Power Rankings - Sheffield United and Wednesday mounting challenge to Doncaster Rovers

Doncaster Rovers are still going strong and the Steel City duo of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday are set fair as are Rotherham United. Leeds United move up as well. Here’s the latest table including Cup results, let us know what you think in the comments section down the bottom.

1: Doncaster Rovers WLWWWL (=) – Fleetwood fired a shot across the bows of Rovers, whose 100 per cent five-match winning streak in League One to start 2021 was ended on the Fylde coast in midweek. But there needs to be perspective. Rovers, who had won their previous four league away games, sampled a league loss for the first time since Christmas. They are still in a hell of a place. A tough February, mind and they visit Sunderland on Saturday.

2: Sheffield United WWLWLW (+1) – The statistics show that the Blades - safely into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup - have won six of their last nine matches in all competitions. Considering their sorry state at the start of the new year, that represents progress at a rate of knots. It will still take something miraculous for United to retain their top-flight status. But they are ranked ninth in the Premier League’s latest six-match guide, which is discernible improvement.

3: Sheffield Wednesday LLWWLW (+2) – Fresh from a bad second-half at Millwall, Wednesday had to beat Wycombe for their own peace of mind on Tuesday and they did just that in the snow and cold. Home form is proving the bedrock of the survival pitch of the Owls, who are now out of the Championship drop zone.

They have won five league games on the spin at S6 - their best run since October, 2011 - and have triumphed in six of their past nine league fixtures, home and away. Hardly relegation form from the Owls, who are ranked 5th in the division’s six-match guide.

4: Rotherham United DWLWWL (=) – The negative development is that the Millers unluckily lost out 2-1 in a home match they had targeted against Cardiff in midweek. Fortunately, it came after a ‘bonus ball’ win at Preston, their three successive away league triumph in 2021. Outstanding.

Rotherham, who host QPR on Saturday, are in good order. They have won four of their last seven league games and are ninth in the Championship’s latest guide over six matches.

5: Bradford City WDDWWL (-3) – It had to happen and it finally has. Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars sampled defeat for the first time in nine matches at the helm by way of a 3-2 loss at Exeter last weekend.

It is the sort of run they would have scarcely dreamed of when they stepped into the breach following Stuart McCall’s exit in mid-December. City, who were snowed off in midweek, welcome Salford City on Saturday. They are third in League Two’s six-match form rankings.

6: Leeds United LLWWLW (+1) – Delivered a comfortable and consummate home win over Crystal Palace on Monday and will head to Arsenal with confidence - although Leeds have never lacked that under Marcelo Bielsa. United have won three of their past four matches and have lit up the top-flight and also shrugged aside an early new year blip in the process. They are seventh in the Premier League’s six-match form list.

7: Harrogate Town DDLWWL (+1) – A mixed bag for Town, who have won and lost games in the past week with a home reverse to Cheltenham following back-to-back victories. Still, all things considered, they have suffered just two losses in their past six League Two outings, which is not to be sniffed at. It is the sort of form which should enable them to consolidate in the division if it is maintained.

8: Hull City WLWDLD (-2) – Cup half-full or half-empty? The Tigers, who possess League One’s third-best home form and fourth best away statistics, have lost just twice in their last nine league matches and are seventh in the division’s six-match guide. Decent. On the negative side, they have taken just four points from the last 12 and scored once in their past four league games.

9: Barnsley LLWDDL (=) – Pushed Chelsea all the way with a relentless display on Thursday and bowed out of the Cup with their heads held high. Now for the league. Yet to win in the Championship in 2021, the Reds’ teak-tough run of fixtures against the league’s big-hitters continues with a trip to Brentford on Sunday. If they need any incentive, think back to the events of late summer at the Bees’ former home…

10: Middlesbrough LWLLDL (=) – Given the fact that they have lost their last four home matches, Boro might just be glad to hit the road to Derby this weekend. It is becoming crunch time if the Teessiders want to prove serious in their play-off quest. Neil Warnock’s side, whose team’s last three wins have all been away, have won just once in their past seven matches in all competitions and are in danger of going off the boil.

11: Huddersfield Town LLLLDD (=) – Without a win in seven games in all competitions in 2021, the alarm bells are starting to ring at Town. They will seriously reverberate if they fail to beat Wycombe in a must-win fixture at the weekend. The Terriers, who are 23th in the Championship’s six-match guide, will breathe a little bit easier if they defeat the rock-bottom Chairboys.

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