Villa have the first chances of the game as Mile Jedinak sends a free-kick from range well over the bar.

Then Anwar El Ghazi heads narrowly wide from a corner which was whipped by Jack Grealish from the right hand side towards the back post.

That was a good chance for the winger, who had held off Mahlon Romeo.

We were discussing here in the office before kick-off how good Brett Pitman's goalscoring record is at this level - but he's not really backed us up here.

The former Bristol City and Bournemouth striker takes aim from 20 yards out but lashes a hopeful effort miles over the ball.

Not pretty.

Villa are passing the ball around well in the early stages, but Millwall, in their bright orange change strip, are standing firm in defence so far.

Jack Grealish is closed down on the edge of the box before Shane Ferguson touches Anwar El Ghazi's cross behind for a corner.

We are under way in the Championship's early kick-off.

Can Millwall end Aston Villa's nine-match winning streak?

Villa Park is in good voice and the hosts get us started.

Image source, .

The game at Roots Hall, by the way, is just kicking off.

There's one other early kick-off in League One, and it could have major consequences at the bottom.

Southend have slipped into the bottom four following a 15-match winless run which cost Chris Powell his job.

New boss Kevin Bond is bidding for his first win in his fourth match in charge, with ninth-placed Burton the visitors to Roots Hall today.

Win, and the Shrimpers will move out of the relegation zone before the 15:00 BST kick-offs.

Image source, Rex Features

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith makes two changes from the 2-0 win at Bolton on Good Friday.

Mile Jedinak starts in defence, while Jonathan Kodjia comes in to lead the line up front. Top scorer Tammy Abraham is out of the 18 altogether.

Aston Villa XI: Steer, Elmohamady, Mings, Jedinak, Taylor, Whelan, McGinn, Grealish, Adomah, El Ghazi, Kodjia.

Subs: Sarkic, Elphick, Hourihane, Green, Bjarnason, Lansbury, Davis.

Millwall boss Neil Harris makes one change from the 1-1 draw at home to Brentford, as Ben Marshall replaces the injured Ben Thompson.

Millwall XI: Martin, Romeo, Pearce, Cooper, Meredith, Wallace, Tunnicliffe, Leonard, Marshall, Ferguson, Gregory.

Subs: Amos, McLaughlin, Williams, O’Brien, Skalak, Elliott, Morison.

Oh my, Coventry should be 2-0 up. They must, must, must be 2-0 up.

Luke Thomas is released on the break and, as goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray comes rushing out, he manages to flick the ball past him to leave himself with open goal.

With a Portsmouth defender scampering back to cover on the line, Thomas settles himself for a moment before striking at a goal - but then hits it straight at the defender.

He has a bit of an angle to deal with, but it's a poor miss.

Millwall still have the pressing issue of securing their Championship survival.

The Lions start the day three points above the relegation zone.

Neil Harris' side have drawn their last three games in a four-match unbeaten run but the other sides around them are still picking up points.

The south-east London club do have a game in hand on the teams around them, but it is against play-off-chasing Bristol City, and Harris will be keen to pick up points wherever possible.

Coventry will close the gap to sixth-placed Doncaster to two points with victory, before Rovers host Accrington Stanley on Tuesday.

The Sky Blues have settled nicely since the goal.

Image source, Rex Features

Following a stuttering start to 2019 which saw them record just one win in nine Championship games, Aston Villa have picked up their form and been flying.

Dean Smith's side have won their past nine matches, matching a club record sequence set in 1910.

That stretch has lifted the Villans up to fifth in the table, and they could guarantee a play-off place today if they beat Millwall and Middlesbrough and Derby both fail to win.

Boyhood Villa fan Dean Smith looks to be bringing the good times back to the club, and the Claret and Blues could be a formidable force in the play-offs.

Image source, Rex Features

Although we're kicking off today's English Football League action in the third tier, there's a full programme in the Championship this afternoon too.

Here's how we're lining up, starting with Aston Villa's game against Millwall at 13:00 BST...

• Aston Villa v Millwall (13:00 BST)
• Blackburn v Bolton
• Derby v QPR
• Hull v Sheff Utd
• Ipswich v Swansea
• Nottm Forest v Middlesbrough
• Reading v West Brom
• Rotherham v Birmingham
• Sheff Wed v Bristol City
• Stoke v Norwich
• Wigan v Preston
• Brentford v Leeds (17:15 BST)

In terms of the actual match, Portsmouth have just won the first corner of the contest and the Coventry goalkeeper Lee Burge has made an absolute mess of it - but escapes unharmed.

Burge tried to punch the ball away from right under his own crossbar and Tom Davies had to get back and hook it off the line.

Here you go, I've found a picture taken before kick-off...

Image source, Rex Features

Rest assured, there are a few more fans inside the ground now.

Pompey could move into the top two with victory today and, as always, the home fans are in full voice. Even that annoying bell is ringing.

The pitch at Fratton Park is really something, by the way. They've gone for a very funky diamond affect with the turf - it almost looks 3D.

If I've not painted the picture particularly well, all you really need to know is that they've made a bit of an effort because they're on the telly.

Portsmouth, in their familiar blue shirts, white shorts and red socks, get Easter Monday's English Football League action up and running.

Right, the teams are out at a sunny Fratton Park. Kick off is just a few moments away...

Pompey boss Kenny Jackett names an unchanged team from the 2-1 win at Burton on Friday.

Portsmouth XI: MacGillivray, Thompson, Burcess, Clarke, Brown, Naylor, Close, Lowe, Pittman (capt), Evans, Hawkins.

Subs: Bass, Walkes, Haunstrup, Morris, Curtis, Vaughan, Solomon-Otabor.

Coventry manager Mark Robins one change from the 2-0 home win over Bradford three days ago as Brandon Mason comes back into the side, replacing Sam McCallum

Coventry XI: Burge, Sterling, Davies, Hyam, Mason, Kelly (capt), Shipley, Thomas, Enobakhare, Hiwula, Bakayoko.

Subs: Addai, Willis, Chaplin, Ponticelli, Westbrooke, McCallum, Wakefield.

The race for automatic promotion has been super competitive in recent weeks, with Barnsley, Sunderland and Portsmouth battling it out for one available spot as the Luton Town promotion bandwagon gathers speed.

Barnsley, on 85 points, are currently occupying second place but the Black Cats and Pompey are both two points behind - and both have a game in hand.

Sunderland and Pompey meet at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in what is likely to be a winner-takes-all clash, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

First up, Portsmouth have a chance to move second, momentarily at least, if they beat Coventry in the early kick-off at Fratton Park.

Kenny Jackett's men have won their past six league games, while Coventry arrive on the back of two victories and with faint hopes of taking the final play-off place.