’s game. They are seven points off safety, and will be down if they lose at MK Dons, or if Wigan better their result.
Northampton are 21st, one place above Rochdale – Dale will survive this weekend whatever happens due to their game in hand on Wigan and all the other sides in the bottom four – and four points off safety.
If Northampton lose and AFC Wimbledon – who are five points clear of the Cobblers and heading to Ipswich on Saturday – and Wigan both win, then they will be down.
League Two
Cambridge to make it to the third tier?
While Watford and Hull are both aiming to complete immediate returns to the division above, it is a different story for Cambridge United. They were in non-League as recently as 2014, and haven’t played in the third tier of English football since 2002.
Cambridge are five points clear of Morecambe in fourth, and will be guaranteed promotion if they win at home against Stevenage on Saturday. A win will be enough with two games to play afterwards, because Morecambe and Bolton, currently in third, face each other on Saturday. It means that, if Cambridge win, they could not both gather enough points between now and the end of the season to knock them out of the top three.
Can Grimsby and Southend keep hopes alive?
Grimsby and Southend, are battling the drop and could both fall through the trapdoor and into non-League this Saturday.
Grimsby are bottom of League Two, nine points adrift of safety with four games to play. They will be relegated if they lose at Oldham and Barrow – the side in 22nd also with four to play – avoid defeat at promotion-chasing Tranmere.
They will also be relegated if they draw, Scunthorpe and Colchester avoid defeat against Walsall at home and Cheltenham away respectively, and Barrow win. A far less likely set of circumstances.
While Grimsby would see a five-year stay in the Football League come to an end, for Southend it would be the end of 101 consecutive years as a League club. They have been in at least the fourth tier since 1920, and were in the Championship as recently as 2007.
They are eight points adrift of Barrow and have played a game more, which means anything but victory at home to Leyton Orient will condemn them to relegation.
