Image source, Rex Features

Mick McCarthy's arrival at Bloomfield Road is yet to have the impact he or the club would have hoped.

Back-to-back home draws with fellow strugglers Huddersfield and Rotherham have done little to boost their survival bid and they start tonight bottom of the league.

Indeed, the Tangerines are winless in the league since 29 October and unless they can get that monkey off their book soon a return to League One beckons.

They visit a Swansea team who have won just one of their past five themselves and fell to a late 4-3 defeat by Birmingham City in their last home match.

Image source, Getty Images

Preston are aiming to avoid an unwanted piece of club history tonight.

The Lilywhites have lost their past five home Championship games - and have never suffered six consecutive league defeats at Deepdale.

North End still have hopes of a play-off challenge, beginning the evening seven points off the top six.

Visitors Luton make the trip north in fourth place, having won three of their past four in an unbeaten run.

Their lofty position is all the more remarkable given the Hatters have dropped a division-high 21 points from winning positions so far this season.

Since Rob Edwards’ first league game in charge at Kenilworth Road, only Burnley (12) have won more points away from home than Luton (10) before this round of fixtures.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City are in mid-table stasis at the moment, eight points off the play-offs and 10 above the relegation zone.

On a run of six unbeaten - their joint-best streak this season - the Robins could win a third league game in a row for the first time since November 2020.

Visitors Wigan are deep in the relegation mire but looked to have turned a corner since Shaun Maloney's appointment.

The Latics have a draw and a win since the former Scotland international replaced Kolo Toure, having tasted victory just once in 15 league outings before his appointment.

After Cardiff won at Birmingham last night, Wigan will be looking to close the three-point gap to 21st place.

Image source, Rex Features

• Runaway Championship leaders Burnley needed a last-minute equaliser from Michael Obafemi to avoid defeat by Watford.
• Sunderland thumped listless QPR 3-0 at Loftus Road to go fifth and Norwich beat Hull City 3-1 for a first home win since October.
• Sabri Lamouchi's struggling Cardiff picked up a vital 2-0 win at Birmingham City, while Reading claimed a late win over Rotherham to move up to 13th.
• In League One, leaders Plymouth and second-placed Sheffield Wednesday both recorded comfortable wins. Third-placed Bolton made it back-to-back 5-0 wins, as they hammered MK Dons.
• League Two leaders Leyton Orient beat bottom-of-the-table Rochdale 2-0. In-form Mansfield stunned third-placed Carlisle with four first-half goals to claim a 4-0 win at Brunton Park.

• Bristol City v Wigan Athletic
• Preston North End v Luton Town
• Stoke City v Huddersfield Town
• Swansea City v Blackpool
• Sheffield United v Middlesbrough (20:00 GMT)
• West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers (20:00 GMT)

Image source, Rex Features

Good evening and welcome to this evening's EFL live text.

After our Valentine's Day feast yesterday it's a more modest affair this evening, with just the six Championship games on the slate.

Our undoubted game of the day comes at Bramall Lane where second-placed Sheffield United host third-placed Middlesbrough.

Boro are 10 points behind the Blades, having played a game more, so any slim hopes they might have of catching the South Yorkshire side surely rest on them getting a win tonight.

It's not just matters at the top we're interested in tonight though, with the bottom three all in action away from home.

Let's get going.