Championship leaders Newcastle United will look to get back to winning ways this weekend when they host Aston Villa on Monday night.

Rafa Benitez’s men drew 2-2 at Norwich on Tuesday to miss the chance to go four points clear of Brighton at the top, who themselves were also held at home by Ipswich Town.

What it does do is give the chasing pack some hope going into the final quarter of the season, and with Huddersfield in FA Cup action, Yorkshire rivals Leeds United will have the chance to move within a point of David Wagner’s men should they beat Ipswich on Saturday.

Chris Hughton’s Brighton go to Barnsley on Saturday, who themselves are only six points adrift of the play-offs, while sixth place Sheffield Wednesday travel to struggling Nottingham Forest.

In League One, there’s a mammoth clash at the top as leaders Sheffield United host second place Scunthorpe United at Bramall Lane, with both sides hoping to strengthen their promotion chances with victory, while third place Bolton travel to fifth place Bradford City hoping to benefit from at least one of the top two slipping up.

In League Two, leaders Doncaster Rovers host fourth place Luton, with the latter having won their last two league matches, while there is a significant clash at the bottom as second-bottom Leyton Orient host Kevin Nolan’s Notts County, who themselves are a point and two places above the relegation zone.

So, it is all set up to be a fascinating weekend of EFL action, and here are THREE huge games that you must keep an eye on over the next few days…

Barnsley vs Brighton and Hove Albion

There’s a hugely significant Championship clash at Oakwell on Saturday as promotion-chasing Brighton visit play-off hopefuls Barnsley (3pm kick-off).

Chris Hughton’s men have won just one of their last four league games, and missed the chance to go top on Wednesday after only managing a 1-1 draw at home to Ipswich Town.

And it doesn’t get much easier for the Seagulls, as they travel to Yorkshire to face a Barnsley side who beat Aston Villa 3-1 in midweek, and have lost just one of their last six league matches.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side are just six points adrift of the play-off places after a solid run of form, although they’ll need to improve their home record over the coming months to gatecrash the top six, given that they have won only six of their 16 games at Oakwell this term.

Nonetheless, the Tykes are on a high after their midweek success at Villa Park, and they know that victory over Brighton on Saturday will keep them in the hunt for a top six place come May.

Sheffield United vs Scunthorpe United

Photo: Mark Leech

First meets second in League One on Saturday when Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United entertain Graham Alexander’s Scunthorpe United at Bramall Lane (3pm kick-off).

The Blades top the pile having won 19 of their 32 league games this term, including eight of their last 11, and go into this one off the back of successive wins over Peterborough United and AFC Wimbledon.

Prior to the Peterborough clash, Wilder’s men were only two points clear of the Iron having played two games more, but Scunthorpe have picked up just one point from their last three league matches, and that came in midweek with a 0-0 draw at home to Walsall.

Nonetheless, Alexander’s men have the second best away record in the division this season, picking up 26 points from their 15 matches, yet have only won one of their last five on the road, dating back to the middle of November.

As a result, the hosts have a five-point cushion over the Iron going into this one, and you sense that victory for Sheffield United would put them well on their way to promotion back to the Championship.

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa

Photo: Paul Roberts / Offside.

There’s a clash between two of last season’s relegated sides at St James’ Park on Monday night (8pm kick-off), although they have fared rather differently in the Championship this season.

Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle top the division having won 21 of their 31 league games, and go into this one on a six-game unbeaten streak in the league, winning four.

However, they missed the chance to extend their lead at the top on Tuesday after drawing 2-2 at Norwich, although they’ll fancy their chances against a free-falling Aston Villa side on Monday.

Steve Bruce’s men started 2017 in ninth and just five points off the top six, but six defeats in seven and just one point from 24 has seen their play-off hopes all but extinguished, and has actually brought the very genuine threat of relegation back into the equation.

Villa are just seven points clear of the bottom three and, to make matters worse, they have lost their last four Championship away games, and won just twice on the road all season.

Yet, if there’s a game to get things going again, it’s at the top side in the division, so expect a fascinating encounter between the two sides at St James’ Park on Monday.