Who'll win the Championship? It's got to be Stoke City unless they choke

Goodness me. What were the chances of Bristol City, Watford and West Brom all failing to win their home matches on Saturday? Especially when you consider the latter were playing a Leicester City team who had spluttered to a 1-0 defeat at Southampton earlier in the week, leaving them well and truly in the relegation mire.

It's absolutely certain that the pressure is now beginning to tell at the top of the league; no one team have been able to grasp the nettle and propel themselves towards the promised land of the Premier League. Perhaps it's because they're all subconsciously scared of 'doing a Derby' and humilating themselves on the big stage.

Considering West Brom are generally acknowledged to be the best-equipped team to stay in the top flight next season, their fans must have had cause for concern that Steve Howard, a striker deemed not good enough for the Rams this season, scored a second-half hat-trick at The Hawthorns.

With seven matches remaining, it's Stoke City who are in pole positon, albeit on goal difference ahead of Bristol City. However, there's a big difference when you compare the respective run-ins of the two teams; the Potters have trips to Coventry, Colchester and Wednesday remaining, while the Robins still have to visit the Britannia, Cardiff and Sheffield United. It also appears that Tony Pulis' men have recovered their composure on the road, following up defeats at Preston and QPR with a win at Norwich and a draw at Watford.