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Birmingham Clinches League One Title, Eyes EFL Points Record

Birmingham City has been officially crowned League One champions without stepping onto the pitch this past weekend, as their nearest rivals, Wrexham, managed only a draw against Wigan.

As the champion, Birmingham is now focused on further achievements, specifically aiming to surpass the EFL points record of 106, which has stood for nearly two decades, set by Reading in the Championship.

Under the management of Chris Davies, Birmingham seeks to recover from their recent setback following a defeat in the Vertu Trophy against Peterborough. To claim the record, they will need to secure 12 points from their remaining six matches.

Meanwhile, Wrexham returns to their home ground, the Racecourse Ground, determined to hold onto their one-point lead over third-placed Wycombe, who are also vying for automatic promotion.

The Red Dragons face a challenging match against Bristol Rovers, a team that has recently found themselves in the relegation zone after suffering six consecutive losses. In contrast, Wycombe faces a tough test against eighth-placed Bolton, a side hoping to revive their play-off aspirations with a critical win.

Stockport, sitting five points behind Wrexham with four games remaining, can secure a top-six finish by defeating Peterborough. Even a loss could still see them through if Leyton Orient and Bolton fail to win their respective matches against Barnsley and Wycombe.

Charlton, closely trailing in fifth place, can solidify their place in the play-offs with a victory over 19th-placed Northampton, a team still fighting for safety. Interestingly, Charlton could clinch a play-off spot even with a loss, depending on the outcomes of matches involving Orient, Bolton, and Huddersfield, who host Cambridge United.

At the other end of the table, bottom-placed Shrewsbury faces a dire situation, being 12 points adrift of safety with only four matches remaining. They must defeat Wigan to avoid relegation, with the added hope that both Burton and Bristol Rovers lose their games against Exeter and Wrexham, respectively.

Cambridge United also finds itself in jeopardy; a loss against Huddersfield, paired with victories for either Burton or Bristol Rovers, would seal their fate. However, if they manage to avoid defeat, they will prolong their status until at least Monday.

Crawley Town, holding a slim point lead over Cambridge, is not at immediate risk of relegation this weekend. Nevertheless, a loss against Birmingham combined with wins for either Burton or Bristol Rovers could plunge them into a precarious position, leaving them nine points behind with just three games left to play.

Source
www.bbc.com