As we enter the congested festive schedule, the race for promotion is heating up with just six points separating leaders Norwich City from Stoke City, who are placed ninth on the table.
There have been a number of summer signings, who have made the difference on the field for their respective teams and we look into four players who have made a significant impact.
Ivan Toney – Brentford: Brentford lost the services of Ollie Watkins to Aston Villa in the summer and there were questions how they would cope without the striker, who was their top-scorer last term with 26 goals. However, they have managed to fill the void with relative ease with Toney.
The 24-year-old arrived from League One side Peterborough United after a couple of 20-goal seasons and he has had no difficulty adapting to the upgrade to Championship football. He is the joint top scorer in the league with 12 goals and Brentford seem on course for another promotion push.
Steven Fletcher – Stoke City: The experienced Scotland international joined the Potters shortly after running down his contract with Sheffield Wednesday at the end of June. The 33-year-old has never been a 20-goal striker in his career, but he has consistently hit double figures.
He has netted four times from 13 matches this term, but besides this, he has provided a solid base upfront with his hold-up play and has linked up splendidly with Tyrese Campbell, who is on course for his best-ever season with six goals and five assists already in the Championship.
Ben Gibson – Norwich City: The 27-year-old centre-back joined the Canaries on loan from Burnley, where he was able to make just one league appearance for the previous two seasons. Gibson started the campaign on the bench, but he was able to pounce on his chance after Ben Godfrey’s switch to Everton.
Over the past few months, he has formed an impressive partnership with Grant Hanley in the central defence and has caught the eye with with an average of five clearances per game. Once regarded as a huge England prospect, Gibson’s career went on a decline with the Clarets, but he appears to be finding his feet with the Canaries.
Oliver Skipp – Norwich City: Another loan signing at Norwich, who have caught the eye with his consistent showing. The 20-year-old joined the Canaries from Tottenham Hotspur with a good reputation and he has been ever-present for the club in the holding midfield role.
Skipp has averaged two tackles and one interception per game and he has also impressed with his ability to get out of tight situations. He has been one of the Canaries’ most effective passers with a 87.7 percent success rate and has made rampaging runs to spark a counter-attack.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
