By Kieran King
The race for promotion to the Premier League turns from warm to red hot this week.
And for the four sides battling for the automatic spots, when all is said and done, they may look back at it as being the moment they claimed the momentum needed to reach the top flight - or the moment when those dreams came crashing down.
Enzo Maresca's Leicester had won their last four matches and sat 12 points clear at the summit heading into last weekend's fixtures. But after seeing Southampton \- who had seen their remarkable 22-match unbeaten run ended at Bristol City - bounce back with a comfortable win at West Brom to jump up into second on Friday night, they suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough.
Despite creating an xG of 2.4 - the second highest throughout the Championship on the weekend - Leicester were beaten for just the fifth time this season.
Southampton closed the gap on the Foxes, but their time in second was short-lived. Leeds United continued their impressive run of form to ease past Plymouth 2-0 at Home Park, the Whites' eighth successive league win since the turn of the year.
And you can't count out fourth-place Ipswich, who kept the pressure on the chasing pack by beating struggling Swansea 2-1. Following a difficult period, it was the Tractor Boys' second successive win on the road after last week's thumping of Millwall and Kieran McKenna's side will still fancy their chances of automatic promotion.
It brought Leicester back into the crosshairs of those below. And it ensures that this week is gigantic in the race for the top two for all four automatic hopefuls. And this is why...
Having played a game less than the top two Southampton and Ipswich are in action on Tuesday night as they try and continue their respective promotion pushes. Realistically, fifth-place West Brom, who sit 17 points behind Leeds in second, and anyone below the Baggies - including Coventry and Norwich - are out of the race for an automatic spot.
Saints will move one point above Leeds if they beat play-off chasing Hull, while Ipswich can equal the Whites' 69 points from 33 matches with a victory over bottom side Rotherham. And victories for both would really ramp up the pressure ahead of Friday's blockbuster clash at Elland Road.
Leeds and Leicester go head-to-head in a titanic affair with the Foxes hoping to bounce back and move 12 points clear of Farke's men, while Leeds are aiming to close the gap on the league leaders to just six points.
A Leicester win would all-but secure their place in the Premier League next season considering the gap between them and the chasing pack; victory for Leeds would put them in the conversation to win the title, would bring Leicester back in towards the pack and would ask big questions of the Midlands' clubs mentality.
Southampton and Ipswich will be watching that game with no shortage of interest. Saints entertain Millwall at St Mary's Stadium for their second home match in a matter of days, with Ipswich facing another home game as well when Birmingham visit Portman Road. No disrespect to the two visitors, but both home sides will enter as favourites.
Who will finish in the Championship top-two? Let us know in the comments below!
If Leeds beat Leicester and Southampton and Ipswich both win their two matches this week, then there will be just six points separating the four teams at the top of the Championship. Although there will be plenty more twists and turns to go, heading into the final 12 matches of the campaign, there would be no certainties in the battle for the top spots.
As for the rest of the season, Southampton face arguably the hardest run-in after this weekend's matches. Russell Martin's side still have to travel to Leicester and Ipswich, before a potential final day showdown against Leeds at Elland Road.
The Championship has been dubbed as the 'most entertaining league in the world' due to the unpredictability that anyone can beat anyone. Although that is true, Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and Ipswich have been by far the best four teams in the division this season and considering their current points-per-game (PPG) rate, all could reasonably suggest that in any other year, they'd be well en route to the Premier League promised land.
Leicester need 28 points from their remaining 13 matches to shatter Reading's all-time Championship points record of 106. But having been expected to run away with it for quite some time now, defeat in Yorkshire could really see the pressure grow on Marseca's men.
Meanwhile, if the Foxes, Leeds, Southampton and Ipswich continue at their PPG, then 95 points will not be enough to get promoted to the Premier League; a remarkable record for a remarkable season.
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