Don't look now, but the EFL Championship is already well past the halfway point of the 2025-26 season and the race for Premier League promotion is quickly heating up.
MORE — Premier League table | Premier League fixtures
Frank Lampard's Coventry City want to end their 39-year major trophy drought (1987 FA Cup) to return to the top flight for the first time since they were relegated in 2001, but their pace has slowed in recent weeks. The Sky Blues endured years of financial turmoil and looked like they might never climb their way back up the ranks but Lampard had his men simply outscoring anyone and everyone this season, with USMNT striker Haji Wright more than doing his part early in the campaign.
On the flip side, Wrexham are eyeing an astounding fourth promotion in four seasons and are in the thick of both the automatic promotion and playoff races — sixth as of January 24. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's (nee: McElhenney) club was playing non-league football as recently as 2023, and the Reds are on the march once again with former Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore leading the way and threatening to take the Golden Boot this season.
It's Middlesbrough now laying claiming to the top spot ahead of a huge match with Coventry, and Boro are aiming to join Northeast rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland in the Premier League, while Southampton, who went down last season, have found their way back toward the playoff places where they'll look to climb above foes like Millwall, Preston North End, and Birmingham City.
While it's still too early to call the three sides that will be relegated from the Premier League this season, it's never too early to start tracking who will come up and replace them…
Current promotion standings (automatic + playoff places)
- Middlesbrough — 61 points, +19 GD — Automatic
- Coventry City — 59 points, +28 GD — Automatic
- Ipswich Town — 54 points, +22 GD — Playoffs
- Hull City — 54 points, +7 GD — Playoffs
- Millwall — 53 points, +3 GD — Playoffs
- Wrexham — 47 points, +5 GD — Playoffs
Teams in the playoff race
7. Preston North End — 47 points, +4 GD
8. Bristol City — 46 points, +5 GD
9. Derby County — 45 points, +6 GD
10. Birmingham City — 45 points, +4 GD
11. Watford — 44 points, +3 GD
12. Queens Park Rangers — 44 points, -1 GD
13. Stoke City — 43 points, +6 GD
14. Southampton — 43 points, +3 GD