Coventry City may have slipped up at home to Southampton last Saturday but they are still in pole position for promotion with eight rounds of games remaining in the Championship season.
Frank Lampard's side find themselves seven points clear of the chasing pack - who are currently in a remarkably tight battle for second spot.
Middlesbrough are currently in that position, although they have slipped up in their last two games, both at home. They were beaten by Charlton before being pegged back late on in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City.
The chasers are Ipswich Town and Millwall, both two points behind Boro, although Ipswich have a game in hand. Those sides meet at Portman Road on Saturday - Middlesbrough travel to Blackburn.
It is set to be a huge day in the battle for promotion...
It is four failures in a row to win at home for Middlesbrough. All against sides in the bottom half of the Championship table. Chances have been created, 94 shots taken, but just two goals scored against Oxford, Leicester, Charlton and Bristol City at the Riverside.
In contrast, their last two away games have seen them score seven goals in wins at Birmingham and QPR.
The difference has been stark and they may well be glad to be back on the road on Saturday as they head to Ewood Park. Only Sheffield Wednesday have fewer points at home this season than Blackburn in the second tier.
David Prutton on the Your Site Essential EFL podcast:
"With Ipswich just two points behind and holding a game in hand, it puts them firmly in the box seat in terms of chasing Middlesbrough. The focus now for Boro is on continuing to do the work required to stay where they need to be in the table.
"That also means they have to be fully aware of the pressure coming from the teams just behind them. Overall, this clash with Blackburn is a fascinating match-up between two sides chasing points for very different reasons."
This is a huge one on Saturday. Third versus fourth, the pre-season promotion favourites versus the underdogs punching above their weight to get into this position.
Despite their position, Ipswich will still feel like they have slightly underperformed this season, while Millwall will feel they should be in second heading into this weekend.
Last Saturday they were leading Blackburn and heading towards three points, before a controversial red card for Zak Sturge saw them reduced to 10 men and then slip to a 2-1 defeat.
David Prutton on the Your Site Essential EFL podcast:
"This has the feel of a really significant game in the promotion race. Millwall have been in a position where results could have taken them as high as second, which underlines the impressive job being done. At the same time, Ipswich are building momentum and showing the consistency needed at this stage of the season.
"There is an assumption that Ipswich should be competing at this level, but that does not make it any easier to achieve. Getting results week after week remains the key.
"This looks like a fascinating battle between two sides firmly in the mix, and another example of the strong competition at the top end of the table."
And then there is Coventry City. Favourites for promotion but by no means promoted yet. They were beaten by Southampton at home last week to end their six-game winning run and face a testing trip to Swansea City on Saturday evening.
Swansea were beaten at home in Vitor Matos' first game in charge in late November, but since then their home form has been imperious. In 10 games since at the Swansea.com they have won eight and drawn two.
Things could yet take another twist ahead of the international break...
David Prutton on the Your Site Essential EFL podcast:
"Coventry remain in a strong position and will be focused on maintaining the gap to the teams below them. While the title is still a target, keeping third place at arm's length is just as important and something they are doing well.
"They had chances in their last game and could have taken something from it, so there is no sense of panic. Overall, they have shown an ability to respond well to setbacks.
"This feels like a good opportunity for Coventry to respond, and there is confidence they can get back on track."
Here is how Opta expect the Championship table to look come the end of the season. Coventry are overwhelming favourites for the title still, while Ipswich are just about expected to pip Middlesbrough to second...
And here is how the Championship table 'should' look heading into this weekend, according to Opta. Ipswich would be ahead of Middlesbrough, while Millwall are way down in ninth.
