Image source, Rex Features

An aggregate total of 103 points across 2023 tells you everything you need to know about how Ipswich Town have performed in the last 12 months.

But a run of three draws and a defeat in their last four games was actually their worst form in all that time.

Perhaps, a realisation of how well they had been doing, coupled with some tough fixtures has allowed the chasing pack to narrow the gap.

Today the Tractor Boys are at Stoke, unbeaten in five games and with new boss Steven Schumacher bedding in nicely.

Kieran McKenna's players have set such high standards though, that they will want to restore that winning feeling as quickly as possible.

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth's return to the Championship after 13 years away has been a thrilling one so far.

But the new year finds them only seven points above the bottom three and managerless, following Steven Schumacher deciding to join Stoke.

And with only five points collected on the road, Home Park has been crucial for them this season.

Only leaders Leicester have scored more on their own patch than the Pilgrims, with Plymouth scoring at least three in seven home games.

But with five of this morning's top six heading to Devon in 2024, three points against an inconsistent Watford could be a good buffer against any potential problems.

Image source, Rex Features

Liam Manning’s Bristol City side are eyeing a push for the play-offs despite their winning streak coming to an end with Friday’s scoreless draw at Birmingham.

City have gleaned 10 points from their last four games, including victories over top six rivals Sunderland and Hull and Watford, but they face a Millwall side who also enjoyed a fruitful Christmas.

The Lions are also unbeaten in their last four and stemmed their slide down the table by claiming back-to-back wins for the first time this season as they saw off QPR and Norwich at the Den.

Joe Edwards’ men have also tightened up at the back recently, with their back line breached just once in those four games – and that came from the penalty spot, in a 1-1 draw against Huddersfield.

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Six defeats in their past seven matches, including all four either side of Christmas has seen Blackburn plummet down the Championship table to 15th.

They might fancy their chances of halting the poor run of form this afternoon against the division's bottom side.

Rotherham have picked up four points from their past couple of games, with a draw against Sunderland and victory over Middlesbrough.

But the Millers have not won away from home in more than a year. That run has to end somewhere...

Sanny Rudravajhala
Reporting for 5 Live Sport

Nobody’s scored more in the top four divisions than Dave Challinor’s Stockport County this season.

53 means they average over two a game but the leaders drew a blank at Bradford, making it two draws in a row. Are the rigours of being ‘the hunted’ started to take a toll on County?

Well, Challinor trusts Kyle Wootton to get them firing again for 13 goal Tanto Olaofe. Wootton has six in the league this season and picked up four in the FA Cup against Worksop earlier in the campaign.

Such is the transient nature of tier four, it’s Mansfield’s turn to return to second place.

Nigel Clough’s Mansfield are five unbeaten, drawing 1-1 against Doncaster last time out.

He makes four changes with Davis Keillor-Dunn benched for one-time county loanee Rhys Oates.

That all means that there are 26 goals between two sub strikers, which gives you an idea of the quality here at Edgeley Park between the top two. And as has become the norm here at Stockport, it’s a sell-out.

Image source, Sanny Rudravajhala

What a way to start the new year as the top two sides meet.

Second-placed Mansfield are looking to complete a Football League double over Stockport for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

Amazingly the fixture computer has also conjured up third vs fourth on the same day.

Wrexham have only lost one of their last 13 Football League games against Barrow, although this is only the second of those games this century, a 1-1 draw in August 2023 the other.

Accrington Stanley’s 2-1 win over Salford City in the reverse fixture earlier this season was the first ever English Football League meeting between the sides, they meet at The Wham Stadium this afternoon as ninth plays 21st.

There is a mid-table clash in West Sussex. Crawley Town have won their last two home league games against Swindon Town since a 4-0 defeat in October 2019.

Crewe Alexandra love playing on New Year's Day - they have won 10 of their last 12 league games on 1 January and won 1-0 against Tranmere last year. They host 11th-placed Bradford today.

League Two's hotshot, Notts County's Macaulay Langstaff is the sixth top scorer in the whole of 2023's calendar year, even though he only joined the league in August.

The 26-year-old scored a brace inside 13 minutes, and completed his hat-trick just before half-time against Morecambe on Friday. He already has 18 in the league this season, how many can he score at Tranmere today?

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Goals remain a problem for QPR, who have found the net just once in their last five games and 20 times all season – the second lowest total in the division.

Unsurprisingly, none of those five fixtures brought struggling Rangers a victory, although that might have been different with a slice of luck in Friday’s 0-0 draw against high-flying Ipswich, when they hit the post and had two strong penalty appeals rejected.

However, the visit of Cardiff to Loftus Road presents a rare opportunity for the Hoops to record a double, having triumphed 2-1 in South Wales earlier in the season.

Erol Bulut’s Cardiff side have faded recently after a strong start, winning just one of their last five games – although that did come on the road, a 2-1 success at Sheffield Wednesday.

Image source, Rex Features

Leaders Portsmouth host fifth-placed Stevenage in what should be a cracker, but the visitors have lost all four of their EFL away games on New Year’s Day, failing to score a single goal.

Fourth v third sees Derby County looking to complete a league double over Peterborough United for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.

In a slightly more surprising potential long-awaited double down the other end of the division, Exeter are seeking to beat Reading twice in a season for the first time since the 1922-23 campaign.

Barnsley have not won their first league game of a calendar year since Ethan Pinnock headed in a Zeki Fryers corner for a 1-0 win at The Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day 2018. They face a fellow former Premier League side in Wigan Athletic in League One this afternoon.

There are plenty other of matches to keep you distracted from your 2023 hangovers, all 24 sides are in action this afternoon, and we will keep you up to date with happenings across the division from 15:00.

From still playing football in 2022, to Burnley loan manager under Vincent Kompany in 2023, to now Fleetwood Town manager in 2024, Charlie Adam's managerial debut sees the Cod Army visit Shrewsbury -the third time in five years these two have met on New Year's Day.

Image source, Rex Features

Two sides with play-off ambitions meet today at the Riverside Stadium.

Michael Carrick's Boro have enjoyed a memorable couple of weeks, reaching the semi-final of the EFL Cup and winning three of their four league matches to move within sight of the top six.

One blip was a 1-0 defeat at bottom side Rotherham on Boxing Day.

Last season's play-off finalists Coventry have also had a profitable Christmas period and have only lost one of their past 10 games.

Victory for the Sky Blues would lift them above Middlesbrough in the table.

Image source, Rex Features

Few clubs enjoyed contrasting halves of 2023 quite like Leicester City - the abject misery of Premier League relegation in the first half, before a dominant return to the Championship in the second half.

The Foxes have been revitalised under Enzo Maresca and with 62 points from 25 games, they have broken the back of what is usually needed to secure promotion.

Carry on at their current rate of 2.48 points per game and they would reach 114 - obliterating the previous record of 106 set by Reading in 2006.

Having spent time working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Maresca will have been schooled in the ways of a relentless winning machine, so don't expect the Italian to want his team to let up at all.

As for Huddersfield, an afternoon spent with men behind the ball and little possession could be good practise for their next assignment - a trip to the Etihad to face Guardiola's City in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Image source, Rex Features

It’s been a mixed bag in terms of results for Swansea since they sacked Michael Duff four weeks ago, with caretaker boss Alan Sheehan still in charge for the game against West Brom.

The Swans have recorded two wins, two draws and two defeats under Sheehan’s guidance – although one of the latter was a 5-0 Boxing Day humiliation at the hands of their former head coach Russell Martin’s Southampton side.

Fifth-placed West Brom, who head to South Wales with the second best defensive record in the division, are without Ecuadorian midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento, who has been recalled from loan by parent club Brighton.

The Baggies took maximum points from their two post-Christmas fixtures against Norwich and Leeds and are looking to chalk up a double against Swansea following their 3-2 win at The Hawthorns in August.

Midfielder Grady Diangana, who netted the winner against Leeds, clocks up his 150th appearance in a West Brom shirt.

Image source, Rex Features

The form team in the whole country heading into the New Year are Southampton with their 17-match unbeaten run.

The Saints are third and have narrowed the gap on Ipswich in second to just three points.

They drew 4-4 in August with Norwich in this reverse fixture in August as they got used to Russell Martin's particular way of playing.

But those defensive lapses of early season have vanished and Southampton have become a team to be feared.

Martin takes his side back to Carrow Road, a place he served with distinction for nearly a decade as a player.

The reception should be warm for the former Norwich skipper, but three points will be the only returning gift that will interest him.

Image source, Rex Features

They're at opposite ends of the table, but both sides come into this game needing a win after a miserable Christmas.

Following their 4-0 thumping of Ipswich on 23 December, Leeds lost back-to-back matches at Preston and West Brom and are now nine points behind the second-placed Tractor Boys.

Birmingham have a seven-point buffer to the drop zone but Wayne Rooney's side have only picked up two points from their past four matches.

Defeat at Elland Road is unlikely to define Blues' season. However, Rooney will know he has to start winning games.

One match down. 35 to go on this packed New Year's Day.

Time to take a closer look at what's coming up...

Gary Bennett
Ex-Sunderland defender on BBC Radio Newcastle

Michael Beale is slowly but surely getting to know the team and the players - who to play and how to play.

The first-half Sunderland were excellent, good tempo, and the second half was game over and done.

You can only beat what's in front of you, the most important thing was getting the three points at the start of the year.

Sunderland climb into the play-offs, albeit maybe temporarily, with this 2-0 win over fellow Championship challengers Preston North End.

Alex Pritchard's swerving belter and a fine breakaway goal for Nazariy Rusyn were the difference, both coming in the first-half.

The home side lacked the same energy after the break, but Preston - now with four defeats from five - were unable to step it up sufficiently to cause them problems.

Big way for Michael Beale to kick off the new year on Wearside, but his opposite number Ryan Lowe will go back to the drawing board again as they look to rediscover their early-season momentum.

This is a tough spell for Ryan Lowe, whose Preston side are still in the Championship play-off mix-up, but just haven't been able to lay a glove on Sunderland today.

He's got the personnel. Something needs to click.

Anthony Patterson has a nervy moment from a cross by Preston's Andrew Hughes, but despite his gather the flag goes up for offside.

Sunderland have been on the back foot for the last few minutes.

Abdoullah Ba is ponderous and Alan Browne robs him before coasting forward.

Preston try to pick up Brad Potts but he cannot reach the pass and Anthony Patterson collects for Sunderland.

Ben Whiteman halts a runaway Jack Clarke to help Preston recover a Sunderland break.

The corner is played short and it looks like Sunderland will try to play out the FOUR minutes of added time.