Football in England returned on Thursday night as Sheffield United and Aston Villa in the Premier League. But while the eyes of the world laser back into the English top flight, one of the most consequential but unpredictable leagues in the world resumes Saturday as the Championship gets back up and running.

While Liverpool’s coronation is all but inevitable, things in the second tier are far less than settled. With 9 games left, promotion is still a viable goal for at least 11 sides, while 8 teams are all realistically threatened by the drop down to League One.

Promotion could be a huge moment in the regeneration of clubs who have been trying to break back into the Premier League for decades now. Relegation, however, would bring inevitable financial contraction to clubs and could spell an era of serious stagnation. 

Automatic Promotion