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Today felt like a big one in the story of the 2025-26 Championship season.

We have not had a draw in the opening 11 fixtures of this round of fixtures and it's done a good job of solidifying things at the top, in the play-off pack, the chasers and the basement battle.

Coventry left things typically late to open-up an eight point advantage in the race for the title but, make no mistake, there are four, maybe even five teams who are set for a ding-dong battle for automatic promotion too.

At the bottom things are going for bad to worse for Leicester and especially West Bromwich Albion, no manager, no win in 11 games, and just a slender cushion to the drop zone.

Thanks for your company across a manic six-and-a-half hours. We're back on Monday night for the increasingly big clash between Birmingham and Middlesbrough.

Do join us then, but for now, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

West Brom lost at fellow strugglers Oxford today and remain one point above the bottom three.

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So eight of the top nine in the Championship have won this weekend. The only ones who haven't are Middlesbrough.

That's because they don't play until Monday night when they go to Birmingham.

After six straight wins took them top, two draws and a loss from the next three means they are now eight behind Coventry with sides three to six starting to breathe down their necks.

Blues, who have only suffered one home defeat this season, would move within five points of the play-off spots if they can win so they have more than enough motivation of their own.

It should be a fascinating game and of course, we'll be with you to provide live text commentary on that one.

Swansea City

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Swansea City were well beaten at Ipswich Town with head coach Vitor Matos hailing the Tractor Boys as the best team he has faced since taking over in south Wales.

"Ipswich is a good team. They played much better than us. I think they are probably the hardest opponent we have faced in terms of quality.

"We tried to compete, we tried to start with fresh legs. That was quite important, to try to get the intensity we want. We weren't able to.

"They scored early. They got more comfortable and we needed to go chasing the result.

"First half was completely dominated by them. Second half we came with a different spirit, much more aggressive, more front-footed. The subs came on and tried to have an impact but they ended up 3-0. They were better than us."

Coventry City

The Sky Blues left it late to see-off Stoke but restored an eight-point advantage at the top of the Championship.

Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard told BBC CWR:

"Not every day is like this and you have to enjoy the moment when it comes. I enjoyed it today because I loved our performance – it was so, so good throughout the game that if we hadn’t got what we deserved it would have been a travesty.

"From minute one and how we played the first half, we should been two or three goals up.

"There was real quality in our play, good pressure from us off the ball and we gave them nothing, other than the goal.

"Apart from that, throughout the game they didn’t have another shot on target or any real threat.

"So when you have that feeling of ‘oh, it’s going to be one of those days’, but it flips because of the character of the boys - it makes it a special day."

Stoke City

Stoke City fell to a last-minute defeat at Championship leaders Coventry in a game where the Potters scored with their only shot on target.

Stoke City head coach Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

“We didn’t deserve anything because we were really poor. We didn’t get going in the first half, I thought we didn’t get close enough to them, we didn’t get any real contact on them and we gave them the freedom of the park to be fair.

“Tommy made some really good saves in the first half that kept us in it.

“We got a goal back and got back into the game. In the second half we were much better. And when it gets to stage that it did, you just have to see the game out.

“Tommy has to learn to come out and clear the whole lot out. If he does that, we draw the game potentially, but also you have to have the help, support and communication around you.”

Sheffield United

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Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder credits his players for picking themselves up following Wednesday's narrow home loss to leaders Coventry as they secure three points at QPR.

Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: “We didn't get what we deserved on Wednesday night. That was, you know, a top performance bar seven or eight minutes, it really was.

“I think you know, when we when reviewed it and watched it back about two or three times, you can see why everybody was frustrated. I was frustrated and the players were because we should have got more from that game.

“We talked about it afterwards and I said we have to learn from that.

“They were a bit flat on Thursday, I got into them and they were really good on Friday, as bright as a button.

“We obviously got off to a perfect start here in terms of getting two up at half-time and it was a very well controlled, clinical away performance. Overall, the attitude of the group was great.”

West Bromwich Albion

Albion remain a point ahead of the relegation zone and now just three clear of second-bottom Oxford United after defeat at the Kassam this afternoon.

West Bromwich Albion interim head coach James Morrison told BBC WM:

"It's not acceptable.

"I thought we started the game on top in the first 15 minutes, but we knew what game plan was going to come and we didn't deal with it.

"They've got to take responsibility for that - two balls in the box, two goals in the first 30 minutes - how are you supposed to have a chance of winning a game away from home?

"Then when we were around the box we weren't creative enough, weren't brave enough, so it's deeply disappointing."

Samantha Fletcher
BBC Final Score at the Kassam Stadium

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Unfortunately for West Brom, possession does not count for points as they leave Oxford winless in 11 and just one point above the relegation places.

Interim manager James Morrison was unbeaten in previous spells coming into Saturday’s game and perhaps had the hope of both baggies fans and the boardroom on his shoulders after the club sacked Eric Ramsay after just 44 days in charge.

They weren’t without chances and it felt like first-half substitute Oliver Bostock’s smasher from outside the area might have been the catalyst for more. Alex Mowat whipped in decent balls and never stopped trying to create.

However the visitors walked off to boos from their supporters, jarring with the home sides’ elation.

The question is what now?

Confidence must be at rock bottom, no permanent leadership and a relegation tussle to navigate between now and the end of the season.

Oxford United

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Oxford United ended a six-match winless run and a seven-match home goal drought with a win over Albion to move within three points of safety at the foot of the Championship.

Oxford United head coach Matt Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford:

"I think it's really important that we got that first home win.

"It's really important that we give our supporters something to cheer about, be proud of their team about and something that we can really get our teeth stuck into.

"Today did feel like a big day, it was only three points, but it felt like it was a big day for us and I'm so proud to be stood here as the winning manager.

"If you look at last season the survival was built on set piece goals and we need to do better at that - we need to do better at goals in general - but set pieces are a great threat for us, so really pleased that we got two from that today."

Sheffield United

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has just revealed goalkeeper Michael Cooper will miss the rest of the season after being ruled out for 12 weeks with a knee injury.

Big blow for the Blades, who still have slim play-off hopes.

Sheffield Wednesday

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After a third loss in six days at the end of a turbulent week in which Sheffield Wednesday were relegated and the preferred bidders in the club's takeover pulled out, manager Henrik Pedersen says his players' character in adversity stood out despite a 3-1 loss at home to Southampton.

He told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I think they put all on the pitch what they could today. We played a fantastic team in Southampton with strong individuals and a strong team.

"The boys played a really strong second half and at 2-1, we had possibilities, then again a set-piece goal for 3-1. But at 3-1, we still had a go, we still had chances and put pressure on them.

"I hate to lose but I’m so proud of the players.

"It’s easy to show who you are when everything is smooth, everything goes well and you win football games.

"But to show who you are, in a third game in six days when Norwich had one day extra, when Southampton had one day extra, to show so much character, so much personality, I can only be proud of them."

Portsmouth

Portsmouth slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Hull City at Fratton Park at lunchtime and failed to put further ground between themselves and the bottom-three.

Pompey head coach John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:

"I am very disappointed with the result. We controlled pretty much the entire game.

"Ultimately we came away with 21 shots, Hull had two, we completely shot ourselves in the foot with the goal. The manner of the goal was completely unacceptable.

"I thought we didn't have quite so much control in the second half, it makes it more frustrating in a way.

"Today was one where we really should have taken advantage."

A big day at both ends of the league.

How do you see the promotion and relegation picture looking come May?

Send us your thoughts using the yellow Get Involved button on the left side of this page.

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• Hull City have won 60 points from their 34 Championship matches this season (W18 D6 L10), with this the Tigers’ highest tally at this stage of a campaign in the top two tiers since 2015/16 (64 – won promotion from the Championship).
• 12 of Millwall’s 18 wins in the Championship this season have come accompanied by a clean sheet, while no side have recorded more shutouts than the Lions across the top four tiers this term (14, level with Barnet).
• Norwich City have won eight of their past 11 matches in the Championship (L3), with the Canaries picking up more points than any other side in the second tier this calendar year (24).
• Haji Wright has scored five goals in his past four league games for Coventry City, more than twice as many as in his previous 18 appearances in the Championship for the Sky Blues (2).
• Southampton’s Ryan Manning has scored six goals in the Championship this term – his highest ever tally across a single season in the top four tiers. Additionally, it’s just one strike fewer than in his previous five campaigns combined (7).

Norwich City

Norwich continued their move towards midtable with a 2-0 win at lowly Leicester.

Norwich head coach Philippe Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk:

“I’m pleased with the performance, the dominance for the whole game. If we could have scored in the first half we could have released ourselves a little bit faster, but we did in the second half.

“I’m proud of how the team took the game tactically, physically, technically and mentally. Everyone showed hunger and desire to get the three points, but in our way, with our football.

“You see a lot of joy on the pitch, when we score, when we do good things. Everybody is living the story, also the players who are not playing are all involved in the same way as when they are on the pitch.”

On Ben Slimane: “He was very, very close [to not playing]. He did a warm-up, had tests to make to see if he was ready to play in the game, and the amount of minutes. He said he felt OK and I believe my players.”

Leicester City

Leicester City fell to a third successive home defeat as they lost 2-0 at home to Norwich and remain in the bottom three.

Manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Leicester:

"It was very disappointing [after two draws] and the way we attacked in those two games. There were some real positives from those games. Maybe away from home there is less pressure on the players but I expected a little bit more energy about the performance.

"We were waiting for something to happen in the game, everyone looking around and waiting for a team-mate to do something instead of doing something themselves.

"The two goals sum up this season. It’s been too easy to score against us, and I have to do something about that. The first one we allowed them to come inside and create the chance quite easily and the second is a cross into the box that should get cleared."

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn missed the chance to put more distance between them and the relegation zone with defeat at Derby.

Blackburn manager Michael O’Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We played very well in the first half, I thought. We dealt with the long balls, picked up a lot of second balls and we played some really good football in the first half. We went in one-nil ahead and I think we were deserving of that.

"Second half, the squad isn’t strong, we don't have depth on our squad. And the team that finishes the game is not as strong as the team that starts the game. That’s with the injuries we have, the players that we have missing.

"We have players coming in who haven't played for a while and we have to manage them through the game, so that’s a challenge.

"But we need to develop durability, both individually and collectively. I think as a team, we need to be a little we need to be more durable and we weren't able to do that in the second half."

Derby County

Derby came back from a goal down to beat Blackburn 3-1 and move on to 51 points for the season.

Boss John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

“To get to this points tally with 11 games to go, I think it’s a great achievement from where we were.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this point, but the season's certainly not over. Now. We've got to really enjoy the next 11 games and see how far we can go.

“I think it shows great progression throughout the club, you know, on and off the field. Obviously, we spoke about how it was going to be, we felt it was going to be a slow start, which it was, but we knew where we'd want to get to and we knew with the right process, we’d get there.

"There’s been a lot injured players, a lot of players going out, a lot of players coming in, so to get up to speed was really important. You can see the progression in the season up to now and we’ve found a way to get results.”

We'll be bringing you reaction from this afternoon's 15:00 GMT games shortly.

But first, here's what the managers had to say after the early stuff.