The Championship is a relentless, fast-paced division each and every season.
Not only is the fight for promotion intense but the race to stay in the second tier is often just as unpredictable. Last year saw an epic final day with Derby and Sheffield Wednesday playing out a pulsating 3-3 draw that saw the Rams squeeze survival at Wednesday's expense.
Whilst we are not going to see a repeat this season, it is still evenly-poised at the bottom. Three sides will exit via the trapdoor and it looks very much like they will come from a four-team bunch. Reading, Barnsley, Peterborough United and Derby County are all battling to save themselves. Here, Mirror Football shines the light on the desperate battle to remain in the division and assesses each side's chances of beating the dreaded drop.
Reading
Current position and points
The Royals are 21st, just outside the drop zone with 33 points.
Remaining matches
Paul Ince's side have eight games left to play. Next up looks a mammoth clash against fellow drop rivals Barnsley, at Oakwell. They've also got to travel to Sheffield United and in-form Luton Town on the last day.
Last in third tier
Reading haven't been in the third tier since 2002 and will be desperate to avoid returning there soon.
Why they'll stay up
Saturday's win over Blackburn Rovers felt mightily important for Ince's side. It moved them five clear of danger thanks to results elsewhere and was a much-needed shot in the arm. That buffer is a handy one to have heading into the run-in, and it could prove vital for them.
Why they'll drop
The Royals' six-point deduction, which was handed down due to them breaking the EFL's Profit and Sustainability rules, has been a big burden for them to carry.
Without it, they could already be planning for another year in the second division. The psychological effect of their long winless run earlier this season, when they went almost three months without a win, should not be underestimated either. They've not helped themselves by shipping 73 goals and that leaky defence could end up costing them.
Barnsley
Which of these four will stay up? Let us know in the comments
Current position and points
Barnsley are 22nd, on 28 points - five adrift of Reading
Remaining matches
As mentioned, the Reds welcome Reading on April 2 after the international break in what is effectively a must-win for the hosts if they are to stand a chance of staying up. There are some other tasty-looking encounters including Millwall away and another drop rival, Peterborough, at home.
Last in third tier
Barnsley were only promoted out of League One in 2019 but are staring down the barrel of a third relegation back there in the space of nine seasons.
It is some fall from last term, when the South Yorkshire side reached the play-offs.
Why they'll stay up
Their home form. Poya Asbaghi's side have not lost any of their last five matches at Oakwell, sealing impressive wins over QPR and Middlesbrough. For the aforementioned clashes against Reading and Peterborough, the home support will be key.
Why they'll drop
Too patchy. This season has seen Barnsley go on seven and six-game losing streaks respectively. Even a handful of wins in those sequences would have them outside the relegation zone.
They are paying the price for winning just one of their first 15 league games.
Peterborough United
Current position and points
Posh are 23rd on 26 points - seven adrift of safety.
Remaining matches
Crucially they have five of their last eight games at home, including visits from play-off chasing Middlesbrough and Blackburn. That Barnsley trip on Easter Monday looks huge.
Last in third tier
Peterborough came up in the second automatic promotion spot last season and are bidding to avoid an immediate relegation, in what is their first taste of the Championship since 2013.
Why they'll stay up
Plenty will have written off Grant McCann's side when they fell behind against QPR on Sunday. But they showed spirit to score three goals in the space of 15 minutes and pull off a huge win. It moved them off the bottom and gives them hope.
Why they'll drop
The leakiest defence in the league, having shipped 76 goals. That win over QPR was also a first in 16 league games - going all the way back to December. They might be giving it a go now, but it looks too little, too late.
Derby County
Current position and points
Crisis-hit Derby are 24th, on 25 points.
Remaining matches
Derby have played 39 matches - one more than the other three sides. Their final seven games see them host champions-elect Fulham before hosting Cardiff on the last day.
Last in third tier
Derby haven't played third division football since 1986.
Why they'll stay up
Wayne Rooney's side have had more to contend with this season than most teams go through in a decade. And that's just off-the-field stuff! Despite the noose of a 21-point deduction around their necks, Derby have shown hunger and fight in the face of huge adversity.
Many wrote them off before a ball was kicked but they have given themselves a chance to stay up - something scarcely believable given the resources Rooney has had to work with.
Why they'll drop
In short, that deduction. If they were 21 points better off they would be in the mid to lower reaches of the table and it is a huge handicap for any side to carry. Rooney has had a skeleton squad to work with but they will want to keep alive their slim hopes for as long as possible.
