Championship round-up: Leeds United triumph in title decider, Frank Lampard breaks Coventry curse, Derby County make new signing

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Another thrilling weekend in the Championship has come to an end, and we know a lot more about the title race, play-off contenders, and potential new managers in the second tier.

Gameweek 34 in the Championship has delivered plenty of goals, some huge results at either end of the table, and we even saw a new signing made despite the transfer window being closed.

The four-horse race at the top of the table saw one rider fall away, with Sunderland losing to Hull City to all-but end their automatic promotion hopes, while also giving the Tigers a boost in their fight for survival.

Meanwhile, Norwich City continued to impress, and Josh Sargent added two more goals to his tally as he chases the Championship Golden Boot award.

But, while the weekend offered a bunch of talking points, it was Monday night’s game between Leeds United and Sheffield United that stole the headlines.

• READ MORE: Daniel Farke’s latest setback after Leeds United’s win vs Sunderland speaks volumes about the current state of football

Advantage Leeds United in Championship title race

After defeating Sunderland last week, many suspected Leeds United had the title wrapped up. But, they still had to travel to Bramall Lane to face a Sheffield United side who were breathing right down their necks.

Chris Wilder previously suggested Leeds were ‘miles ahead’ of his United team, but the table before Monday’s game said otherwise, with just two points separating the teams.

And, after the Blades took the lead early on against Leeds, it seemed the title race was about to be blown wide open. But, Daniel Farke’s men fought back with an equaliser in the 72nd minute, before a quickfire double from Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe in the final moments of the game sealed all three points for the Whites.

Leeds United are now five points clear of United, and seven clear of third-placed Burnley. With the Yorkshire outfit showing no signs of slowing down, surely that is automatic promotion sealed at the very least?

• READ MORE: Jobe Bellingham problem can unlock the best of one Sunderland star for Regis Le Bris

Coventry City fans change their tune on Frank Lampard

Coventry City fans were sceptical about Frank Lampard’s appointment in the wake of Mark Robins’ shock dismissal. Now, they’re positively ecstatic about what he’s achieved at the club.

The Sky Blues beat Preston North End 2-1 this weekend — Coventry’s first win against Preston since 2007 — and the result moves Lampard’s side to within one point of fifth-placed West Brom and sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers.

With the form they’re in now, Coventry look a great bet for a run at the play-offs this season, which seemed unthinkable back in November when drastic changes were being made behind the scenes.

Sheffield Wednesday kiss play-off hopes goodbye

While Coventry are licking their lips at the prospect of a play-off finish, Sheffield Wednesday’s hopes have diminished after a crushing defeat to Burnley on Friday night.

Danny Rohl’s side lost 3-0 to the Clarets, which says more about the quality of Scott Parker’s team than anything, really, but the result leaves the Owls six points off the top six now.

Given Sheffield Wednesday’s inconsistency and lack of firepower up top, it’s hard to imagine them putting together a strong enough run to sneak in there now. But, the future does look bright, and there’s no doubting Rohl has made big improvements in S6 since taking over.

• READ MORE: Three Derby County problems John Eustace must solve immediately including Kenzo Goudmijn conundrum

Derby County make a signing, as one player nears unwanted record

It was another defeat for Derby County at the weekend, who fell to a 1-0 loss to Millwall to further amplify their relegation fears.

John Eustace hasn’t managed to get his new team going yet, and there really does not appear to be much hope of a revival at this point.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
21	CardiffCardiff	33	7	12	14	36	55	-19	33
22	PlymouthPlymouth	34	6	12	16	36	68	-32	30
23	DerbyDerby	34	7	8	19	33	47	-14	29
24	LutonLuton	34	7	7	20	31	55	-24	28

Still, Derby did sign a player this week, with Kemar Roofe arriving on a free transfer, so there’s at least that to cheer for the Rams.

As a side note, Ryan Nyambe needs a goal and fast. The defender is just three games away from becoming the player with the most Championship appearances without scoring a goal. He’s never scored in his career, and has registered just one shot since Christmas 2003. Poor guy.

Blackburn Rovers assessing their options in manager search

It’s now been 12 days since Eustace jumped ship at Blackburn Rovers to take the job at Derby, and the Lancashire club still haven’t found a new manager yet.

However, in an EFL Analysis exclusive, we learned Blackburn are considering David Lowe for the job full-time, after the caretaker boss impressed in his first two games in charge.

There’s been no movement on that just yet, though, and the defeat to Swansea at the weekend probably didn’t help his chances.

Former Watford manager, Valerian Ismael, is also in the running for the job.