Supercomputer predicts Championship promotion race as Frank Lampard’s Coventry set for play-offs

Could Frank Lampard lead a team to the Championship play-offs for a second time?

Lampard has enjoyed a great start to life at Coventry City, who have won ten of their 17 Championship matches since he took the job.

And Opta's supercomputer believes the Chelsea legend will carry on his heroics and guide Coventry to the play-offs, as he did with Derby County in the 2018/19 season.

The English second tier is nearing what promises to be yet another thrilling race home, as just seven points separate fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion and 14th-placed QPR.

The top two teams on the ladder earn automatic promotion to the Premier League while the teams who finish third through to sixth will contest in the play-offs.

Leeds United, who sit top on 72 points, look destined for a return to the Premier League after two seasons away.

Opta's supercomputer certainly agrees with that sentiment, as they gave Daniel Farke's side a 75.7 per cent chance of winning the Championship.

Leeds also have a 18.7 per cent chance of finishing second and a 5.4 per cent chance of coming third.

With Leeds having all-but-secured a top-two finish, intrigue quickly turns to who will join them.

Sheffield United, who finished rock bottom in last year's Premier League, sit second on 70 points while Burnley are one place and two points behind.

However, the Blades have a game in hand so they could stretch the gap to five points, which would no doubt boost their chances of automatic promotion.

One thing in Burnley's favour is a superior goal difference having conceded a minute nine times all season in the league.

Perhaps owing to Sheffield United's extra game, Opta's supercomputer has given them a 44.7 per cent chance of coming second.

Unfortunately for Burnley, they have a 35.7 per cent chance of finishing second but a vastly superior probability of coming third, which sits at 52.4 per cent.

Sunderland, who are pining for a Premier League return after eight years away, lie fourth.

However, the Black Cats are six points behind Burnley and 11 ahead of West Brom.

Safe to say, Sunderland's route back to the top flight appears likely to be via the play-offs.

Opta's supercomputer predicts just as much, as Sunderland have an 85 per cent probability of finishing fourth.

But the real fun comes down to predicting who will finish fifth and sixth.

West Brom, who sit on 51 points and have a goal difference of +13, look poised to hold on to their position in the table as the supercomputer gives them a 27.9 per cent chance of finishing fifth.

The Baggies also have a 20.8 per cent probability of finishing sixth.

Blackburn Rovers, who sit sixth, are level on points with West Brom but behind on goal difference.

Yet the former Premier League champions are less likely to finish fifth than Lampard's Coventry City, who are seventh on 50 points.

The Sky Blues, who made the play-off final two seasons ago, have a 23.9 per cent chance of finishing fifth compared to Blackburn's 18.9 per cent.

However, they both share a 19.5 per cent probability of finishing sixth.

Coventry's boosted play-off chances points to the remarkable run they have gone under Lampard, who was appointed on November 28 when the club sat 17th.

With the former Chelsea boss at the helm, Coventry have won ten and drawn three of their last 17 league fixtures to rocket up the table into seventh.

Should Lampard lead Coventry to a top six berth, it would mark the second time he'd guided a team to the play-offs having led Derby to a fourth-place finish during the 2018/19 season.

The Rams edged past Leeds in their play-off semi-final tie but fell short against Aston Villa in the final.