20/05 - 17:30
20/05 - 19:45
We’re getting to that stage of the season where teams are already experiencing the highs of promotion or the lows of relegation, it’s also known as the best possible time to be in the Power Rankings.
Let’s see who makes our top ten...
Last 5: WDWDW
Rob Edwards’ side had to come from behind but eventually ran out 3-1 winners at home to Blackpool on Monday – a win that puts them three points clear of Middlesbrough in third place.
A late dash for second place isn’t impossible but pretty unlikely even if Luton have lost two fewer games than Sheffield United so far this season. In fact, only Burnley have lost fewer games (two) than Luton (eight).
Of course, the priority right now is to guarantee that play-off place, a win away to Rotherham United on Saturday would certainly help.
Last 5: DWDWW
Speaking of the Hatters, let's go further north now to Stockport (home of the world-famous Hat Works Museum). Stockport moved up to third in League Two on Monday after putting four past Newport County while Carlisle United were held by Walsall.
All Stockport need to do to record back-to-back promotions now is keep on winning until the end of the season although with a tough fixture list that includes the aforementioned Carlisle and league-leaders Leyton Orient.
The remaining League Two promotion places are looking like they’ll go down to the wire.
Yesterday was our 2️⃣0️⃣th league clean sheet of the season, the most we have managed in a regular Football League campaign since the 1951/52 season 🙌
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) April 11, 2023
Brick wall 🧱 #StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/iyNJqRxaEy
Last 5: WWWWL
Wes Foderingham’s red card meant it was a tough night for second-place Sheffield United away to the already-promoted Burnley. The Blades held out for as long as could be expected with Vincent Kompany’s team eventually earning a 2-0 win.
That result ends a run of four successive wins but you would expect that Paul Heckingbottom’s team will get back to winning ways in the Championship soon as their next four league games are all at Bramall Lane beginning with relegation candidates Cardiff City this weekend.
Last 5: WWLWW
Just as it looked like fatigue might threaten to derail United’s final push for Champions League football they can now welcome back Casemiro from suspension shortly after Christian Eriksen and Anthony Martial returned from injury. The latter scored the second in the Red Devils’ 2-0 win at home to Everton at the weekend.
While there may be doubts over Marcus Rashford’s fitness for Thursday, United will be favourites over a poor Sevilla side at Old Trafford before taking on Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
We love it when a plan comes together! 🙌#MUFC || #PL pic.twitter.com/Eb2g1K4hai
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 10, 2023
Last 5: WLWWW
If Millwall or Blackburn Rovers drop any more points then Preston North End might just sneak into the play-offs. The Lilywhites’ 2-1 victory over Reading on Monday was their fifth in six games (a result that also cost Paul Ince his job).
Interestingly, Preston play both Millwall and Blackburn Rovers in a tough final five games (Swansea, Sheffield United, and Sunderland are the other three to play) which means that Ryan Lowe’s team have their potential Premier League future in their own hands. It won’t be easy, though.
Last 5: WWWWD
The Tractor Boys had the perfect chance to go top of League One on Monday as Plymouth Argyle lost at home to Lincoln City but could only manage a draw away to Cheltenham Town with Alfie May scoring an 84th-minute goal to cancel out Conor Chaplin’s opener.
Ipswich fans shouldn’t worry too much though, of the top three in League One, it’s them who are by far in better form right now. After all, that Alfie May goal was the first they have conceded since the 11th of February.
Should Kieran McKenna’s team keep up their recent form towards the end of the season they should in theory book a place back in the Championship.
⏰Most consecutive mins w/out conceding (t4t; fr. 99/00):
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) April 11, 2023
1⃣3⃣1⃣1⃣: Van der Sar (Man Utd 08/09)
1⃣0⃣2⃣5⃣: Cech (Chelsea 04/05)
9⃣5⃣0⃣: 💙WALTON💙 (Ipswich 22/23)
9⃣0⃣7⃣: Konstantopoulos (Middlesbrough 15/16)
8⃣5⃣5⃣: Filan (Wigan 02/03)
8⃣5⃣4⃣: Hennessey (Stockport 06/07)#itfc pic.twitter.com/vDNgE4BqIM
Last 5: WWDWW
The Posh gave themselves a little bit of breathing room in the play-off places this bank holiday by defeating Exeter City 3-1 (with Jonson Clarke-Harris grabbing his 24th league goal of the season) while Derby County were held to a draw by MK Dons.
Peterborough are now undefeated in their last six league games having won five of them – can they keep up that kind of form to book a play-off place and perhaps instantly return to the second tier? We’ll find out soon enough.
Last 5: DWWWW
We don’t think anyone expected Aston Villa to be capable of getting European football earlier this season but it shows what an impact Unai Emery has made that the Villans currently sit sixth in the Premier League.
The Villans are now part of a four-way scrap for Europa League football however, they have a pretty difficult fixture list with Newcastle United, Brentford, Fulham, and Manchester United all to be played in the month of April.
⚽️ Scored in every game in 2023 (#Uefa's 'Top 5' leagues):
— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) April 10, 2023
💥 VILLA (14)
💥 Espanyol (13)
💥 Borussia Dortmund (12)
💥 Bayern Munich (12)
💥 Mainz (12)
* league games scored in.#AVFC @AVFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/OZQ5XXI2XB
Last 5: WWWWW
The Magpies came from behind to record an important win in the hunt for the Champions League when they defeated Brentford on Saturday.
Eddie Howe’s team are currently level on points with Manchester United but sit third thanks to a fairly hefty goal difference of +27 after having gone from five games without a win in all competitions to five straight victories in a row – an impressive turnaround.
There’s still a long way to go in the Premier League season but it’s hard to imagine Newcastle will let their top-four place slip now.
Last 5: WWWWW
Erling Haaland helped Manchester City put Southampton to the sword on Saturday on a weekend that saw them move closer to Arsenal – that eight-point lead has now been cut to six while City still have a game in hand and a match against the Gunners looming on the horizon.
That victory was the Citizen’s eighth in succession in which they scored a remarkable 31 goals (and 21 in their last four).
Pep Guardiola’s team are very much charging for that title and the very fact that Arsenal don’t feature in this week’s Power Rankings mean that they could well catch up sooner rather than later.
Watch @ErlingHaaland's incredible goal vs Southampton from our unique Pitcam angle! 😍📹
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 11, 2023
Watch the full highlights here ⤵️
