Sky Bet Championship: Pre-weekend stat pack

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Sky Bet Championship: Pre-weekend stat pack

Here is your Sky Bet Championship pre-match stat pack!

  • Middlesbrough are looking to complete their first league double over Norwich City since the 2014-15 campaign.
  • Norwich City have won their last three away league matches against Middlesbrough, winning each game 1-0.
  • Middlesbrough are winless in three successive games for the first time since October 2022 (D1 L2), with Boro conceding more goals in their last three outings (8) than in their prior 10 (7).
  • Norwich have kept a clean sheet in each of their last two league games (W1 D1), and could do so in three consecutive games for the first time since March 2021.
  • Chuba Akpom has scored 15 goals in his last 11 home games for Middlesbrough, netting in each of the last seven in a row. The last player to score in eight consecutive home appearances in the Championship was Jarrod Bowen in March 2019.
  • Sheffield United have won their last three league games against Cardiff, winning each match by a one-goal scoreline.
  • Cardiff lost away at Sheffield United in the Championship last season but haven’t lost consecutive league visits to the Blades since December 2004.
  • Sheffield United have won 25 of their 42 home league games since the start of last season (D8 L9), only Plymouth (31), Sheffield Wednesday (30) and Manchester City (27) have won more such games in the top four tiers of English football.
  • Cardiff have won just one of their last five league games (D1 L3), though are looking to win successive games on the road for the first time since April 2022.
  • Cardiff are the lowest scorers in the Championship this season (33 goals) and have the lowest shot conversion rate (7%). Sheffield United have faced fewer shots on target than any other Championship side this term (117), with only Burnley (30) conceding fewer goals than the Blades (35).
  • Blackpool have lost five of their last seven home league games against Wigan (W2) but did win the most recent game in 2020-21.
  • The away team has won six of the last eight away league meetings between Blackpool and Wigan (L2).
  • Blackpool have lost each of their previous four league games, last losing five in a row in November 2015 in League One, while they could also be the first Championship side to ship 3+ goals in five successive games since Preston in October 2018.
  • Wigan are without a win in 15 away league games since beating Rotherham 2-0 in October (D6 L9), only in April 2019 have the Latics ever gone on a longer winless run on the road in the Football League (19 games).
  • Blackpool have conceded more goals than any other Championship side this season (67), but Wigan have had fewer shots on target than anyone else in the division (116).
  • Millwall have won five of their last seven league matches against Preston (D2) since a 3-1 defeat in February 2019.
  • Preston have won one of their last six away league games against Millwall (D2 L3), beating the Lions in the 2018-19 campaign under Alex Neil.
  • Millwall are without a win, or goal, in their previous four league games (D2 L2); the Lions last went five games without scoring in a single season in September 2011.
  • Preston have won their last three league games, as many as in their previous 10 (W3 D4 L3); they last won four in a row in May 2021.
  • Millwall's Murray Wallace has had more shots without scoring than any other player in the Championship this season (35).
  • QPR have won their last three home league matches against Coventry City and are unbeaten in five at Loftus Road since a 2-1 defeat in 2007-08.
  • Coventry are looking for their first league double over Queens Park Rangers since the 2005-06 campaign, when they were managed by Micky Adams.
  • QPR have lost each of their last two league games at home, and could record three different runs of three successive defeats or more in a single Football League season for the first time in their history should they lose.
  • Coventry have kept nine clean sheets on the road this season, and could be the third to 10 in the Championship after Luton and Preston – the last time three different sides recorded 10 clean sheets away from home in a second tier season was in 1974-75 (Blackpool, Leyton Orient and Manchester United).
  • Since the turn of the year, Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres has more assists (8), chances created from open play (39) and touches in the opponent’s box (144) than any other player in the Championship, while only Chuba Akpom (15) have more goal involvements than him (14).
  • Reading are unbeaten in their last 16 home league matches against Burnley (W8 D8), although this is their first home game against them since February 2016, a 0-0 draw.
  • Burnley are looking to complete their first ever league double over Reading, having beaten them 2-1 earlier this campaign.
  • Reading have conceded at least once in each of their last 19 league games (W3 D6 L10), only once in the Football League have they gone 20+ games without a clean sheet, doing so in March 1956 (run of 24 games).
  • Burnley are the only Championship side yet to lose in 2023 so far (W11 D4), winning the most points (37) and conceding the fewest goals (6) of any side this calendar year.
  • Noel Hunt will be in charge of Reading for the first time against Burnley - each of the last three managers for the Royals have won their first league game in charge since a 1-0 defeat to Millwall under José Manuel Gomes in December 2018 (wins under Mark Bowen, Veljko Paunovic and Paul Ince).
  • Rotherham are winless in three league games against Luton (D2 L1) since a 4-2 win in March 2009 in League Two.
  • Luton have lost just one of their last seven away league games against Rotherham United (W2 D4), losing 1-0 in September 2008.
  • Rotherham have won eight home league games this season, not since 1981-82 have the Millers won more such games in a second tier season (13).
  • Luton are unbeaten in their previous nine league games (W6 D3), with the Hatters last recording a run of at least 10 games without defeat in the second tier in May 1982 (run of 14).
  • Only Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres (55%) has been involved in a higher proportion of his side’s goals in the Championship this season than Luton’s Carlton Morris (45% - 17 goals, 6 assists).
  • Stoke have won three of their last four league games against West Brom (L1), although they lost 2-0 earlier this season.
  • West Brom have won two of their last three away league matches versus Stoke (L1), although they lost 1-0 last season.
  • Stoke have recorded a clean sheet in three of their last four league outings (W1 D2 L1), as many as in their previous 17 such games in the Championship.
  • Only three sides – Luton (25), Bristol City (23) and Rotherham (22) – have dropped more points from winning positions in the Championship this season than West Brom (20), with the Baggies dropping seven points in their last four games.
  • Since the start of last season, only Ryan Giles (21) has provided more assists in the Championship than West Brom’s John Swift (20), with the Baggies midfielder creating 190 chances during that time, at least 30 more than any other player.
  • Sunderland are looking to complete their first league double over Birmingham City since the 1995-96 campaign.
  • Birmingham are winless in their last four league visits to Sunderland (D2 L2) since a 1-0 win in August 2006.
  • Sunderland are winless in their last five league games at the Stadium of Light (D3 L2), last going six such games without a win in League One in January 2021 (D3 L3).
  • Birmingham have lost just one of their previous seven league games (W3 D3), keeping a clean sheet in over half those games during that period (4).
  • Sunderland have had more league goals scored by players aged 21 and under this season than any other side in the top four tiers (33), with 21-year-old Dennis Cirkin netting the winner for them last time out against Cardiff.
  • Swansea are unbeaten in their last three league matches against Huddersfield Town (W1 D2) since a 4-1 defeat in February 2021.
  • Huddersfield have lost three of their last four away league matches against Swansea City (W1), winning the other 2-1 in October 2020.
  • Swansea are unbeaten in their last four league games (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in all three wins, and could record three successive shutouts for the first time since April 2022.
  • Huddersfield could win three away league games in a row for the first time since April 2022 after winning each of their last two, as many as their first 18 such games of 2022-23 (W2 D4 L12).
  • Since the start of last season, Swansea's Joël Piroe has scored 38 Championship goals, the most of any current Championship player.
  • Watford are unbeaten in their last three home league matches against Bristol City (W1 D2) with this their first home game against the Robins since a 6-0 win in February 2021.
  • Bristol City haven’t scored in any of their last three league games against Watford (D2 L1) since a 2-0 win in January 2013.
  • Watford are winless in their last four league games (D2 L2), conceding at least two goals in their last three; they haven’t done so in four successive games outside the top-flight since a four-game losing run in May 2014.
  • Bristol City beat Stoke 2-1 on Good Friday, with the Robins last winning successive away league games in April 2022 against the Potters and Derby.
  • Only Luton (25) have dropped more points than Bristol City in the Championship this season (23), with the Robins dropping four points in their last three games (W1 D2).
  • Blackburn have won six of their last seven league games against Hull (L1), keeping a clean sheet in all six victories.
  • Hull have won just one of their last 11 league visits to Blackburn Rovers (D2 L8), a 2-0 win in February 2016.
  • Only Burnley (51) have won more points at home in the Championship this season than Blackburn (40), with Rovers earning 65% of their points at Ewood Park in 2022-23 - no side outside the relegation zone has a greater proportion of points won at home.
  • Hull are winless away from home in the league in their last seven games (D4 L3); they haven’t had a longer such run in a season since July 2020 (run of 10).
  • Only Sunderland (14) and Burnley (12) have scored more goals in the final 10 minutes of games in the Championship this season than Blackburn (10), with Ryan Hedges netting a 90 minute equaliser for Rovers last time out against Huddersfield.