Five things in the EFL: Rhythm and blues and surprising showdowns

This week officially began with Blue Monday, the name bestowed by psychologists on the statistically most depressing day of the year.

There is even a real scientific formula behind it, factoring in poor weather, mounting debts, failure of New Year's resolutions, lack of motivation and a rising need to take action.

In fairness all of those issues, and more, have already been apparent throughout what is turning into one of the most fascinating Championship seasons in memory.

Luckily the EFL schedulers have given us a treat to wash away those blues with a full programme of Championship action across Tuesday and Wednesday night, with a bonus League One encounter to enjoy too.

Here are this week's fixtures and tables and here are five things to look out for across the EFL this week.

The big question. Are there more blues to come at Coventry or will the clouds finally clear as we head towards spring?

After a wobble either side of Christmas, which saw Frank Lampard's side pick up nine points from eight league games and bow out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle, the Sky Blues came from behind to pip Leicester 2-1 late-on in the M69 derby on Saturday.

It restored City's five-point lead over Middlesbrough at the summit, and they are eight above third-placed Ipswich, ahead of the visit of Millwall to the CBS on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT).

After winning 2-0 at Watford on Saturday the Lions are lurking in fourth, unbeaten in five in the league, taking 11 points and conceding only twice in that run, and will be keen to avenge a 4-0 drubbing by Coventry at The Den back in October.

Should Alex Neil's side exact some revenge then the Tractor Boys could narrow the gap on the leaders to five points, with a game in hand, if they can overcome inconsistent Bristol City at Portman Road (19:45 GMT), where the hosts are on a run of five straight league wins and have only conceded three goals in their past eight.

When their sides finished 20th and 21st, only avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, Preston and Hull City fans might not have believed you if you told them they would be playing a huge game in the promotion race less than nine months later.

Despite an injury crisis at the MKM Stadium, the Tigers have slunk into the top-five, sitting only five points outside the automatic promotion spots, with a game in hand on second-placed Middlesbrough.

Boss Sergej Jakirovic didn't know which 11 players he could field just 24 hours before Saturday's eye-opening 2-1 win at Southampton, but they still collected a fourth win in five unbeaten games on the road, and will seek to make that six at Deepdale (19:45 GMT).

What was once one of the trickiest away games on the calendar looks far less so of late as the Lilywhites have won just one of their past six home games, that against basement-boys Sheffield Wednesday, and they have suffered rather tame 1-0 defeats against League One Wigan in the FA Cup and Derby on the past two Saturdays.

North End start the day sixth, a point behind Hull, and with the chance to return to the top four for the fifth time this season with a win, but to do so they might well need to do something they have not done since Bonfire Night, score more than once in a home game.

In the heady days of British Summer Time not many would have pegged West Brom v Norwich on 20 January as a potential relegation 'six-pointer', but here we are...

The Baggies have picked up 31 points from their opening 27 games to lie 19th, four points above the Canaries, who occupy the final relegation place in 22nd.

The Eric Ramsay era at The Hawthorns began in dramatic fashion, coming from 2-0 down to level late on at home to Middlesbrough on Friday night, only to concede a last-minute winner for the second league game in a row to make it three straight Championship losses and seven in Albion's past nine.

Despite the continued absence of striker Josh Sargent for disciplinary reasons, the Canaries' improvement under Philippe Clement continued the following afternoon as Jovon Makama's 13th goal of the season ensured a 2-1 win at Wrexham to make it four games unbeaten on the road.

It made it 14 points, and only two defeats, in their past eight games to take City within a point of safety.

Another result at the Hawthorns (19:45 GMT) would take the Canaries out of the drop-zone for the first time since October.

Forget Blue Monday, it has been a 'Blue 2025-26' for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls' tempus horribile reached a new nadir on Saturday as a 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth extended the gulf to safety to effectively 36 points with 20 games remaining, so negative is their goal difference.

I am afraid to tell the most optimistic of Owls fans but it also meant Henrik Pedersen's team can no longer mathematically win the title, as leaders Coventry are already out of reach.

Pompey's victory ended a 10-match winless streak on their travels and it is now Birmingham who will be hoping Tuesday's appointment with Dr Wednesday at the Hillsborough surgery (19:45 GMT) will cure them of their own travel sickness.

Though Saturday's 1-1 draw at Swansea ensured just a second point from their past eight away games, Blues will have their first victory on the road since October in their sights, which could haul them back within five points of the play-off spots.

There's also a big game in League One on Tuesday night as Stevenage host Bolton Wanderers (19:45 GMT).

Boro have fallen out of the play-off places on the back of a disastrous run of just two wins in 14 games since they led the league in early October and went down meekly 3-0 at Exeter on Saturday.

Alex Revell's side are winless in their past five at home, though four of those were draws, but with games in hand on the sides above them they know a win would take them back into the top-six, and they have still lost only once in 10 home games, conceding only six times along the way.

The Trotters ended a four-match winless run with a derby victory at Wigan on Saturday and another three points on the road would take them up a place to fourth.