How Leeds, Sheffield United, Burnley, and Sunderland's final 6 fixtures compare | OneFootball

FLW outline the final six games of the season for the Championship's four runaway frontrunners.

There is a four-way race for automatic promotion at the top of the Championship, with Leeds United, Sheffield United, Burnley, and Sunderland all vying for the top two places in the second tier.

The race to gain promotion heated up yet again this week when Leeds beat Sunderland at Elland Road in dramatic fashion on Monday night. It leaves them leading the way ahead of further crucial fixtures and the run-in until May.

Burnley and Sheffield United are all recently relegated clubs who were expected to be in the promotion mix, from the off whilst Sunderland have defied the odds somewhat with a young side under Regis Le Bris.

Leeds and Daniel Farke are a second-year Championship side following relegation from the Premier League in 2022/23, meaning they are in receipt of parachute payments for the second of three seasons while they are a second tier outfit.

The Championship automatic promotion race is to be as intense and hotly contested in as many years, with Leeds embroiled in their second four-way tussle at the top of the division. That comes after the standard was set at the top of the table at an all-time high last year, particularly highlighted by Leeds finishing third with 90 points.

The race for automatic promotion from the Championship

Leeds have been the most impressive side thus far, ahead of a top two showdown on Monday night against Chris Wilder's Blades side. Leeds have topped the table for 13 matchdays so far, with Burnley just one, Sunderland ten times, and Sheffield United a further five.

Outside of last season, it's an unprecedented scenario that so many teams are still in with a chance at this stage and leaves very little room for error at the moment.

Easter weekend signifies the beginning of the run-in, where the schedule is more congested than usual and is a critical period for teams at both ends of the table. Burnley's FA Cup run is likely to complicate things further as well with regards to the remaining games.

The pace being set by Leeds in particular of late has been ferocious, and they could be out of sight with a win against Sheffield United on Monday night. That could make it a three-horse race for second, with two sides left to be disappointed come May and fighting it out in the play-offs instead.

They are set for 100 points based on their current PPG rate. That said, there are bound to be many more twists and turns before the end of the season, and the spot in second and first could easily change hands multiple times between the four clubs involved.

The question of who will secure the big prize and promotion to the top-flight will likely be asked many times between now and the end of the season, and the remaining games against one another are more crucial to establishing a top two finish.

No matter what the 'supercomputers' try to tell you, there is plenty to play for in the race for Premier League promotion, with sides playing before others in the race and thus able to apply pressure at the top.

It's difficult to envisage a world where the final day doesn't have some say on at least two teams in the race, and possibly all four. The clash on Monday at Bramall Lane could be pivotal, but the clash between the Blades and Scott Parker's Burnley side with three to spare also looks absolutely vital at this stage.

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