Championship Round Up – 30/01/2026 – 31/01/2026

Bristol City 0-5 Derby County

It goes without saying that this is a devastating result for Gerhard Struber and his Bristol City side. They’ve been inconsistent all season, but rarely turned over in this fashion – particularly at home. This was, in fact, the largest home defeat for the Robins since January 2010. City have won just one game from their last five, and are losing sight of the top six as a result. Derby’s John Eustace has actually been on the end of a 5-0 hammering by Bristol City, during his fleeting spell as Rovers’ boss, a result which occurred in April 2024. For him, this may have been a somewhat cathartic moment, although in all likelihood he has probably tried to forget all about his time at Ewood Park after the way things ended. As far as his current team are concerned, the Rams have won four of their last six games and are right up there challenging for a playoff spot. When Eustace joined Derby on February 13th last year, they were just outside the relegation zone on goal difference. Rovers were 6th and sixteen points ahead of Derby. Fast forward to now – it’s an exact reversal. Derby on forty-five points, Rovers on twenty-nine points.

Goal 1 (13th minute, 0-1): The ball was curled low into the box from Derby’s Australian left-back Callum Elder out wide, and then passed into the net by the unmarked Rhian Brewster. The forward nets his third league goal in twenty appearances.

Goal 2 (16th minute, 0-2): Bristol City lost the ball trying to pass it out of the area - it then eventually found its way to Derby forward Ben Brereton Diaz inside the area, who squeezed the ball into the bottom corner through a sea of Bristol City players. Just a third of the season for the attacker, although he has provided three assists in his last four games.

Goal 3 (36th minute, 0-3): A swift Derby break up the pitch left midfielder Bobby Clark completely free to enter the Bristol City area and slide past the keeper. Yet another Derby player scoring his third of the campaign.

Goal 4 (66th minute, 0-4): A chipped ball into the Robin’s box found the head of American forward Patrick Agyemang, who leapt high above his marker to thump a powerful header into the back of the net. Agyemang now has three goals in his last four games, and nine overall for the season.

Goal 5 (88th minute, 0-5): Derby saved the final bit of humiliation for the game’s end, hitting their fifth long after the match had already ended as a contest. A low cross from the byline inside the area from former Rover Andrei Weimann found the sliding foot of Norwegian Lars-Jorgen Salvesen to wrap up a comprehensive win for the Rams. This was also Salvesen’s third goal – in twenty-three appearances – meaning that four of the five players scoring in this match notched their third of the campaign.

Bristol City drop to 9th place, four points from the top six. Derby were briefly in the playoffs after this result, but after Saturday’s games ultimately sit in 7th.

Leicester City 0-2 Charlton Athletic

Marti Cifuentes may have departed Leicester, but evidently the problems inherent within the club remain as they found themselves beaten, at home, by a Charlton side who have been in dire straits themselves as of late. It’s a fourth defeat in six games for a Leicester side who really do look bereft of confidence at the moment. Interim boss Andy King has some big problems to solve, at least until a new manager is appointed. Leicester weren’t helped by being down to ten for the majority of the match. It’s a massive win for a Charlton side who started the season brightly, but have faded badly in recent months and now find themselves nervously looking over their shoulders at the bottom three. They’ve won two and lost two of their last four games, and those two victories have helped give them some breathing space.

Red Card (15th minute, Leicester): Charlton forward Miles Leaburn attempted to run clear through on goal, which led to Foxes’ centre-back Caleb Okoli blatantly grabbing at his shirt and hauling him to the ground. Being the last man, the referee had no choice but to send Okoli off. At this stage in the match, it made the rest of the game a massive uphill struggle for the home side.

Goal 1 (36th minute, 0-1): A low, curling ball into the Leicester area rolled off the foot of Addicks’ attacking midfielder Sonny Carey, inadvertently flicking the ball over the head of the defender, at which point Carey was able to slam the ball home from inside the six yard box. A seventh of the season for the twenty-five-year-old.

Goal 2 (45th minute + 4):  A cross from out wide connected with the outstretched leg of the unmarked Lyndon Dykes inside the area, who directed the ball into the far corner. The experienced Scottish striker scores his first goal since arriving at Charlton in mid-January, and his third overall of the campaign. It’s his first goal since September 20th.

Leicester fall to 16th, incredibly now nine points from both the playoffs and the bottom three. Charlton move up to 18th, six points clear of the relegation zone.

Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Wrexham

Yet another defeat to add to the list for Wednesday in this miserable season. Their longest run without a win in the club’s history continues to stretch even further. They now haven’t scored a goal in eight games. They’ve picked up six points from the last sixty-six available. Basically, it couldn’t be much worse. Wrexham, on the other hand, are flying at the moment. They’ve really started to hit their stride recently, and a win here means they now have six wins from their last eight games.

Goal 1 (58th minute, 0-1): A ball from out wide into the Wednesday area was helped on by attacking midfielder Josh Windass and then slid into the net from close range by Wrexham forward Sam Smith for his fifth league goal of the season. Four of those have come in his last five games.

Wednesday continue to prop up the division. Wrexham remain in 6th place.

Stoke City 0-2 Southampton

Another result which makes it likely that, after a fantastic start to the campaign, Stoke will once again finish far away from the top six. They have now gone four games without a win, only picking up two points in that time. They actually remain the joint-best defence in the division, level with Ipswich, but just thirty-four goals means that they are far less deadly than every team above them and a fair amount below them as well. Southampton have now gone three games without defeat, winning two of those, which is a step in the right direction after a really poor spell of form. They have won, drawn and lost exactly ten games apiece after thirty games – which is why they are firmly in mid-table.

Goal 1 (10th minute, 0-1): An incredibly precise through ball from Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, inside his own half, completely cut open the Stoke defence. Right-sided midfielder Tom Fellows got in behind the opposition and squared the ball across for Irish attacking-midfielder Finn Azaz to convert a simple finish. After a run of six goals in seven games immediately following the appointment of Tonda Eckert, Azaz had gone ten games before finally scoring again in this match.

Goal 2 (52nd minute, 0-2): A corner into the area stopped at the feet of defensive midfielder Flynn Downes within the six yard box. The ball got stuck under his feet as he fell over, but despite this he still had the wherewithal to poke the ball into the net for the second of the game. Downes opens his account for the season after twenty-three appearances.

Stoke slip to 12th, their poor general form now meaning they are five points from the top six. Southampton edge up to 14th, seven points from a playoff spot.

Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Hull City

One win in fifteen games in all competitions. Four points from twenty-four available. Four goals scored in the last nine games (inclusive of one cup game). The stats make for incredibly grim reading for Valerien Ismael, who has simply run out of excuses at this point. As it turns out, the Rovers’ hierarchy somewhat surprisingly seemed to agree, as this would be Ismael’s last game in charge. Two days later, on transfer deadline day no less, Rovers parted ways with Ismael to end a dismal spell which leaves him as one of the club’s worst ever managers. With a record like this, it’s tough to argue it isn’t long overdue. With that said, his plight wasn’t helped by the demonstrably poor decisions made above him, particularly when it comes to transfer dealings, which have left Rovers bereft of quality and Championship experience. Hull’s incredible run of form continues unabated, with this victory now meaning they have picked up a ridiculous twenty-five points from the last thirty available. It’s four wins in a row for the Tigers, and quite honestly, there’s no reason for them not to have the automatic places as a target.

Goal 1 (81st minute, 0-1): Some intricate, fast passing from midfield allowed Hull to get the ball into the Rovers box. The home side’s defenders desperately tried to claim offside, but no dice, and left-winger Lewis Koumas hit a low shot past Rovers’ keeper Balazs Toth and into the net for his second goal in twenty-four appearances.

Rovers remain in 22nd, three points from safety. Hull tick up to 3rd, five points behind first and second spot and with a game in hand on both teams above them.

Ipswich Town 1-1 Preston

Not the result Ipswich needed after defeat last week away to Sheffield United. That result already meant that their game in hand advantage over Middlesbrough no longer guaranteed going above them, and a draw to Preston provides further distance between themselves and the automatic places. With that said, Ipswich will come away from this match happier than Preston, considering how it ended. North End threw away a chance to end a three game winless run, and whilst on paper this is a good result, it means they’ve still only picked up one point from the last twelve available.

Goal 1 (72nd minute, 0-1): A corner into the Ipswich area was steered towards the goal by Preston centre-back Lewis Gibson. The Ipswich defence tried to clear, but the ball ended up at back at the feet of Gibson, and this time he made no mistake. A first goal of the season for him.

Goal 2 (92nd minute, 1-1): As Ipswich winger Jack Clarke ran across the North End penalty area, Preston’s Spanish right-back Pol Valentin slid in and caught Clarke, bringing him down and giving away a penalty right at the death. The man who earned the penalty stepped up and hammered the ball past the keeper to save a point for his team. Clarke now has four goals in his last three appearances, and twelve goals overall. Four of these have been penalties, and Clarke has a 100% conversion rate so far this season.

Ipswich drop slightly to 4th, seven points from the automatics but with a game in hand on the top two. Preston are 8th, three points from the top six.

Middlesbrough 1-0 Norwich City

Full steam ahead at this point for Kim Hellberg and Middlesbrough, who have amazingly caught up with table toppers Coventry. They now have five straight wins, and just six defeats all season is joint-best alongside Coventry and Ipswich. Philippe Clement will no doubt expect his side to quickly move on from this result, as they realistically wouldn’t have expected much from the Riverside. A narrow defeat doesn’t damage their goal difference in any significant way, and four wins from their last six still gives a solid foundation to build from.

Goal 1 (1-0, 17th minute): Defensive midfielder Hayden Hackney picked up the ball just outside the area, spun around and fired a powerful effort into the far top corner. If there is only going to be one goal in a game, this is the kind of goal you want to see. Hackney’s fourth of the season is his first goal in fifteen games.

Middlesbrough remain in 2nd, but have now caught up with Coventry in top spot. They only remain in 2nd on goal difference – but it is a significant ten goal disadvantage. Norwich fall slightly to 19th, four points from the bottom three.

Millwall 1-1 Sheffield United

A slightly disappointing result here for Alex Neil and his men, but it still means they have lost just once in their last eight games – with that defeat coming against league leaders Coventry. Sheffield United have ten points from the last eighteen available, a solid return which sees them continue to move away from the drop zone. A Blades’ draw is actually quite a rarity, with this only being their third draw of the entire campaign.  

Goal 1 (17th minute, 0-1): Blades’ midfielder Andre Brooks made space for himself on the edge of the box and aimed a low shot into the near corner. He nets his third of the campaign, and his second in two games.

Goal 2 (19th minute, 1-1): United’s lead lasted just two minutes. A deep, inswinging free kick from out wide from Lions’ left-midfielder Alfie Doughty was headed down into the area by Millwall defender Caleb Taylor, and the bouncing ball was met by Serbian striker Mihailo Ivanovic who knocked the ball into the net. A seventh of the season for him, and a third in five games.

Millwall remain in 5th place, with a five point cushion from the teams outside the top six. Sheffield United are 17th, seven points clear of the danger zone.

Oxford United 0-2 Birmingham City

Matt Bloomfield suffered his first defeat as manager of Oxford, after four games, as his side went down at home to Birmingham. They will be especially disappointed by this as Big Club are one of the division’s poorer travellers, having only picked up four wins (including this one) from sixteen away fixtures. Oxford’s unbeaten run of three games comes to an end, but with only one win achieved during those games, they really need to pick themselves up immediately and get back on it if they are to survive this season. Birmingham have put a poor run of form behind them, with this being a third win in a run of five games unbeaten. Eleven points from a potential fifteen is an excellent return, but they will need to keep it up if ambitions of a top six position are to be realised.

Goal 1 (23rd minute, 0-1): A pacey ball, whipped in from a free kick on the far edge of the area from Birmingham’s South Korean midfielder Paik Seung-Ho, bounced off Oxford attacking-midfielder Myles Peart-Harris and into the net. I’m not sure how much Peart-Harris knew about it, but the end result is the same – an own goal.

Goal 2 (66th minute, 0-2): German striker Marvin Ducksch made the most of some good work on the edge of the area by his team-mates to run onto a backheeled ball from Spanish winger Carlos Vicente and hammer a shot into the far corner of the net from just inside the box. Ducksch scores his seventh of the season, and a fourth goal in five games.

Oxford continue to occupy 23rd spot, and are five points from safety. Birmingham sit in 13th, five points from the top six.

Portsmouth 3-0 West Brom

Delight for Portsmouth, utter despair for West Brom and their new manager Eric Ramsay. John Mousinho has seen his Pompey team really pull themselves together as of late, having now lost only one of their last nine matches. Eleven points from eighteen is a fantastic return for a team at the lower end of the division, and if they can keep this momentum going then they will be playing Championship football again next season. No guarantee of second-tier football in the next campaign for West Brom as things stand. They’ve now lost three of new manager Eric Ramsay’s first four matches, drawing the other, and have conceded twelve goals in those four games. WBA have lost eleven of their last twelve away games, and in general only have one point from the last eighteen available. They are, at this point, genuinely looking at potentially going down unless Ramsay finds a way to turn their form around quickly. 

Goal 1 (20th minute, 1-0): A ball passed across the area from Irish winger Millenic Alli found forward Conor Chaplin in space. Chaplin hit a powerful first-time drive into the back of the net for his first of the season after twenty-seven appearances.

Goal 2 (25th minute, 2-0): A through ball from just inside the Portsmouth half from midfielder Andre Dozzell set Millenic Alli away behind the defence. Bearing down on goal, Alli slipped the ball through the legs of the keeper to double the hosts’ lead and add a goal to his earlier assist – both firsts for the newly-acquired Luton loanee.

Goal 3 (49th minute, 3-0): West Brom failed to clear their lines, allowing Portsmouth to get the ball back into the Baggies’ penalty area. Pompey midfielder Ebou Adams’ shot initially appeared to have been saved by WBA keeper Max O’Leary, but the ball looped high into the air and then into the net as O’Leary looked on despondently. This was Adams’ second goal for his new side in four games, having joined from Derby in mid-January. He has three overall for the season.

Portsmouth climb up to 20th, and give themselves a four point buffer from the bottom three. West Brom’s collapse continues - they are now in 21st place and three points from the drop zone.

QPR 2-1 Coventry City

Julien Stephane’s QPR caused an upset at Loftus Road as they took all three points against a Coventry team who have allowed the advantage they built up during the first half of the season to completely vanish. When these two teams faced each other in August, Coventry ran out 7-1 winners, so this win will be even sweeter for a QPR side who have become much stronger since then. It’s a second win in six games for QPR – a great victory for them, but their erratic form means that it doesn’t do much for their league position at present. Frank Lampard’s Coventry had what appeared to be an unassailable lead at the top of the division only a couple of months ago, but now panic may be setting in as the clubs beneath them start to get within touching distance. Indeed, Middlesbrough are now level on points with the Sky Blues. It’s a third defeat in five games for Coventry – and they remain top only by virtue of those other two games being wins. Coventry have now failed to win in their last seven away games.

Goal 1 (53rd minute, 0-1): A sweeping ball into the box from out wide was headed in from close range by Sky Blues midfielder Josh Eccles. His fourth of the campaign.

Goal 2 (66th minute, 1-1): A low, fast ball into the area from QPR’s Danish midfielder Nicolas Madsen was met by forward Richard Kone who steered the ball into the net. A sixth of the season for him.

Goal 3 (73rd minute, 2-1): Another low, pacey ball into the area- this time from Hoops’ right-midfielder Harvey Vale - was pushed out by Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth, but unfortunately for him the ball ended up being set up perfectly for the onrunning Madsen. The assister of Rangers’ equaliser lashed the ball home to put the home side ahead, and ultimately give them all three points. Madsen scores his third of the season. 

QPR sit in 11th, four points from the playoff positions. Coventry remain top, but their lead at the head of the division has been slashed to nothing. At present they still have a five point gap between themselves and the teams outside the automatic positions, but Hull’s game in hand could reduce that gap to just two points if the Tigers were to win it. It’s not a collapse just yet, but it’s a big wobble.

Watford 0-2 Swansea City

In what would turn out to be Javi Gracia’s last game in charge of the Hornets (for now at least), Watford were beaten by Swansea City at Vicarage Road. Just a day later, Gracia tendered his resignation and departed from a club he only re-joined in October for a second spell. The Watford Observer pointed to numerous issues that led to Gracia’s departure, including an unhappiness with certain members of the squad, his family still residing in Spain and the club’s transfer strategy. Watford have been struggling lately, with this being their second loss in four winless games, returning just two points from a possible twelve. Still, they remain only four points from the playoff places, so it is certainly reasonable to assume Gracia’s departure is driven by more than just results. The Watford Observer stated there was no plan at boardroom level to remove Gracia from his position before he resigned. Watford now look for a third manager/head coach of the season. Vitor Matos continues to work his magic at Swansea – this is a third win in six games for the Welsh side, and relegation at this point is looking extremely unlikely. Swansea haven’t been great away from home this season, with their other three away victories coming against the three teams currently in the bottom three, so this was another step in the right direction for them.

Goal 1 (55th minute, 0-1): A corner into the Watford box was flicked on by the head of Slovenian striker Zan Vipotnik and finished off by midfielder Marko Stamenic, who slid in to net his second goal in twenty-three appearances – although the ball may have been going in regardless.

Goal 2 (80th minute, 0-2): Initial goalscorer Stamenic had a shot blocked inside the area, but still managed to bundle his way further into the box and hit the ball across goal. Right-back Josh Key managed to get in front of his man and tap the ball in from point-blank range to double the away team’s lead and score his first of the season.

Red Card (92nd minute, Watford): A bad afternoon for Watford was capped off in suitably miserable fashion as they were reduced to ten men in second half injury time. An innocuous coming together between Watford winger Nestory Irankunda and a Swansea player led to brief, minor handbags. Swans’ midfielder Josh Cullen, unimpressed with Irankunda’s reaction, decided to walk over and give the Australian a proper shove. Angered, Irankunda turned around and – with the referee literally right in front of him – proceeded to push Cullen to the ground. Cullen then held his face when he was on the floor because, well, apparently that’s just what players are taught to do these days. Irankunda would likely have been sent off either way, but yeah, he was given his marching orders and that was that. It is worth noting that Irankunda was reportedly one of the players Gracia did not trust, hence his lack of starts.

Watford drop down to 10th, four points from the playoffs. Swansea move up to 15th, now closer to the top six than the bottom three – eight points to ten respectively. What a job Vitor Matos has done there so far.

League Table c/o BBC Sport