We look ahead to the midweek action in the Sky Bet Championship.
TOP TWO SHOWDOWNAFC Bournemouth v Derby County
The Sky Bet Championship’s top two meet on Tuesday for the chance to lead the table outright, as Bournemouth welcome Derby County to the Goldsands Stadium.
The duo are bound at the summit with 57 points apiece, but the Cherries sit first thanks to their superior goal difference of 33 - a Football League best. Visitors Derby are the league’s in-form side, though, having won six of their last seven matches.
Both recorded convincing victories in their most recent outings, with Bournemouth brushing aside Wigan Athletic 3-1 and Derby seeing off Bolton Wanderers 4-1.
The pair have notched 118 league goals between them this term, and it comes as no surprise that each team boasts one of the division’s most ruthless finishers.
Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson grabbed his 13th and 14th goals of the season in the victory at Wigan, and he now sits just two behind Rams frontman Chris Martin in the goalscoring charts.
30 years of hurt: Bournemouth haven’t got the better of Derby in a competitive fixture since January 1985, and have scored just once in their last five meetings against them.
PLAY-OFF SIX POINTER
Brentford v Watford
Brentford will play their second game in 10 days against fellow Play-Off opposition when they welcome Watford to Griffin Park.
The Bees lost 1-0 to Middlesbrough two weekends ago but managed to get back on track with a triumph over Leeds United in their last fixture.
Opponents Watford had been in free-scoring mode until recently, recording 5-0 and 7-2 wins over Charlton Athletic and Blackpool respectively, but just one goal in their last 180 minutes of football has seen them lose once and win once.
The Hornets could possess a little more sting than usual going into this game, knowing a win would see them leapfrog Brentford up to fourth in the table. A victory for their hosts, however, would open up a five-point gap.
Dominant force: Watford haven’t lost to Brentford in any of their last 15 meetings, winning 10 of those in a run stretching back to 1975.
AT THE DRAW
Birmingham City v Millwall
Birmingham City remain unbeaten on league duties in 2015, but they've drawn their most recent four ahead of a clash with lowly Millwall at St Andrew’s on Tuesday.
Gary Rowett’s side haved bagged just two goals in those four games - a return that has dealt their faint Play-Off hopes a blow as they now trail the top six by 12 points.
Ian Holloway’s Millwall are in desperate need of victory, having achieved that feat just once in their last eight.
The Lions lost 3-1 to Huddersfield Town at the weekend, a result that saw them remain in the division’s bottom three. A win over the Blues could lift them out of danger, though, but they’ll need Brighton to lose at Cardiff City to have any chance of doing so.
Goals galore: Birmingham have put a minimum of three goals past Millwall in six of their last seven games against them, to record a healthy 27-8 aggregate total in that time.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Middlesbrough could post a fifth win on the bounce when they travel to the Sky Bet Championship’s bottom side Blackpool.
Boro’s latest triumph came in a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic, while Blackpool were handed a 4-0 thumping by Norwich City, meaning the Tangerines are still in search of successive wins this season.
Charlton and Norwich square up at The Valley tonight and the hosts will extend their run of 14 games without a win should they fall to the Canaries.
Ipswich Town have the opportunity to recover from a shock 2-0 defeat at Rotherham United when they take on Sheffield Wednesday, with the visiting Owls having not won any of their last four.
The closely matched Bolton Wanderers and Fulham, who sit 16th and 17th respectively, go head-to-head at the Macron Stadium.
The Trotters are enduring their worst form under manager Neil Lennon having taken just one point from their last nine available, and that's a figure Fulham would match if they taste defeat against them.
Elsewhere, Huddersfield could claim their fifth win in seven matches when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Reading, who have won twice on the bounce, face Leeds United.
Cardiff City, on a run of one win in 10 in the league, do battle with Brighton, who’ve lost three of their last four to slump back towards the drop zone, and Blackburn welcome Rotherham to Ewood Park.
Nottingham Forest host Wigan Athletic at the City Ground on Wednesday evening fresh from their 3-2 win over Brighton on Saturday, which was just their second victory in 10 league outings.
The result was the first under new manager Dougie Freedman, and he’ll step out in front of the home fans for the first time against a Wigan side who’ve lost four of their last six.
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP MIDWEEK FIXTURES
Tuesday 10th February 2015
Birmingham City v Millwall
Blackburn Rovers v Rotherham United
Blackpool v Middlesbrough
AFC Bournemouth v Derby County
Brentford v Watford
Cardiff City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Charlton Athletic v Norwich City
Huddersfield Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday
Bolton Wanderers v Fulham
Reading v Leeds United
Wednesday 11th February 2015
Nottingham Forest v Wigan Athletic