It’s the 12th best attended league in world football, the ninth richest league in Europe and the English second tier is the most competitive, with 24 teams, each able to beat any other on their day, and usually around 12 all dreaming of promotion to the Premier League.
While the top flight is a tough challenge for newly promoted teams, the EFL Championship is notoriously difficult to get out of, as Leeds United discovered last season, and the West Yorkshire giants are one of three clubs in the promotion race with six games to go. Burnley, Leeds and Sheffield United have been head and shoulders above the rest all season, with the exception of Sunderland who made a very fast start, but have drifted off the pace in the second half of the campaign.
Only two points separate the three teams; Burnley are top on 84, with Sheffield United on 83 and Leeds currently outside the top two automatic promotion spots. All three are on target to exceed 90 points, usually the mark to guarantee a Premier League place, but one will miss out. So let’s take a closer look at the hopeful clubs as they approach a thrilling climax to the race.
Burnley have found the missing link
The EFL Championship 2025 betting odds took a sharp shift towards East Lancashire last weekend as Scott Parker’s Burnley took over the lead with a win over Coventry City, while Leeds United drew away to Luton Town and Sheffield United were beaten by Oxford United. It has been a remarkable feat for the Clarets’ new manager to mould together a title chasing side after he inherited a situation of serious turmoil last summer.
Three games into the campaign, at the end of the transfer window, there was a huge overhaul of players at Turf Moor, with many of the 2023 signings, who flopped in the Premier League last season, jumping ship. Burnley recouped £100m in player sales and Parker had to start from scratch. Over the past eight months, the head coach has worked tirelessly and calmly to mould together a band of young men ready to take on all-comers. He started by making the Clarets hard to beat and the defence has broken records, conceding just 12 goals in 40 games. Keeper James Trafford has recently been called up by England and he is part of a trio, including centre backs Maxime Esteve and CJ Egan Riley, who would bring in a combined £100m should the Clarets fall short.
Goals were in short supply though as Burnley were held to too many 0-0 draws, but that all changed in the new year when the marquee signing of winger Marcus Edwards walked through the door. The Sporting Lisbon loanee has already made his fair share of EFL Championship 2025 highlights with his brilliant wing play, and his arrival has freed up left winger Jaidon Anthony, a consistent performer with superb ball control who has increased his output of goals and assists.
Burnley have improved gradually this season and, on an unbeaten run of 27 in the league, are the team with momentum.
Sheffield will fight to the bitter end
They are not as easy on the eye as Burnley or Leeds and have a far inferior goal difference than both their rivals but Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United have won the most games of any team this season. And they have Sheffield steel running through their veins in the image of their manager. The Blades have scrapped to a number of narrow wins but they do have serious quality in the shape of firebrand Dutch midfielder Gustavo Hamer and a goal-scorer in form in Manchester City academy star Tyrese Campbell. The best chance they have of clinching a top two spot is to beat Burnley at Turf Moor when the two meet on Easter Monday.
That is easier said than done but it’s worth remembering that, had the Blades not started the campaign with a two point deduction for breaching financial fair play rules they would be top; but then you could argue that two points is a small price to pay for financial cheating… I’m sure Burnley and Leeds fans would!
Are Leeds falling apart again?
To the tune of Joy Division’s iconic lament, ‘Love will tear you apart’ rival fans take delight in singing: “Leeds; Leeds are falling apart…again”. It’s a song that stuck when the Yorkshire club strived to end a 16-year absence from the top flight up until 2020, and kept missing out. And, after Leeds threw away a commanding lead to finish third last term the taunt is echoing once more. Daniel Farke’s team, with the most naturally gifted players in the league, were marching on together until around a month ago, and they have picked up a meagre seven points from the last six games, while the Blades have earned 13 and Burnley 16.
Now is the time for Leeds players to show they have the stomach for a fight and their big players, wingback Junior Firpo, centre back Joe Rodon, striker Joel Piroe and winger Dan James need to find their best form and drag their team-mates over the line.
While Liverpool are nailed on to win the Premier League, one step down there will be twists and turns to come; and soon enough one team of the three will be consigned to the play-offs. Admittedly, this SBOTOP writer is hoping it won’t be Burnley!
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