sport news Everything to play for as the Championship gets back up and running trends now

Burnley and Blackburn are battling for the title, Watford and Norwich have hope of bouncing straight back to the Premier League, and West Brom are in trouble... there is EVERYTHING to play for as the Championship gets back up and running The Championship is set to resume with a full round of fixtures this weekend Lancashire rivals Burnley and Blackburn are both in the running for the title Watford and Norwich are also in the mix to win promotion to the top-flight Meanwhile, West Brom are only above the relegation zone on goal difference

By Adam Shergold for the Daily Mail

Published: 22:30 GMT, 9 December 2022 | Updated: 00:23 GMT, 10 December 2022

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While technically the Championship returned after its World Cup hiatus with Sunderland’s 3-0 win over Millwall last Saturday, this weekend will see the second tier back in all its glory.

The majority of teams have played 21 times, meaning there’s another 25 rounds of games for absolutely everything to change at both ends of the table.

Here’s what to look out for during the second part of the season.

Sunderland beat Millwall last weekend, and the Championship gets back up and running in full this weekend

BATTLE OF THE ROSES AT THE TOP

The automatic promotion race will be fascinating. Burnley went through a summer of enormous upheaval following their relegation from the Premier League but have emerged the stronger for it.

Vincent Kompany has banished memories of Dyche-ball and made the Clarets a pleasure to watch, with the Championship’s top scorers demolishing near-neighbours Blackburn in their last game.

But one of the few teams to have beaten Burnley so far are just three points behind them at the top.

Sheffield United smashed them 5-2 at Bramall Lane just before the World Cup pause, with resurgent striker Oli McBurnie at the double.

Vincent Kompany's Burnley are top of the table, but are being challenged by rivals Blackburn

The Scot had gone almost a year without scoring until he found the net at Luton in late August.

Since then, he hasn’t stopped with eight goals in 13 games, working well in tandem with Senegal’s Iliman