Sheffield It’s time to seize the opportunity as Birmingham City is likely to suffer.

We all check the Championship scores after every Birmingham City game to see how the standings have changed. Now, our focus is on the bottom, where the Blues are surrounded by eight teams that, astonishingly, are only two points apart.

Sheffield Wednesday, now ranked 23rd, may climb to 16th place if they overcome Leeds United this evening at Hillsborough. That is truly astounding on its own, but you have to wait to learn about how Danny Rohl has changed the course of the Owls’ season.

I have to admit that I was among many who wrote Wednesday off prior to their late-November St Andrew’s game versus the Blues. At the sixth attempt, Blues recorded their first win under Wayne Rooney, edging over them in a less than convincing manner.

Wednesday, who had just appointed Rohl at the time, had only triumphed once in their first eighteen Championship matches. They’ve triumphed in ten of their previous eighteen games, winning five of the previous six.

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Out of the 54 available points, the Owls have collected 31 of them. To put things in perspective, Hull City, who are sixth in the Championship right now, has taken 27 points in the same time frame.

And it’s not just Sheffield Wednesday that has opened up the relegation battle with a stunning run of results. After earning 29 points from their previous 19 games, Queens Park Rangers are also in position to make the playoffs.

Two weeks ago, after defeating Blackburn and Sunderland at home in consecutive games, Blues seemed to be heading toward safety. However, two straight losses to Southampton and Ipswich, together with victories by the bottom teams, forced Blues back into the relegation zone.

The fact that Blues have three games they can win before the international break—against Watford, Middlesbrough, and Millwall—is promising right now. Most clubs haven’t been able to win any of their games this season against Ipswich, Southampton, and the other two teams in the Championship’s overwhelming top four.

Just when things were looking up for the Blues, Wednesday’s schedule takes them into consecutive weeks against Leeds in third position and Ipswich in second. Stoke City, who are now in the final relegation spot, will play three games against clubs vying for sixth place: Preston, Norwich, and Hull.

While it is generally true that there are no easy games in the Championship, certain games are more challenging than others. Blues have survived three intense games with a single point; now they must capitalize on the inescapable mistakes made by their opponents in the next three.

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