West Brom come back from the international break looking to continue their push for promotion back into the Premier League, and they begin that with a trip to face Ipswich on Friday night. Ipswich are currently bottom of the entire Championship, and even if they win on Friday night and other results go their way, there is no chance of them moving from that position this weekend, the gap is already too big for them to overcome.

West Brom haven’t been in the best of form recently, but the same can be said for many other clubs at the top of the Championship, so they haven’t lost too much ground on the others. They come into this weekend in 5th position, five points off Norwich who are currently top with 33 points. This is despite West Brom winning just one of their last five games, showing just how tightly packed it is at the top of the league, and how other clubs have also struggled in recent weeks. A win here for West Brom would move them up into second place, putting a little pressure on those around them who play on Saturday.

Ipswich are already five points adrift at the bottom of the Championship and this is an important period for them as they cannot really afford for that gap to grow. The one positive for them is that going into this weekend, above them six teams are separated by just two points so if they can force their way closer to them, they have the chance to leap frog a lot of teams and get to safety. The first job has to be to cut the five point gap though, to put them in with a chance of staying up this season. They have the advantage that there are a number of poor teams down there with them, and will be looking to put up a fight before Christmas.

Top of the Championship Table a Tight Battle

Eleven points separate top of the table Norwich with 14th placed Stoke right now in the Championship, there is nothing to choose between a whole host of clubs in that league. Every single one of them, all the way down to Stoke will fancy their chances of finishing in the top half and pushing for promotion this season, whether that is through the playoffs or automatically. A run of three or four wins in a row can really propel a team up the table and put them in with a fighting chance of promotion, while the opposite and a run of three or four defeats can really put someone in trouble. While it may be the second tier of football in England, seeing how close the league is at the top right now shows why so many people love the Championship, and consider it to be one of the most competitive and tough leagues in the world.

The current league leaders Norwich are one team who have been on fire recently, and based on their current form they deserve to be top of the pile. The come back after the international break with a five game winning streak, a run that has taken them from outside of the playoffs to the top of the table. In comparison to the rest of the division, just five of the other 13 clubs that currently occupy the top 14 spots in the league have won three out of their last five. That means eight clubs have won two games or less in the same time period, which is a big difference in points and it is clear to see based on that why Norwich have shot up the table so much.

What Norwich have done in recent games is something that every other club will be trying to emulate. As you can see from the records of clubs near the top, anyone can beat anyone else in the Championship on their day, and it is very difficult to put together a strong run of results like the ones we have seen from Norwich. However, the reward for doing so is there for all to see, Norwich have gone from playoff hopefuls to top of the league in the space of a month, and if anyone else can match what The Canaries have done, they are likely to do the same.

Teams all know how important the Chrstmas period is in England, with many big games and important points to be won. However, if teams want to make the kind of move that Norwich have made up the table then they need to be at their very best for a lot longer than that, and that is something that clubs will be looking to start now. As this season progresses, we are seeing more proof that the Championship is the most competitive league in the world, and the toughest to get out of. It is worth looking at the league at the end of the season, and looking at those teams who finished just outside the playoffs, because these are top quality teams who are not good enough to get in the promotion race, showing the strength of the league as a whole.

Ipswich vs West Brom Betting Tips

The game at Portman Road on Friday night is one that Ipswich will want to take something out of as they look to close the gap on their relegation rivals. Already five points behind, they simply cannot afford for that gap to be any bigger as they head into Christmas, and if possible it needs to be smaller.

However, that won’t be easy for them to achieve here, when one of the biggest and best teams in the league comes to town in the shape of West Brom. The ex-Premier League team are looking to bounce back at the first possible chance, and occupy a playoff spot right now. They could go as high as second with a win here, putting pressure on those who play a day later, which is one of the big advantages of playing on Friday night’s.

I am more than happy to back West Brom to win this game, even though they are away from home there is a big class difference here and that can be enough to see The Baggies through. They are going to have to show more than we have seen so far to be genuine promotion contenders at the end of the season, but I believe there is a lot more to come from this team and I am hoping they can pick up a vital three points on Friday night.

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