Last weekend, the 2014-2015 Premier League got its first new member. Leicester City beat Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, and after both Queens Park Rangers and Derby County lost, the Foxes found themselves promoted to the top division after a ten-year absence.
Today Leicester could very well be joined by Burnley – should favorable results fall upon the Clarets.
Burnley, currently second in the Championship with 83 points, face Middlesbrough on Saturday, knowing that a win could see them up to the Premier League for the second time in their history. But the Clarets will also have one eye on Derby vs. Huddersfield. The Rams, currently in third, need a win if they want to keep alive their hopes of an automatic promotion. If Burnley win and Derby fail to collect all three points, Burnley are the second new member of the Premier League.
It could be a challenge for the Clarets, however. Sure, Middlesbrough currently sit 13th, but they’ve been in excellent form recently. Boro have won their last three games (including two wins over sides fighting for a playoff spot) and have lost just once in their last eight matches. But Burnley have an excellent record at Turf Moor, with their only league defeat at home coming two weeks ago, to Leicester.
Derby are a bit more unpredictable, winning and losing in a rather yo-yoish fashion recently. But with Huddersfield having failed to win any of their last eight, Derby just might find themselves still in the race for second. If they do fail to win, however, they’ve still got a chance through the playoffs, where they’ll likely be joined by familiar Premier League faces such as QPR, Wigan and Reading.
Of course, we’ll also be keeping a close eye on the teams fortune doesn’t favor, the sides that are set to be relegated. Sunderland, Cardiff and Fulham are currently in the drop zone, while Norwich and West Brom are feeling a bit nervous. All five play Premier League fixtures on Saturday.
