Nothing has changed at the top. West Ham and Southampton still occupy the top two places and it is also the same four clubs in the play off places. However, it has all closed up with West Ham losing and the next four getting one point each, allowing Birmingham, the only winners from the top six, to move up to fourth place in the table.
Birmingham really are the ones to watch. They were impressive in the first half against us at St. Andrew's back in November and they've managed to get up there despite all the extra games in the Europa League.
They are currently above Middlesbrough and Hull on goal difference and four points behind third place Cardiff, but they do have a game in hand, a home game at that and they haven't been beaten at home all season.
The results really have closed things up. Blackpool and Reading are just a point outside the top six and we come next a further two points behind whilst managerless Leeds and Brighton are one point behind us.
If it's tight at the top then it definitely isn't at the bottom. Bottom club Coventry looked set for a win at Blackpool before conceding two late goals. Two points ahead of them are Doncaster and Nottingham Forest. Donny went above Forest, gaining a point from their 0-0 draw at Hull.
Forest, of course, lost to the Clarets, and I have to say that I've revised my views on their chances of staying up. They looked an appalling side when they came to Turf Moor earlier in the season. I expected them to be better but in truth they weren't. They looked like a side with no confidence at all and unless they find some soon they could be in serious, serious trouble.
Millwall are just outside that bottom three now with Ipswich having beaten West Ham, but they are five points clear so no matter what happens this weekend, the bottom three won't change.
Our win means we have now, alongside West Ham, won more away games than any other Championship club. There always has to be a downside unfortunately and right now only Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Doncaster and Nottingham Forest have won less home games. On points, we're second best away (24 points) but 18th at home (19 points).
The week's results are below along with the stats, leading goalscorers, each club's disciplinary record, the highest and lowest attendances and the next fixtures.
The Week's Results | |
Saturday 28th January | |
Peterborough United 0 Portsmouth 3 | Reading 1 Bristol City 0 |
Tuesday 31st January | |
Barnsley 3 Derby County 2 | Leeds United 1 Birmingham City 4 |
Blackpool 2 Coventry City 1 | Millwall 0 Watford 2 |
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 | Nottingham Forest 0 Burnley 2 |
Hull City 0 Doncaster Rovers 0 | Southampton 1 Cardiff City 1 |
Ipswich Town 5 West Ham United 1 | |
Wednesday 1st February | |
Leicester City 2 Middlesbrough 2 |
The Week's Stats | |
Biggest Win | Birmingham City 5-1 v Leeds United (away) |
Total Goals Scored | 35 (16 home - 19 away) |
Player Scoring Most Goals |
4 - Nikola Zigic (Birmingham City) |
Highest Attendance | 24,356 - Southampton v Cardiff City |
Lowest Attendance | 7,555 - Peterborough United v Portsmouth |
Total Yellow Cards | 28 |
Total Red Cards | 1 |
Most Cards in a Game | Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion (5Y) Ref: Stuart Attwell |
Leading Goalscorers (League Only) | |
16 | Rickie Lambert (Southampton) - includes 6 penalties |
13 | Ross McCormack (Leeds United) |
12 | Darius Henderson (Millwall) - includes 2 penalties |
10 | Guly Do Prado (Southampton) David Nugent (Leicester City) Jay Rodriguez (Burnley) - includes 1 penalty Billy Sharp (Southampton) - includes 1 penalty - (10 with Doncaster Rovers) Robert Snodgrass (Leeds Uniited) Ricardo Vaz Te (West Ham United) - (10 with Barnsley) Chris Wood (Bristol City) - (9 with Birmingham City) |
9 | Keith Andrews (Ipswich Town) Charlie Austin (Burnley) Craig Davies (Barnsley) - includes 1 penalty Matty Fryatt (Hull City) - includes 1 penalty Lukas Jutkiewicz (Middlesbrough) - includes 1 penalty - (9 with Coventry City) Marlon King (Birmingham City) - includes 2 penalties Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough) Kenny Miller (Cardiff City) |
Hat Tricks | |
Date | Player & Game |
20/08/11 | 3: Lee Tomlin - PETERBOROUGH UNITED v Ipswich Town |
10/09/11 | 3: Rickie Lambert - SOUTHAMPTON v Nottingham Forest |
11/09/11 | 3: Chris Wood - BIRMINGHAM CITY v Millwall |
12/10/11 | 3: Darius Henderson - Leicester City v MILLWALL |
02/11/11 | 3: Jonjo Shelvey - Leeds United v BLACKPOOL |
19/11/11 | 3: Rickie Lambert - SOUTHAMPTON v Brighton & Hove Albion |
26/12/11 | 3: Matthew Phillips - Barnsley v BLACKPOOL |
31/12/11 | 3: Ricardo Vaz Te - BARNSLEY v Leeds United |
21/01/12 | 3: Darius Henderson - Barnsley v MILLWALL |
31/01/12 | 4: Nikola Zigic - Leeds United v BIRMINGHAM CITY |
Disciplinary Record (League and Cup) | |||||||||
Club | Y | R | Y | R | Club | Y | R | Y | R |
League | Total | League | Total | ||||||
Barnsley | 37 | 1 | 40 | 1 | Ipswich Town | 34 | 4 | 35 | 4 |
Birmingham City | 37 | 1 | 39 | 1 | Leeds United | 41 | 5 | 47 | 5 |
Blackpool | 37 | 1 | 38 | 2 | Leicester City | 42 | 5 | 48 | 5 |
Brighton and Hove Albion | 65 | 5 | 77 | 5 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 4 | 47 | 4 |
Bristol City | 42 | 2 | 44 | 2 | Millwall | 45 | 2 | 50 | 2 |
Burnley | 40 | 2 | 48 | 2 | Nottingham Forest | 37 | 3 | 42 | 3 |
Cardiff City | 35 | 0 | 49 | 0 | Peterborough United | 34 | 2 | 37 | 2 |
Coventry City | 33 | 2 | 35 | 2 | Portsmouth | 45 | 3 | 52 | 3 |
Crystal Palace | 38 | 1 | 42 | 2 | Reading | 40 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
Derby County | 37 | 1 | 37 | 1 | Southampton | 34 | 3 | 35 | 3 |
Doncaster Rovers | 43 | 2 | 45 | 2 | Watford | 37 | 1 | 38 | 1 |
Hull City | 47 | 1 | 48 | 1 | West Ham United | 45 | 3 | 48 | 4 |
Highest and Lowest Attendances | |||
Highest | Lowest | ||
Att | Fixture | Att | Fixture |
34,936 | West Ham United v Coventry City (02/01) | 6,351 | Peterborough United v Cardiff City (18/10) |
34,749 | West Ham United v Barnsley (17/12) | 7,550 | Peterborough United v Portsmouth (28/01) |
33,465 | West Ham United v Portsmouth (10/09) | 7,650 | Doncaster Rovers v Watford (26/11) |
33,010 | Derby County v Southampton (15/10) | 7,778 | Doncaster Rovers v Bristol City (27/08) |
33,010 | Derby County v Leeds United (26/12) | 7,901 | Peterborough United v Burnley (17/09) |
32,150 | Southampton v West Ham United (18/10) | 7,928 | Peterborough United v Ipswich Town (20/08) |
31,812 | Southampton v Brighton & Hove Albion (19/11) | 8,062 | Peterborough United v Coventry City (17/12) |
31,718 | West Ham United v Nottingham Forest (21/01) | 8,320 | Peterborough United v Barnsley (03/12) |
31,524 | Southampton v Crystal Palace (26/12) | 8,426 | Doncaster Rovers v Coventry City (29/10) |
31,448 | West Ham United v Blackpool (15/10) | 8,500 | Peterborough Utd v Doncaster Rovers (01/10) |
The Next Fixtures | |
Saturday 4th February | |
Birmingham City v Southampton (17:20) | Doncaster Rovers v Reading |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Leicester City | Middlesbrough v Crystal Palace |
Bristol City v Leeds United | Portsmouth v Hull City |
Burnley v Peterborough United | Watford v Barnsley |
Cardiff City v Blackpool | West Ham United v Millwall (12:30) |
Coventry City v Ipswich Town | |
Sunday 5th February | |
Derby County v Nottingham Forest (12:15) |