Championship Table: Intense Promotion Battle Unfolds in 2025-26 Season

The Championship Table Takes Centre Stage

The 2025–26 EFL Championship season has emerged as one of the most fiercely contested campaigns in recent memory, with the championship table revealing a captivating three-way battle for automatic promotion to the Premier League. As England’s second tier continues to deliver drama and unpredictability, football fans across the nation are keeping a close eye on the evolving standings.

Leaders Face Mounting Pressure

Coventry City looked like runaway leaders a few weeks ago, but a blip of two wins in eight games has opened the door to the chasing pack. Despite their recent struggles, the Sky Blues remain at the summit of the championship table, though their advantage has been significantly reduced. They are currently the league’s top scorers with 54 goals, an incredible average of over 2.3 goals per game.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, also suffered a dip over Christmas as they failed to score in four consecutive games, but then bounced back by putting four past Southampton in the second half of their most recent Championship fixture. Their resurgence has reignited their automatic promotion hopes.

Ipswich’s Surge Changes Everything

The real game-changer in the championship table has been Ipswich Town’s remarkable form. Ipswich Town are a menacing threat who are a point behind Boro with a game in hand after their trip to Portsmouth was postponed. They have beaten Coventry twice since the start of December and are the big reason the race for the Premier League has closed.

Since they beat them at home in December, there have been five wins from seven games. At a time when the top two stumbled, it was more than enough to lift them into contention.

Playoff Contenders Circle

That would do a disservice to the horde of unlikely challengers queuing up behind Ipswich. Preston and Millwall are just a point back while Watford, Hull, Stoke and Wrexham are also within swinging distance. The congested nature of the championship table means that playoff positions remain highly contested.

What’s at Stake

Each season, the two top-finishing teams in the Championship are automatically promoted to the Premier League. The teams that finish the season in third to sixth place enter a play-off tournament, with the winner also gaining promotion to the Premier League. The showpiece Championship Play-off Final is pencilled in for Saturday, May 23, 2026, when one club will finally earn that last coveted spot in the Premier League under the iconic Wembley arc.

Looking Ahead

With 33 weekend rounds, 9 midweek rounds, and 4 bank holiday rounds throughout the season, there are still plenty of matches for teams to make their move on the championship table. As the business end of the season approaches, every point becomes crucial in determining which clubs will achieve their Premier League dreams and which will face the lottery of the playoffs.