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Boxing Day is just around the corner and from the Premier League to the National League there are matches all day long. CBS Sports Golazo Network will have a special show to catch up on the championship action, but with the holidays in full swing, it’s also a good time to see what’s happening around the pyramid on what will be an eventful day.
Be sure to tune into CBS Sports Golazo Network for the 10-match championship match at 10am ET so you can catch every goal, every exciting moment and more.
You can also watch selected EFL matches throughout the season Biggest+.
Here’s what you need to know about the day’s action in England.
EFL on Paramount+
Always oriental
Sheffield United vs Burnley, 10am Biggest+
Blackburn Rovers vs Sheffield United, 10am Biggest+
Middlesbrough vs. Sheffield Wednesday, 10am Biggest+
Norwich City vs Millwall, 10am Biggest+
Wrexham vs Blackpool, 10am Biggest+
Swansea City vs Queens Park Rangers, 10am Biggest+
Watford vs Portsmouth, 10am Biggest+
Bristol City vs Luton Town, 10am Biggest+
Coventry City v Plymouth Argyle, 10am Biggest+
Charlton Athletic vs. Cambridge United, 10am Biggest+
Derby County vs. West Brom, 12 noon Biggest+
Stoke City vs. Leeds United, 12.30pm Biggest+
Can Wrexham secure a third successive promotion?
Wrexham Dragons are already in their second successive promotion after moving from the National League to League Two and subsequently winning it. They are making waves again. Reinforcing this season with a mix of youngsters like Sebastian Revan and experience like Dan Scarr, if the season ended today, Wrexham would be in the League One play-offs, which is quite an impressive achievement. Just three points off the top of the league, there is a chance they will be automatically promoted to the Championship, where their Hollywood dream could become a reality.
It’s one thing to believe you can get promoted from the lower leagues, but it’s another to actually do it. With another promotion, Werxham would be just one step away from the Premier League. There’s still a long way to go to make that happen, but now that they’re top of the table, even without the usual goals from star striker Paul Mullin, there’s reason to believe.
Make sure you watch Wrexham vs. Blackpool on Thursday at 10am ET Biggest+.
Who is on course for promotion to the Premier League?
Initially it was Sheffield United and Leeds United who led the race for the automatic promotion places in the Championship. Following the relegation of Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town, two of these teams are on course for a rapid comeback, while Luton are 10 points away from a play-off place as things stand. The championship landscape can change quickly, so no one is out of the running yet, but that could be too big of a hole to come back from.
One team to watch in the play-off picture is Sunderland. The Black Cats have a youth movement led by Chris Rigg, and the youngest team in the Championship are on course to push for a return to the Premier League for the first time since the 20017-18 season. It would be quite an achievement if they succeed, but it will also be a serious challenge with Burnley, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough currently occupying the play-off positions alongside them.
Tom Brady’s Birmingham City is lurking
It was a shock when Birmingham City were relegated from the Championship. Jude Bellingham’s boyhood club, the Blues, are not that long away from playing European football in the 2011-2012 season. But after their relegation, it took years of treading water before a new ownership group, including NFL legend Tom Brady, injected money into the club.
Breaking the League One transfer record to secure striker Jay Stansfield has had major consequences. The 22-year-old has scored 11 goals so far this season as Birmingham sit top of League One with a game or two in hand against most of the teams around him. That will be crucial as the season progresses and a lead of more than one game can make up for any mistakes, but all signs point back to the Championship.
Americans to watch
Injuries have plagued the Americans landscape in the EFL, with Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, Gaga Slonina and Aidan Morris currently sidelined, but Brenden Aaronson is performing well for Leeds United. With two goals and an assist in his last five games, Aaronson was strong in the middle of the park as the Whites went top of the table in the Championship. Duane Holmes is the only other American currently performing consistently for his club. He has scored a goal at Preston North End but has mostly had to settle for coming off the bench.
Aaronson’s six goals are second only to Wright for Americans in the championship, with Sargent not far behind with four goals and five assists. In what would be a season where Americans would light up the English second division, and while that hasn’t been the case, there are crucial roles for many of these players to play when they return to the club.
Wayne Rooney, near the bottom of the league
As we look towards the bottom of the Championship we see a familiar face in Wayne Rooney, who manages Plymouth Argyle. Rooney’s foray into management has been mixed, with spells at DC United, Derby County and Birmingham City under his belt, but this could add another relegation to the mix. Plymouth are just one point away from safety, but having not won their last five games and being level on 18 points with Cardiff City and Oxford United, they will need to secure points sooner rather than later. They have conceded the most goals in the Championship while also struggling to score, so Rooney needs reinforcements and tactical shifts to right this ship.