Five things to watch in EFL: Away day hoodoo and six-pointers

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Why, you ask? Because we've got non-stop EFL football with six rounds of fixtures in 23 days between now and New Year's Day.

While many are putting up Christmas trees, it's time for some metaphorical trees to start being pulled up on the pitch.

Coventry will hope to win a league game at Preston for the first time ever and it's a big week in the Championship relegation battle.

Here are five things to look out for in this midweek matchday.

Coventry City experienced something rare on Saturday. They lost a football match. And convincingly too, as they were swept aside 3-0 by Ipswich at Portman Road.

It's only the second time the Sky Blues have tasted defeat all season in the Championship and the first time they have failed to score since a goalless draw with Leicester on 20 September, having netted 35 times on a run of 11 wins in 12 games since then.

Their title credentials will come under further scrutiny with another away trip to a fellow promotion-chaser within the space of three days when they visit Preston on Tuesday - a ground where they have never won in the league in 23 attempts (D8 L15).

Frank Lampard's side saw their lead cut to seven points after Middlesbrough's handsome 4-1 win at Hull City and it's bound to be another stern test under the lights at Deepdale, though the Lilywhites have slightly stuttered of late with just one win in five (D3 L1).

"The reaction is the only important thing [to the Ipswich loss]," Lampard told BBC CWR.

"Sometimes I don't have to over-analyse every little moment. I'm really not disappointed, I want to make that clear because we cannot have any head dropping.

"Maybe from the outside people can go 'oh Coventry got beaten', rather than say we're going to win the league in December. We have to continue because this league will test you every game."

Lampard said he doesn't pay any attention to Coventry's poor record historically at Preston in the league, which includes five defeats on their past six visits.

"It's more understanding Preston are in the top six," he added. "A difficult opponent always, I'll just focus on the game."

It might seem far-fetched - and almost certainly would have felt inconceivable five weeks ago when Sheffield United were 21st and three points from safety after an 11th loss in 14 games - but could the Blades still make a push for the play-offs this season?

United are the Championship's in-form side right now, having won four on the bounce and are unbeaten in their past five to climb to 18th and eight points off Stoke in sixth, who they thrashed 4-0 on Saturday.

No other side has picked up more points in the past five games than United (13) and the goals are flowing for Chris Wilder's side, who have scored three or more in four successive league wins for the first time since April 2017 in League One.

There is still a lot of football to be played but some of the sides in and around the play-offs are just showing some signs of faltering.

Stoke, Bristol City, Birmingham and Hull all lost at the weekend, while only Southampton have strung together a similar recent run to the Blades, winning five of their past six under now permanent boss Tonda Eckert.

"As soon as the results come back, you can see the confidence flowing through the team and the ruthlessness," boss Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

United welcome relegation-threatened Norwich and will surely feel confident of making it five straight wins in the league for the first time since December 2022.

You might associate this time of year with the light-hearted chime of sleigh bells ringing.

But for a cluster of teams at the bottom of the Championship, it's alarm bells that are sounding loudest right now.

The spotlight shines even brighter on the relegation scrap on Tuesday with four of the sides in question going directly head-to-head for what you could argue are already six-pointers.

Swansea welcome Portsmouth for a meeting between two sides in torrid recent form, though the Swans did end a run of five straight defeats with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Oxford last time out to give new boss Vitor Matos his first victory.

Pompey, who are in the drop zone and three points behind Swansea with a game in hand, have won just one of their previous nine (D2 L6) and have only picked up a single away win this season, coming on the first day at Oxford.

Meanwhile, the 21st-placed U's travel to Ewood Park looking to drag Blackburn - who sit 19th on 21 points - deeper into the survival scrap.

Gary Rowett's side have one win in seven (D3 L3), while Rovers have one win in five (D2 L2).

All four clubs in direct opposition desperately need another three points.

In terms of points per game so far this season, Stevenage's clash with Cardiff pits the best two sides in League One together.

The Bluebirds are top and Boro are third, but have two games in hand over Bradford in second, meaning they could leapfrog the Bantams if they win those outstanding fixtures.

That being said, Stevenage's form since winning eight of their opening 10 games has tailed off slightly with just one win from their past six (D3 L2) - all of which have been tightly contested with only five goals scored by either side in those games.

Leaders Cardiff have now won three on the bounce in their quest to return to the Championship at the first time of asking and arrive with striker Yousef Salech in fine form with six goals in seven games and leading the League One golden boot race with nine.

"Naturally he's very dangerous in the box and our players are really aware of where he moves so we can find him with good crosses," Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy said of Salech, who has scored six headers.

"He's a good lad and so much improvement to come is probably the most exciting thing."

League Two might well be the most unpredictable division in the world and you'll do well to find one with quite so many teams in contention to go up.

Only seven points separate MK Dons in the third automatic promotion spot from Barnet in 14th.

Even Tranmere and Oldham in 15th and 16th respectively aren't completely out of reach as they sit six points off the play-off places.

Six of the top 13 sides face each other on Tuesday with MK Dons' trip to Notts County the pick of the bunch.

MK Dons could go top with a win should Walsall lose at Oldham and Swindon fail to beat Cheltenham, while County will be looking to move into the top three.

Whatever happens, it's likely to be all change once again in the fourth tier.