By Max Kiddle

Newcastle United

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The Rafael Benitez empire is truly underway with Newcastle sitting happily at the top of the Championship. After heavy summer recruitment, you would have expected Newcastle to be at summit of the Championship despite their slow start. Dwight Gayle is the top Championship scorer but it’s Newcastle’s depth in squad that makes them the front runners. Their four strikers of Gayle, Mitrovic, Perez and Murphy have the fire power to promote them as well as the quality in midfield provided by the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Mohamed Diame and Matt Ritchie. A very decent defensive line consists of Jamaal Lascelles, Grant Hanley, Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett.

Brighton and Hove Albion

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Having just missed out on promotion last year, you would have expected Brighton to be challenging again this season; they haven’t disappointed so far. The Seagulls are currently second in the table and have the best home record in the league. Their key men are certainly firing as well, Glenn Murray is the second top goal scorer in the league with 11 to his tally already. Him alongside talisman Anthony Knockaert, who’s deal they made permanent after a successful loan spell from Premier League champions Leicester, are the stand out men who can push Brighton over the line.

Aston Villa

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After their poor start under Roberto Di Matteo, ‘The Villa’ have been revived and reinvented under Steve Bruce. The former Hull City manager has won promotion three times to the Premier League so it’s fair to say he knows how to get out of the league. With a solid centre half pairing of summer recruits in the shape of James Chester and Tommy Elphick, as well as the quality in midfield they have through Mile Jedinak and Ashley Westwood, plus the firepower of Jonathan Kodjia, Aston Villa’s spine of their team could well give them the best chance of their hopes for promotion.

Derby County

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Derby County looked to have made a very good appointment in Nigel Pearson after the Englishman guided Leicester to promotion and survival in the Premier League however, it did not work out. The team were the lowest scorers in all four of the professional divisions in England which prompted the board to bring back Steve McClaren to the club. His brand of free flowing football has seen Derby rise to just two points off the play off places. It seems Derby’s flair players containing the likes of Tom Ince, Jonny Russell and Will Hughes could be the ones that see The Rams claim their place in the top six.

Norwich City

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Norwich are fast replacing West Brom as the ‘yoyo’ team between the Premier League and the Championship. It seems that they have enough quality to get out of the Championship but not avoid relegation. However after Alex Neil’s side achieved promotion in the 2014/15 season, they know how to get out of the league and with the firepower of the likes of Cameron Jerome and Jacob Murphy as well as the creativity of Alex Pritchard, they’re firm contenders to go up.

The surprise packages: Leeds United and Reading

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Gary Monk’s Leeds United won’t have been on many people’s promotion contenders after their slow start however they are the form side in the Championship after five wins in their last six, their only defeat coming from Newcastle. Chris Wood could be the man to keep owner Massimo Cellino’s promise of a guaranteed play off place or season ticket holders get their money back.

Reading are very much the surprise package of this season. The Royals currently sit third in the league and Jaap Stam has got them playing a possession based style of football that has seen them branded as ‘the Man City of the Championship’.

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