A bright start by Fulham almost creates a chance, as first a teasing cross by Ryan Fredericks just missed Aboubakar Kamara... then Stefan Johansen sends a shot over the top from distance.

Still goalless though with five or so gone.

Image source, Rex Features

Wolves go close within a couple of minutes as a lovely bit of play to free Helder Costa away down the right was followed by a lovely ball into the near post where Leo Bonatini smacks the post!

Brentford on red alert already! Then Ruben Neves tests Daniel Bentley with a low drive but it's an easy claim. Nervy stuff.

We are off. We've had Jeff Beck blasting out at Molineux. Wolves gunning to add to their lead at the top, Brentford want to stake their play-off claims.

Fulham and Ipswich too are bidding to nestle in among the promotion hopefuls.

Reading v Birmingham kicks off at 20:00 GMT as previously mentioned.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Molineux

Image source, wolves.co.uk

One piece of grim news to cast a dark cloud over Molineux this evening was the announcement this afternoon of the sudden death of Wolves club historian and programme editor John Hendley, at the age of 67.

Known throughout the Midlands sports scene simply as Foz, on account of his comparative similarity to an equally much-loved Muppets character from the 1980s, he was a great character and a very popular man.

If Wolves were to win tonight in his honour - and West Brom to lose, of course - it might help restore the smiles to a few local faces.

Right, our two 19:45 GMT kick-offs are not far away here in the Championship. Wolves v Brentford and Fulham v Ipswich.

Reading v Birmingham is a 20:00 GMT start. We'll preview that one before it gets under way too.

Image source, Getty Images

Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town are a classic example of inconsistency in the Championship.

Sometimes the Tractor Boys plough all before them, other times they run aground in the proverbial mud.

Eleven wins, eleven defeats. Three draws. Two of those defeats have come in the past three games but those were against the division's top two.

If they are to sneak into the promotion mix, and they're only seven points off that, at the very least they need to start turning some of those losses into draws.

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham have only lost twice this season at Craven Cottage but they've actually won more games on the road than at their homely old ground this season.

They've just started to find their mojo at home though, conceding just one goal in their past three games by the Thames and have won each of them with it.

Ipswich's eight defeats in 11 away games is another positive omen, as is the fact they have won the past three Championship meetings with the Suffolk club.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Molineux

Wolves' stunning late, late winner at Ashton Gate on Saturday evening was the moment when, for most followers of Championship football, the outcome of one of this season's automatic promotion places was settled.

Tonight, at Molineux, they're back in home soil and Nuno's side have a chance to go 14 points clear of third.

But, for all their obvious quality, they would be wise not to underestimate Dean Smith's Brentford.

The Bees have an even better record than Wolves this Christmas, having won all three matches so far. And they come to the Black Country with a reputation for playing pretty good football themselves.

He's a headline writer's dream, giving journalists and sub-editors a glut of nineties R'n'B song titles to pilfer. That man, of course, is Brentford forward Lasse Vibe.

To quote R Kelly (not for the first time), he's got it. Lasse is on a hot streak. Six goals in his last five games, of which they've won the past three.

It actually took him until November's draw with rivals QPR to break his 2017-18 duck but, since he did so, he's been on it. Good timing, from Brentford's perspective.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Last night's 'super-moon', that blazed bright and blue across the night sky, was one that is known as a 'Wolf Moon', named as such because it coincided with the howling of hungry wolves in January time.

The footballing Wolves have been pretty super themselves, blazing their golden trail across the Championship with nine wins in the past 11 unbeaten games.

They finished 2017 with a win against fellow challengers Bristol City, a result that put them nine points clear at the Championship summit. Can they make it 12 points tonight?

Image source, Getty Images

Dutch forward Pelle Clement replaces Dave Edwards in midfield for Reading, while Sone Aluko and Leandro Bacuna also come into the starting line-up.

Birmingham boss Steve Cotterill has named the same starting XI and subs bench barring one change to the replacements, with Che Adams back in and Stephen Gleeson dropping out.

Reading: Mannone, Bacuna, Gunter, McShane (c), Moore, Van den Berg, Clement, Swift, Aluko, Barrow, Kermorgant.

Subs: Jaakkola, Evans, Aluko, Ilori, Bodvarsson, Blackett, Richards.

Birmingham: Stockdale, Colin, Roberts, Dean, Grounds, Gardner, Kieftenbeld, Maghoma, Davis, Boga, Gallagher.

Subs: Nsue, Jutkiewicz, Ndoye, Jota, Morrison, Adams, Trueman.

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham bring in Ollie Norwood and Saturday's two-goal hero Aboubakar Kamara for the visit of the Tractor Boys.

Ipswich make two changes from Saturday's defeat by Derby, as Tommy Smith and Cole Skuse come in for Adam Webster and Kevin Bru.

Fulham: Bettinelli, Fredericks, Odoi, Ream, Sessegnon, Norwood, Johansen, Cairney, Ojo, Kamara, Ayite.

Subs: Button, Kalas, Soares, McDonald, Piazon, Kebano, Fonte.

Ipswich: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers, Smith, Knudsen, Connolly, Skuse, Ward, Celina, Waghorn, Garner.

Subs: Crowe, Iorfa, McGoldrick, Hyam, Sears, Bru, Kenlock.

Image source, Getty Images

Ryan Bennett is Wolves' only change, replacing the suspended Danny Batth at the heart of defence, while Conor Coady takes the skipper's armband.

Brentford add new signing Emiliano Marcondes on the bench, while Kamohelo Mokotjo and Ollie Watkins replace Josh McEachran and Florian Jozefzoon.

Wolves: Ruddy, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Douglas, Neves, Saiss, Costa, Jota, Bonatini.

Subs: Norris, N'Diaye, Cavaleiro, Gibbs-White, Enobakhare, Vinagre, Hause.

Brentford: Bentley, Barbet, Mepham, Bjelland, Mokotjo, Woods, Yennaris, Watkins, Sawyers, Canos, Vibe.

Subs: Macleod, Josefzoon, Maupay, McEachran, Marcondes, Clarke, Daniel.

Welcome then to our EFL live text commentary for tonight, where many of us have been back at the grindstone after an extended period of eating and drinking.

Those of you lucky enough to have napped off another hangover today, well done.

Right, three games to keep abreast of. Let's get some team-news...

Image source, Getty Images

The Championship moves up a gear in this new year, with games coming thick and fast and tonight is no exception.

Leaders Wolves, nine points clear of Derby in second, have been the stand-out team in the division thus far, and their promotion bid is tested tonight against play-off hopefuls Brentford.

Fulham and Ipswich are also in the pack of teams on the fringes of the play-offs and they meet at Craven Cottage, while bottom side Birmingham travel to out-of-form Reading in a battle of two strugglers.

Three games, one place to follow it all. Right here.