The standout line in a story about Daniel Farke, the Norwich City manager, on the Pink ’Un website this week was found in the penultimate paragraph. “A Banham Zoo spokesman said she did not know Farke had visited and could not confirm whether the head coach had taken part in its heavy horse experience.”

Farke and horses have taken on a life of their own in Norfolk ever since Norwich fans picked up on the fact that the German once rode into the stadium at SV Lippstadt 08, the club where he started his managerial career, in the saddle. There is a Norwich chant about Farke being on a horse and the 42-year-old was recently asked in a press conference whether he would consider celebrating promotion by trotting into Carrow Road. Farke did not rule it out and, for the record, it is also true that he visited Banham Zoo this week.

If all of this sounds slightly bonkers, then so is the Championship. Norwich, who finished 14th last season, are top of the pile and close to sealing promotion, due in no small part to the 27 goals scored by Teemu Pukki, who was picked up on a free. Stoke, who were relegated from the Premier League last May and spent the best part of £50m in the summer in an attempt to return at the first attempt, are languishing in 16th spot, closer in points and places to the relegation zone than the play-offs. That, folks, is the Championship in a nutshell.

Norwich, who play Stoke on Easter Monday, need a maximum of six points from their final four fixtures to guarantee a top-two spot but could be promoted as early as Friday night. If they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Carrow Road and Sheffield United, who are third and seven points behind them, lose at home against Nottingham Forest earlier in the day, Norwich will be back in the Premier League after a three-year absence.

Farke’s team have stuttered of late, drawing with Reading and Wigan in their past two matches, yet it feels like a matter of when, and not if, promotion is won. They have enjoyed the view from the top since February, have already scored more goals than Wolverhampton Wanderers last season and there is much to admire about the way the club have mounted a promotion challenge on a budget. Stuart Webber, the club’s sporting director, deserves a mention in that respect.

With every Championship team playing twice over the next four days, the Easter programme has the potential to be a pivotal period for a number of clubs, not least those in Norwich’s slipstream. Assuming there is no Devon Loch‑style collapse at Carrow Road, the other automatic promotion spot will be a straight fight between Leeds and a Sheffield United side who have picked a bad time of the season to have a wobble.

Chris Wilder is still confident about winning automatic promotion with Sheffield United. Photograph: Barrington Coombs/PA

Chris Wilder’s team have won only one of their past four during a run in which they have lost against Bristol City at Bramall Lane and conceded a 95th-minute equaliser at home against Millwall last Saturday, handing the initiative to Leeds. “Even though I think a few of our supporters might have put the white flag up, I have not and these players have not,” Wilder said this week. “It is a huge weekend for us. The last time I looked, [the gap to Leeds] was only three points. The school I went to was quite a decent one so we are in with a shout.”

Whoever ends up in the play‑offs is likely to be joined by West Bromwich Albion, currently in fourth place, and two from Aston Villa, Bristol City, Middlesbrough and Derby County. Villa, in fifth, are going like a train and can equal a club record of nine successive league wins, which has stood for 119 years, at Bolton Wanderers on Friday. Their opponents, second from bottom, 10 points adrift of safety and in a state of turmoil, would be relegated in the process.

Whereas everything has clicked into place at Villa Park, helped by the return to fitness of Jack Grealish, the form of Middlesbrough and Derby has been far from convincing over the past couple of months. Their pursuit of a play-off spot is also taking place amid a backdrop of growing tension off the field, with Steve Gibson, the Middlesbrough chairman, reported to be unhappy with Derby and Villa for their approach to the Football League’s profitability and sustainability rules. Derby and Villa are confident they have complied with the rules.

In terms of what is left to come on the pitch, Villa have to play Leeds away and Norwich at home, although the latter game takes place on the final day, by which time Farke’s horse should be home and hosed. Bristol City and Derby have a game in hand on seventh‑placed Middlesbrough but also play one other at Ashton Gate on Saturday week.

As for life at the other end of the table, with Ipswich relegated and Bolton all but down, the likelihood is that one of Rotherham, Wigan, Millwall or Reading will slip into League One. Rotherham, who are two points adrift of safety and face West Brom and Middlesbrough in their last two fixtures, look the most vulnerable. Then again, it is dangerous to try to second-guess any results in a division that is wonderfully unpredictable.