Just four points separate Middlesbrough in fifth and Nottingham Forest in 11th as the race for the top six in the Championship remains tight and liable to change with each round of fixtures.
Bristol City have daunting task trying to beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane but Boro and Sheffield Wednesday, in particular, are preparing for testing fixtures, and the complexion of the table is likely to be very different at 7.30pm on Saturday.
Here's the latest from each camp Tony Pulis' Boro down to Martin O'Neill's Forest side.
Middlesbrough - 58 points
Play: Norwich (H)
Form guide: LLLWDW
Team news: Attacking midfielder Lewis Wing is doubtful with a groin injury.
Manager Tony Pulis: "I’m not surprised with their form. I know how tough the Championship is.
"They will have calmed the nerves and are still in a really good position. We have to be at our best level tomorrow. On paper, it’s the toughest game left."
Aston Villa - 57 points
Play: Blackburn (A)
Form guide: WWWWD
Team news: Defender Axel Tuanzebe (foot) and midfielder Henri Lansbury (hamstring) are available but Dean Smith is unlikely to make too many changes to his starting XI.
Manager Dean Smith: "I think we are still chasing. Three or four games ago you were looking at one position to grab.
"I think we have probably dragged Middlesbrough in now, so there are two positions to play for. We have to make sure we are in the group come the last game of the season."
Preston North End - 57 points
Play: Reading (A)
Form guide: WWWDW
Team news: Preston have no new injury concerns.
Manager Alex Neil, whose side play Sheffield United, Leeds and West Brom in a week, said: "Reading is a crucial game for us, after that we have got a week of destiny, a week of death.
“It is some week isn’t it? We play three really tough teams in one week. That will be hard but I’m sure in this 12-game unbeaten run we are on, there have been weeks when we’ve looked at it and thought, ‘This is tough’."
Derby County - 56 points
Play: Rotherham (H)
Form guide: DDWLL
Team news: Mason Mount is back in contention after a two-month injury lay-off and is expected to return to Derby's starting XI.
Manager Frank Lampard: "He has missed a lot of football and he is a hungry boy, so he wants to play and I hope we see that because I know how frustrated he has been in the last two months. I used to feel that as a player.
"(Jack) Grealish, of course, is the icing on the cake, as such (for Aston Villa), and Mason can be that - and we need him to be, as simple as that."
Sheffield Wednesday - 55 points
Play: Stoke City (A)
Form guide: WWDDW
Team news: Striker Steven Fletcher has a groin injury and is a doubt but Fernando Forestieri (hamstring) and Lucas Joao (knee) are available.
Manager Steve Bruce said: "We will just concentrate on ourselves, let’s enjoy the rollercoaster and enjoy the ride starting with Stoke.
"We’ve got eight games in the next six weeks, difficult games at that. It couldn’t have been a more difficult run-in, however we have got them all to play around us which puts it in our hands."
How Bristol City can break through Sheffield United's impenetrable defence
Nottingham Forest - 55 points
Play: Swansea City (H)
Form guide: DLWLW
Team news: Lewis Grabban could return to lead Forest's attack after recovering from an Achilles injury which has kept him out for the last five games.
Manager Martin O'Neill said: "The focus will absolutely be on us getting on the front foot – which is the old, usual phrase, but is still very important for us.
"We have to try to do this. It is going to be a lot of hard work for these eight games, but let us concentrate on Saturday and Swansea, first and foremost."
