It's been very feast or famine for sixth-placed Sunderland this season.

They've won all 12 games they've gone ahead in, the only team in the league not to have dropped a point having gone in front.

However, with 10 defeats, they've only lost one game fewer than fourth bottom Huddersfield.

After a minute's applause to remember all the fans and former Ipswich players and staff members who died in 2023 we're off and running at a jam-packed Portman Road.

What a day of Championship action we've had so far.

Fingers crossed this game will be more of the same!

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Ipswich Town give a debut in midfield to new loan signing Lewis Travis from Blackburn Rovers and influential full-back Leif Davis is back after injury.

Sunderland make just one change from the 3-0 defeat by Newcastle in the FA Cup last week, as Abdoullah Ba returns to the 11.

Ipswich XI: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis, Travis, Taylor, Burns, Chaplin (c), Broadhead, Jackson.

Subs: Walton, Tuanzebe, Ball, Humphreys, Harness, Hutchinson, Sarmiento, Aluko, Ladapo.

Sunderland XI: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, O’Nien (c), Alese, Neil, Ekwah, Pritchard, Bellingham, Clarke, Ba.

Subs: Bishop, Seelt, Triantis, Matete, Bennette, Aouchiche, Burstow, Rusyn, Hemir.

Image source, .

Image source, .

Image source, Rex Features

Aaaaand finally.

Ipswich's bid for back-to-back promotions has hit the buffers in recent weeks with five league games without a win.

Town have only lost one of those handful of matches though, albeit it was a 4-0 shellacking by Leeds, and boss Kieran McKenna certainly doesn't seem the panicking type.

Southampton's 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday earlier today means they start this match in third place, they'd been in the top two since the first weekend in September.

McKenna will hope his charges will have had a morale boost from their 3-1 win at League Two AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup last week.

Today's visitors Sunderland have taken seven points from their past three games to get their play-off push back on track.

Team news coming right up.

• Southampton move up to second in the Championship with an emphatic 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
• Leeds also perform well, beating Cardiff 3-0 away from home.
• West Brom keep pace at the top by beating Blackburn 4-1.
• Birmingham score in added time to rescue a point at home to Swansea in Tony Mowbray's first match in charge.
• Preston put an end to a poor run of form with victory over Bristol City.
• Stoke maintain their undefeated start under new boss Steven Schumacher with victory at bottom side Rotherham.
• Earlier, Coventry staged a late comeback to beat league leaders Leicester.

This is the lay of the land in the bottom 10 positions of the Championship table after today's fixtures.

Swansea's draw with Birmingham means they occupy 15th place, while Millwall dropped to 16th after their defeat at home to Middlesbrough.

Stoke's improved form continued after they edged out bottom side Rotherham while Blackburn's woeful run means they drop to 18th having been well beaten 4-1 at West Brom.

Plymouth slip a place to 19th after their draw at Huddersfield with QPR and Sheffield Wednesday remaining in the bottom three - with the Owls' goal difference suffering from a 4-0 thumping at promotion-chasing Southampton.

Image source, BBC Sport

Headed into Ipswich v Sunderland, this is how the top of the Championship looks following today's fixtures so far.

Southampton's 4-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday has lifted them into second position on goal difference - but will end the day back in third if Ipswich can take at least a point against the Black Cats.

Leicester's defeat by Coventry means the Sky Blues entered the top six but, again, Sunderland can move back into the play-off places with a draw at Ipswich this evening.

Elsewhere, Middlesbrough's win at Millwall means they finish the day in ninth while West Brom bolstered their position in fifth thanks to a 4-1 win against Blackburn.

Image source, BBC Sport

Three points are heading back to Middlesbrough, who have pulled off an impressive comeback after going behind to an early Joe Bryan volley.

Ultimately, Michael Carrick's side dealt with this challenge well, given that they can be forgiven for having a fraction of an eye on their EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

Boro will hope to avoid the traffic on the way home.

Another opportunity goes the way of Middlesbrough substitute Matt Crooks, who sees his shot blocked.

Michael Carrick's side have brought on key midfielder Hayden Hackney now and are looking solid as they try and hold on to an important away win.

Richard Wilford
BBC Radio WM commentator

Tony Mowbray has probably learned a lot today about the scale of the challenge at Birmingham and the fragility of the confidence of his side.

He will have a lot to consider in the next 24 hours.

A point is better than nothing.

Two managers taking charge of their sides in the league for the first time have to share the points.

It is no surprise to see Birmingham boss Tony Mowbray looking frustrated, but ultimately, his team came from behind twice to salvage a point.

Swansea did brilliantly to capitalise on their fewer number of chances relative to their opponents, but Luke Williams will know that victory was within his grasp.

Image source, Getty Images

West Brom's pursuit of a Championship play-off spot continues as they round out a comfortable win against out-of-form Blackburn.

Brandon Thomas-Asante's double, Tom Fellows' first senior league goal and Dominic Hyam's own goal gives them the three points.

Blackburn had threatened a comeback via Jake Garrett but Jon Dahl Tomasson's side looked short of answers as they slide down to 18th and lose for the fifth time in seven league games.

Jo Tessem
Ex-Southampton midfielder on BBC Radio Solent

It has all gone to plan.

Saints held their nerve at home, dominating Sheffield Wednesday, they are building nicely heading into 2024.

All over at the New York Stadium and Rotherham's unbeaten league run ends at three games and the Millers remain bottom of the Championship.

Stoke move up to 17th by virtue of Lewis Baker's stunning free-kick on the verge of half-time giving them all three points.

Other than that it's been a dismal affair.

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds commentator

'Three nil in your cup final', the Leeds fans sing.

And there are over 3,000 of them here so it's pretty loud.

That will do nicely, a battering of Cardiff in their own ground here, should have been a lot more with the penalty, crossbar and one-on-ones missed.

Daz Hale
BBC WM

They certainly know about Jordan James in Wales!

We have kept saying that Birmingham just needed one moment of quality.

Two goalkeepers would not have saved that.

We are still playing, too.

Image source, PA Media

Leeds end their three-match losing streak on the road with some ease.

They led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Patrick Bamford and Dan James and even a missed penalty from Crysencio Summerville in the second half couldn't spoil their day.

Georginio Rutter got a late third to give the scoreline the gloss it deserved.

Over to you Ipswich...

Clinical Southampton go up to second and stretch their unbeaten run to 19 league games.

One more will see them set a new club record.