With Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United confirmed to be promoted to the Premier League for the 17/18 season, we take a look at the 5 remaining Championship teams that could achieve Premier League status.
5 Teams That Could Achieve Premier League Status
Reading
Current Championship position: 3rd
Season spend: £7.6 million
Manager: Jaap Stam
Last in Premier League: 2012/13
Summary: Reading’s consistent season is coming to a stuttering end. With recent defeats to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest and a 7-1 thumping by Norwich City, Reading are not the form team going into the play-offs. They’ll be looking to gather some momentum in their final two fixtures against Wigan and Burton.
Sheffield Wednesday
Current Championship position: 4th
Season spend: £9.3 million
Manager: Carlos Carvalhal
Last in Premier League: 1999/00
Summary: With attendances pushing the 30,000 mark in the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday are certainly a sleeping giant. In their best season since being relegated from the Premier League Wednesday will be looking to use their 12th man in the play-offs. They are due to play fellow promotion-hopefuls Fulham on the last day of the regular season. The result of that could have a huge psychological impact on the losing side.
Huddersfield Town
Current Championship position: 5th
Season spend: £3.8 million
Manager: David Wagner
Last in Premier League: Never
Summary: The Terriers are the Championship’s surprise package this season after appointing relatively unknown boss David Wagner whose only experience was with the Borussia Dortmund second team. He has quickly made his mark in England and with Birmingham and Cardiff still to play they should feel no pressure as the play-offs’ underdogs.
Fulham
Current Championship position: 6th
Season spend: £21.7 million
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
Last in Premier League: 2013/14
Summary: The biggest spending of the remaining 5 contenders, Fulham have arrived very late to the promotion party. In late October the Cottagers found themselves in 14th position. Their late charge has been helped by impressive recent wins over Huddersfield (4-1), Aston Villa (3-1) and Norwich (3-1). They’re looking to keep their winning run going in their final two fixtures against Brentford and Sheffield Wednesday.
Leeds United
Current Championship position: 7th
Season spend: £7.3 million
Manager: Garry Monk
Last in Premier League: 2003/04
Summary: Since reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2001 Leeds United’s dramatic fall from grace has been a painful one for the West Yorkshire outfit. With 12 managerial changes in 5 seasons Leeds have finally found some continuity under the leadership of ex-Swansea boss Garry Monk. With some powerful displays in front of sell-out crowds at Elland Road it looks like another sleeping giant could be returning to England’s elite. But they have to navigate through fixtures against Norwich and Wigan as well as hoping that one of the teams above them drops points if they are to make it into the play-offs.
The first legs of the Championship play-off semi-finals will be played on the weekend of 13th May with the second legs played the following midweek. The final will be played on 29th May.
Written by Tom Tyler (@gameof2football)
Main image credit:
