📈 EFL Review: Leeds go top; Jacks jumping; Lincoln keep on climbing | OneFootball

The Football League served up its usual helping of brilliant goals and astonishing late drama this weekend.

Here are our highlights.

Championship

Moment of the weekend

On New Year’s Day, Leeds were a full 17 points behind Leicester with the Foxes riding high at the top of the Championship and all set for the title.

Just 77 days later though, the Elland Road giants went above the east Midlands outfit to sit at the summit of the second tier.

It’s been an astonishing turnaround for Daniel Farke’s side, who beat Millwall 2-0 on Sunday to stretch their unbeaten run to 13 games.

Willy Gnonto and Dan James netted the goals with those two flying wingers a perfect encapsulation of the club’s turnaround since the start of 2024.

Both forwards have returned to the side and are now brimming with confidence under Farke’s guidance with a Premier League return surely now an inevitability.

Notable mentions: Ipswich hammer Wednesday; West Brom impress; Norwich go above Hull

Player of the weekend

The old cliche dictates that form goes out of the window on derby day.

And never was that truer than this weekend as Cardiff – unbeaten in six – went to struggling near-neighbours Swansea.

Naturally, the Swans won out as goals from Liam Cullen and Jamal Lowe secured the victory but it was centre-back Harry Darling who really impressed.

Darling hit the post with a first half effort, provided a brilliant last-ditch tackle after the break and was generally excellent on a perfect day for the Jacks.

Notable mentions: Josh Sargent (Norwich); Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich); Tom Fellows (West Brom)

League One

Moment of the weekend

Lincoln have been League One’s most impressive side since the turn of the year and were at it again this weekend with yet another win.

The Imps hammered Bristol Rovers 5-0 to move up another place in the table to seventh and are now just two points behind sixth-place Oxford.

Michael Skubala’s men are now unbeaten in 13 games and have won their last three by an incredinle aggregate score of 16-1.

Momentum means more in the Football League than arguably anywhere else and right now the LNER Stadium side are flying into the play-offs.

Notable mentions: Reading net four against Cambridge; Pompey edge past Posh; Derby win top of the table clash with Bolton

Player of the weekend

Have Wycombe left it too late for a play-off push?

With seven games left of the regular season the Chairboys are now 11 points behind Lincoln after their impressive 2-0 win against Northampton at the weekend.

Matt Butcher was the Adams Park hero as the recently-signed midfielder scored his first two goals for the club.

If Wycombe are to finish in the top six however, they will have to do it the hard way. The Buckinghamshire club still have to play Portsmouth, Derby, Charlton and Blackpool in the coming weeks.

Notable mentions: Alfie May (Charlton); Femi Azeez (Reading); Reece Cole (Exeter)

League Two

Moment of the weekend

There was a huge game at the bottom of League Two this weekend as basement side Sutton travelled to second from bottom Forest Green Rovers.

And in what was a fairly low quality encounter, it was Sutton who claimed the victory winning only their sixth match of the campaign.

Josh Coley was the match-winner, netting in the 39th minute with one of only two shots on target for the visitors.

It means that Sutton are now three points from safety with Forest Green, Colchester and Grimsby in a bun fight to avoid relegation.

Notable mentions: Tranmere stun Wrexham; Five-star Mansfield win at Bradford; MK Dons go into fourth

Player of the weekend

Mansfield have been on course for promotion to League One for a while now but this weekend was when it was all-but rubber-stamped.

Nigel Clough’s side went to Bradford and were sensational in a 5-1 win that took them five points clear at the top of the table.

Striker Will Swan was the stand-out performer however netting his ninth of the campaign with a fine finish.

Notable mentions: Bryn Morris (Newport); Jim O’Brien (Notts County); Matt Dennis (MK Dons)