We look ahead to the weekend action in the Sky Bet Championship.
PUSHING FOR THE PLAY-OFFSNorwich City v Brentford
Norwich City’s 3-2 defeat of Cardiff City at Carrow Road last weekend continued their assault on the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off places, and they could move into the top six on Saturday with a victory over Brentford.
The Bees, who are already in the Play-Off zone in fifth, have been one of the division’s surprise packages so far this campaign, slotting in with ease following their promotion from Sky Bet League 1 last term.
Mark Warburton’s men have patched up their festive wounds which saw them lose two consecutive games at the end of December, bouncing back with two victories of their own, against Rotherham United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Norwich, under new boss Alex Neil, also beat Championship leaders Bournemouth prior to their triumph against Cardiff, and another win for the Canaries this time out would see them go above Brentford on goal difference in the table.
Three without reply: Norwich have won all of their last three meetings with Brentford, who’ve failed to put a single goal past them in that time. The Canaries ran out convincing 3-0 winners in the reverse clash.
IN SEARCH OF HOME COMFORTS
Wigan Athletic v Huddersfield Town
Wigan Athletic are still searching for their first home win under manager Malky Mackay and they host Huddersfield Town this weekend.
The Latics took their first point in three matches in their last Championship outing against Blackburn Rovers, but remain five points from safety in 23rd and winless at the DW Stadium under Mackay in five games.
Huddersfield, who have beaten Wigan just once in their last eight meetings, come into the game having most recently lost 2-0 to Middlesbrough.
Like Wigan’s Mackay, Terriers boss Chris Powell was also drafted in to repair a damaging early season, and he has successfully steadied the ship at the John Smith's Stadium with his side sitting 10 points clear of their weekend opponents in the table.
The flying Scotsman: Malky Mackay has never lost a competitive game against Huddersfield in his time as a manager.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Blackpool have taken four points from their last nine available and head to Watford this weekend having won three of their last six trips to Vicarage Road, drawing the other two and losing just once.
The Tangerines’ season has been a stark contrast to that of Watford’s as they’ve recorded three wins compared to the Hornets’ 13 - a figure that justifies their standings at opposite ends of the table.
Wolverhampton Wanderers host Charlton Athletic at Molineux in the reduced Sky Bet Championship schedule, with the Addicks set to have head coach Guy Luzon in the dugout for the first time following the confirmation of his work permit being granted on Thursday.
Wolves are on a run of five wins from their last six games, and they’ve registered four of those in succession coming into this weekend's match. Charlton, meanwhile, have lost three on the bounce and haven’t recorded a league win since early November, nine games ago.
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday 24th January 2015
Norwich City v Brentford
Watford v Blackpool
Wigan Athletic v Huddersfield Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Charlton Athletic