Image source, Rex Features

Have a quick look at most seasons and you'll find one of those 'sliding doors' moments where a team's fortunes will change in the blink of an eye - was Ipswich's on a soggy afternoon in Lancashire?

Down to 10 men at Blackburn and trailing 1-0 with 10 minutes remaining, Kieran McKenna's side were heading for defeat when the heavens opened and forced an abandonment with the game now to be replayed in full at a later date.

So, Saturday's 2-1 win over Portsmouth made it back-to-back league victories for the first time since May 2024 with a chance to make it a hat-trick at Ashton Gate tonight.

Bristol City's unbeaten start to the season was brought to a surprising end by Oxford nine days ago - the start of a downward spiral for Gerhard Struber's Robins?

Well, a goalless draw at Preston at the weekend could easily have been a win and here they are in fourth place, three points above their opponents albeit a defeat tonight could drop them below the Suffolk side.

That's the thing about the Championship, doors open and close as well as slide...

Image source, Rex Features

Hull City return to the MKM aiming to get back to winning ways after being stunned by Watford on Saturday.

The Tigers are 18th and romped to a 3-1 win over Southampton in their most recent home game but although they are the fifth-leading scorers in the division with 11, nobody has conceded more than the 14 they have shipped.

Preston head east on a three-match unbeaten run after a goalless draw at home to Bristol City on Saturday, but have won on only two of their past 12 visits to Humberside.

The Lilywhites have lost only one of their seven Championship matches to lie in sixth and have the joint- best defence in the second tier with just five conceded.

"Hull are a dangerous team, they love crosses into your box, they don't have to play well to win," Lilywhites boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We think we can hurt them and cause them problems, but they'll be thinking the same."

Image source, Getty Images

Home is where the heart is, as we all know, but it’s also where the points are for Birmingham.

Blues are seeking to extend the longest unbeaten home record in the top four tiers of English football to 29 games when they welcome Sheffield Wednesday to St Andrew's.

Chris Davies' side went down 3-0 at Coventry on Saturday, their third defeat in four away games, to fall to 11th in the Championship, though remain within sight of the play-offs.

Davies will need to be wary, however, beleaguered Wednesday might be second-bottom and their players have the additional drama of unpaid wages for September to contend with, but they have picked up five points from their past four league fixtures, with Saturday’s 1-1 draw with QPR their first point from four home games.

Four of the Owls' five points this season have come in their two most recent away games.

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Swansea couldn’t hold onto their lead against Millwall at the weekend, meaning three matches without a win, and three home draws in a row.

But Alan Sheehan has challenged his side to fall seven times, but get up eight to help them start to climb the table.

"These draws feel like losses, albeit this league is so competitive right now and there are very fine margins in the game all across the league," the Swans head coach said.

"I understand this league. It's about consistently bouncing back. Even when you win, you have to bounce back because every game is a different challenge – you have different teams you come up against.

"We go to Blackburn and then have Leicester. It's a really difficult week before we have [the international] break so our mentality has to be right."

Rovers are yet to win at home this season – although were leading with 11 minutes left in the abandoned clash with Ipswich.

With two home fixtures in a row, Valerien Ismael said: "It’s a big few days for us at home to finally get a result.

"It’s about getting the first one at home in 90 minutes and, with two home games coming, it’s a good opportunity for us to step up."

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In 2015-16, when Leicester were beating the 5000/1 odds to win the Premier League, Wrexham were finishing behind the likes of Eastleigh, Dover Athletic and Braintree Town.

The Red Dragons came eighth in the National League that season, 11 points adrift of the play-offs.

Even as recently as three years ago, the Foxes were in the Premier League and boasted a five-division gap to the Welsh club.

And for that reason, Max Cleworth, who came through the Wrexham set-up and played in non-league for them, is in disbelief about the two clubs’ match-up.

"When you think back to three years ago and some of the away days in the National League, now we are going to the King Power," the centre-back said.

"You do have to pinch yourself a little bit. It's something we have to enjoy and then go out there and put in a good performance for the fans, who will once again travel in numbers.

"These are the games you want to play when you come up to the Championship."

There's something to be said for opting for the tried and tested.

Sheffield United tried out a new approach, got their fingers burned, ate a large slice of humble pie and Chris Wilder is back to sort out the mess last season's beaten play-off finalists now find themselves in.

A last-minute defeat to start with was quickly forgotten on Saturday with their first points and win of the campaign at Oxford.

"In this situation, to get that win is big - we need to build on it," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Things can quickly get broken and go the other way - it has surprised me how quickly we've gone from a team we were last year to the one we have been over the early part of the season."

Last season Southampton were a Premier League team going nowhere but down, so this season should be better shouldn't it?

Well not yet it isn't with one win from their opening seven games and just the two points on the road so far.

Saturday's 1-1 draw with leaders Middlesbrough may be a pointer in the right direction for Will Still's side but these are two clubs expected to be up the other end of the table.

They need to start winning regularly if they are not to be left behind.

BBC Local Radio

Because of audio rights we are not able to bring you online commentary from tonight's games.

BBC Local Radio stations will be covering the matches if you live in the broadcasting areas of the teams involved.

We will bring you a flavour of their coverage alongside our live text commentary so you will not miss a thing.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesbrough maintained both their unbeaten record and four-point lead at the top of the Championship at the weekend.

There's a lot of football to be played tonight but there is a chance they could stretch that advantage to seven points tonight.

Stoke are the side best-placed to prevent that happening as the Potters head to Teesside.

Sheffield United will definitely climb off the bottom if they can beat Southampton as Oxford don't play until tomorrow night.

Image source, Rex Features

We have eight games to get our teeth into tonight (19:45 BST unless stated).

Championship

• Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday
• Blackburn Rovers v Swansea City
• Bristol City v Ipswich Town
• Hull City v Preston North End
• Leicester City v Wrexham
• Middlesbrough v Stoke City
• Sheffield United v Southampton
• Derby County v Charlton Athletic (20:00 BST)

Image source, Getty Images

Floodlit autumn nights, uplifting music blaring, hopes and dreams still alive for the season and some of the best players in Europe preparing to take the stage... yep, there's nothing like the start of a full midweek Championship programme...

We have a real treat for you this Tuesday evening with five of the top seven and six of the bottom seven all in action across our eight games.

Unbeaten leaders Middlesbrough host third-placed Stoke, basement-boys Sheffield United welcome Southampton and upstarts Wrexham head to former Premier League Champions Leicester, all at 19:45 BST, while Derby and Charlton lock horns in our lone 20:00 BST kick-off.

Get yourself settled and we'll take you through everything you need to know...