Today in the Championship: Leeds United choke, Josh Sargent has admirers, John Eustace off the mark, Coventry City march on

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What a weekend of action it has been in the second tier. Here’s everything you may have missed from the Championship for gameweek 36.

As we head into the business end of the season, every point is so valuable for so many teams, whether they’re battling it out at the top of the Championship table, or fighting for their life down at the bottom.

We saw plenty of this on both sides of the spectrum this weekend, with the likes of Swansea City, Portsmouth, Hull City, and Oxford United picking up crucial points to pull away from the danger zone.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	36	22	10	4	72	23	49	76
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	36	24	6	6	51	27	24	76
3	BurnleyBurnley	36	20	14	2	49	10	39	74
4	SunderlandSunderland	36	19	11	6	54	33	21	68
5	CoventryCoventry	36	16	8	12	52	46	6	56
6	West BromWest Brom	36	13	16	7	46	32	14	55

Meanwhile, Sunderland kept up their pursuit of the top three with a hard-earned win over struggling Cardiff City, while West Brom maintained their place in the play-off spots with a crucial win over QPR.

So, let’s dive into the big talking points from another action-packed weekend in the Championship, starting with a dramatic defeat on the Sunday.

• READ MORE: Truly frightening Burnley statistic proves Scott Parker’s side have hit a new level, they could snatch promotion now

Championship title race is wide open after Leeds United defeat

With wins for Burnley and Sheffield United this weekend, Leeds United knew they needed to beat Portsmouth to restore their lead at the top of the table. Ultimately, though, they failed, and lost 1-0 thanks to a Colby Bishop goal.

Some had predicted a tough test for Leeds and it was suggested a slip up was coming, but the manner of the defeat to Portsmouth has really opened up the debate as to who will win the Championship title now.

Neutrals and Leeds fans alike seem to agree that Daniel Farke’s side are choking once more, and with just two points separating the top three now, we’re in for a thrilling final run-in.

Josh Sargent is the best striker in the league, and he’s a wanted man

On Friday night, Josh Sargent bagged another goal for Norwich City in their 1-1 draw with Oxford. It was a disappointing outcome for the Canaries, who were looking to push on and sneak into the play-offs.

But, after scoring his 12th goal of the season, Sargent has been hailed the best striker in the Championship, with fans from just about every club in agreement with that sentiment.

It’s no surprise, then, that a number of top clubs are watching Sargent with a view to signing him in the summer. We’re told the USA striker will be playing in the Premier League next season, whether Norwich are there or not.

• READ MORE: Championship players are ‘on the radar’ for Thomas Tuchel, and these five can make the step up with England immediately

John Eustace gets revenge on Blackburn Rovers

All eyes were on Pride Park on Saturday for John Eustace’s big reunion with Blackburn Rovers. The Derby County boss walked out on the Lancashire club to take the job with the Rams, and he didn’t exactly leave on the best terms.

Since joining Derby, Eustace had not seen his team score yet alone register any points, but as fate would have it, that all changed this weekend.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
20	Stoke CityStoke City	36	8	12	16	36	50	-14	36
21	CardiffCardiff	36	8	12	16	39	59	-20	36
22	DerbyDerby	36	8	8	20	35	49	-14	32
23	LutonLuton	36	8	7	21	32	59	-27	31
24	PlymouthPlymouth	36	6	12	18	36	73	-37	30

Derby ran out 2-1 winners, and Eustace hailed his players for carrying out his gameplan and there’s no doubt he will be delighted with the three points against his former club.

There’s no stopping Frank Lampard’s Coventry City

Another man who came up against a former employer this weekend was Mark Robins, who took his Stoke City side to his former stomping ground at the CBS Arena to face Coventry City.

It was a ‘really tough’ day for Robins, though, who saw Stoke peg Coventry back from 2-0 down to 2-2, and it seemed a draw was on the cards until a 97th minute winner from Bobby Thomas sealed all three points for Frank Lampard’s side.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	36	24	6	6	51	27	24	76
3	BurnleyBurnley	36	20	14	2	49	10	39	74
4	SunderlandSunderland	36	19	11	6	54	33	21	68
5	CoventryCoventry	36	16	8	12	52	46	6	56
6	West BromWest Brom	36	13	16	7	46	32	14	55
7	Bristol CityBristol City	36	13	14	9	46	39	7	53
8	BlackburnBlackburn	36	15	7	14	41	37	4	52

Coventry fans raved about Victor Torp after the game, with the Danish forward bagging two goals, but the big story is that the Sky Blues now have nine wins in eight games, and are firmly in the play-off places now.

With the form they’re in and the level of belief among the squad, we wouldn’t bet against Coventry City going all the way and getting to the Premier League now.