League leaders Coventry were beaten 3-2 by local rivals Birmingham on Saturday in a result that left the Sky Blues with just two wins in their last eight games, allowing Middlesbrough to close the gap once more after they thrashed Southampton 4-0.
Elsewhere, West Brom sacked manager Ryan Mason after suffering a 2-1 defeat against Leicester and Wrexham won their fourth game on the bounce after beating Derby 2-1.
Here, Flashscore takes a look at all the big talking points from the latest Championship action.
Coventry's form takes a hit
Coventry were runaway leaders in the Championship for some time but have seen the gap between themselves in first and Middlesbrough in second cut down to just six points after a poor run of form.
Frank Lampard's side have won just once in their last eight games and the latest dip came in the form of a 3-2 loss away to Birmingham.
Josh Eccles and Ellis Simms got on the scoresheet, but Coventry were undone by a Marvin Ducksch brace, with the German netting either side of Lewis Koumas' goal.
A straight red card for Bobby Thomas in the 95th minute capped off a poor day for Lampard's men - the defender was dismissed after hitting out at an opposition player off the ball.
A big reason for Coventry's dip in form has been the lack of a consistent goalscorer, with Brandon Thomas-Asante injured since the end of November and Haji Wright goalless since the start of October.
Goals from across the squad have helped to keep things running smoothly but those have started to dry up over the festive period.
The man who looks destined to get them back on track is Simms, who has nine for the campaign despite often having to settle for a role off the bench.
He now has two goals in his last two starts and could be the man to propel the club back in the right direction - there's plenty of time for the Sky Blues to rediscover their scintillating form of a couple of months ago.
West Brom sack Mason
Despite a promising start to life under Ryan Mason, West Brom have regressed dramatically over the last couple of months in a slump that has seen the Baggies drop to 18th in the table.
West Brom are currently on a run of six losses in their last eight games - a set of results that has ultimately led to the sacking of Mason.
A common theme under the Englishman of late was the team having plenty of the ball and lots of shots, but never quite enough to pick up victories.
That was tippified in their latest defeat against Leicester, with the Baggies having 16 shots and four big chances only to lose the match 2-1.
The manner of the defeat will especially sting after conceding to a 94th-minute strike from Abdul Fatawu, which proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Mason's tenure at the club.
Any hopes of a play-off finish seem to be doubtful now, but the threat of relegation shouldn't linger too long if the right man is brought in.
West Brom have a solid squad for the second tier and the aim now will be to get back on track and attempt to build some momentum heading into the final months of the season.
Wrexham mount play-off charge
Wrexham have now won four games on the bounce after beating Derby 2-1 to move within one point of the play-off places.
Sam Smith and veteran midfielder Matthew James were the goalscorers in their latest win and the Welsh club are starting to put a run together at a good time in the campaign.
Their momentum will play into several important factors that make the club an attractive proposition for players in the winter window and a few key additions could see Wrexham cement themselves as serious play-off contenders.
Manager Phil Parkinson has done an incredible job during his tenure and, although some will scoff at the money spent, his side's rise up the leagues has been very impressive.
Summer additions like Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass have been key to Wrexham's strong season thus far, while the likes of James, Ben Sheaf, Lewis O'Brien, Callum Doyle and Nathan Broadhead are just some of several top Championship players in their squad.
Parkinson's men have a long way to go yet, but could certainly be considered dark horses for a play-off finish if they continue their strong form.
James nets Wrexham stunner
We've mentioned James and Wrexham already, but the midfielder netted a fantastic goal in their 2-1 win against Derby.
The Englishman picked up the ball outside the area and curled a superb effort into the top corner - winning our Goal of the Week in the process.
Whittaker excels in Boro thrashing
Middlesbrough closed the gap on Coventry following their 4-0 win over Southampton, with Morgan Whittaker playing a starring role in the victory.
The forward netted twice in the win and registered an impressive 11 touches in the opposition box, while also winning six duels to earn an 8.6 Flashscore player rating - the joint-highest of anyone in the division from the latest fixtures.
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