Will anyone take advantage of a low-quality Championship?

The Championship has a reputation for being notoriously chaotic but, even considering what has gone before it, this year’s iteration is taking the biscuit.

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley have emerged at the top of the division for the first time since the opening day, thanks in part to their win over Swansea. However, it’s Sheffield United and Norwich’s recent capitulations that led to them taking advantage. Those two sides initially looked to be pulling clear, but they have now been reeled in by the pursuers.

Just ten days ago, the Canaries were six points clear of Blackburn back in seventh, meaning their position in the play-off spots was reasonably assured. Now, even though Dean Smith’s side remain third, they are the same number of points (six) ahead of Cardiff in 18th position. 

The division has crunched to such an extent that we might as well reset the table and start again despite being 14 weeks in.

Among the disarray, the Clarets have risen to the top like the finest Lancashire cream after dismantling a Swansea side that, up to Saturday, had won four games on the bounce. Of all the sides currently in the top six, Burnley seem to be the only team in any sort of ascendency. They have only lost once and now, instead of drawing most of their games, they are actually winning them.

They were assisted by events at Bramall Lane, where Sheffield United failed to break down nine-man Blackpool until their 98th-minute equaliser. The Tangerines finished with eight players, two fewer than the Blades’ ten after a mass brawl at the final whistle. Honestly, it’s just chaos.

Oli McBurnie's goals have dried up with Sheffield United's form

The lack of discrepancy between all 24 teams is easily explained - the Championship is the weakest it has been in years. Don’t forget, Nottingham Forest were able to shoot up the division once they got themselves remotely organised last year (and now look at how bad they are in the Premier League). Huddersfield, who finished third, actually turned out to be awful once manager Carlos Corberán left them, and now sit second-bottom.

Also, in exchange for Fulham and Bournemouth - the division’s top two sides 12 months ago - the second tier received two clubs, in Watford and Norwich, who had just suffered historically dire campaigns.

Bear in mind that Burnley currently hold first place with just 25 points from 14 games. Meanwhile, Plymouth have 34 and Stevenage have 32 from the same number of matches in Leagues One and Two respectively. Premier League leaders Arsenal have 27 points from four fewer games. This strongly suggests that no team in the Championship is really any better than the rest.

But, while neutral Premier League fans are desperately praying that Arsenal can prevent another title procession for City, at least the Championship can and will offer excitement until the very end.

The current table is reminiscent of the 2014/15 Championship season, which remains the pinnacle of all promotion races past and present. Just seven points separated first-place Middlesbrough and eighth-place Wolves with just six games left to play, which led to a seriously thrilling end to the season. 

Bournemouth ultimately won the league with a relatively low 90 points that year (Burnley are currently on track for just 82), finishing just a point clear of Watford in second and 13 ahead of Derby - who missed the play-offs despite scoring 85 goals - in eighth. 

It looks like this season could go much the same way and I can’t wait to watch it unfold.