Championship talking points: Sheffield Wednesday's nightmare scenario, Coventry march on as Wrexham win goalfest against Ipswich
The Sky Sports Football writers analyse the weekend's Championship action, as Coventry City extended their lead again at the top, Wrexham boosted their play-off credentials by beating Ipswich in a thriller.
Monday 23 February 2026 14:05, UK
Wednesday's nightmare season ends in appropriate fashion
Sheffield United 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday - Owls relegated after defeat at Bramall Lane
A nightmare season was decided in nightmare fashion for Sheffield Wednesday. It couldn't have been scripted any better or worse - depending on what side of the Steel City you reside on.
The worst campaign in English football history, just one win all season, points deductions and still uncertainty over the future of your club, and then you get relegated at the home of your rivals - the first team ever to have their fate sealed in February.
Credit to the Wednesday players, after conceding twice inside 20 minutes it could have been a rout. But amid all the defeats this season they have rarely truly folded. Kalvin Phillips' red card provided hope, while Charlie McNeill pulled one back.
There was hustle and bustle but they never really looked like getting another, let alone the two they needed to avoid the big R appearing next to their name on the Championship table.
Now onto the next fight for the club. Securing their future, and then somehow recovering from all this to rebuild and go again in League One next season.
Coventry march on - but struggling West Brom falter again
Ephron Mason-Clark's delicate lob and an absolute rocket from Jack Rudoni did the job for Coventry in a first half littered with boos from a disgruntled home crowd, given it took until the very final seconds for the first West Brom shot.
They had the bit between their teeth at the start of the second, but still managed just one shot on target and only 0.49 xG. Concerningly, Eric Ramsay is yet to oversee a win since replacing Ryan Mason on January 11 and, in the last four games, his side have not scored a single goal.
The only minor positive for the Baggies was that Ben Wilmot's late equaliser for Stoke kept Leicester in the relegation zone instead of them.
That meant Frank Lampard's Sky Blues backed up Monday's vital win over Middlesbrough with another victory that keeps them in pole position for the Championship title - and left West Brom with a growing sense that time is running out to turn their season around.
Dan Long
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Wrexham show fight as they march on in battle for play-offs
A huge win for Wrexham in all senses against Ipswich. Resolve shown after throwing away the lead twice, then coming from behind to win a chaotic game at the Racecourse Ground.
It also, however, put them into sixth in the table and leading the pack in what is turning into an almighty scrap for the final play-off spot.
Two points separate themselves and Birmingham in seventh, while Swansea, down in 14th, lurk just six points back. Anyone who puts a run together between now and the end of the season could put themselves into the frame.
It will be a dogfight, and the turnaround for the Wrexham in the last couple of months under Phil Parkinson has shown they are more than up for it. Since another dramatic 5-3 comeback win against Sheffield United on Boxing Day, they have won seven and lost just twice in 11.
They have now beaten Ipswich twice in a week after also knocking them out of the cup. It could well be a match-up we see at some point again in May, either in the play-off semi-finals or at Wembley.
Simeon Gholam
Birmingham's fast start proves decisive
When two of the in-form Championship sides meet, a game full of action usually follows, and Norwich City vs Birmingham City delivered exactly that at Carrow Road on Saturday.
The visitors started on the front foot, showing attacking intent from the off rather than sitting back away from home. Carlos Vicente had an early sight of goal before breaking the deadlock minutes later, finishing confidently after being played through by Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Birmingham doubled their lead inside the opening 14 minutes. August Priske slipped a first-time pass into Marvin Ducksch, who calmly slotted home for his ninth goal of the season. The Blues continued to threaten and created several more clear openings before the break and could have easily been three or four ahead.
Norwich responded after half time and began to turn up the pressure. Mohamed Touré struck the post early in the second half before Kenny McLean pulled one back with a powerful effort from the just inside the area that found the top corner.
Chris Davies' side were forced to dig in for the remainder, showing resilience to withstand a wave of Norwich attacks as the hosts pushed for an equaliser.
Their fast start ultimately proved decisive, with the early double enough to secure all three points and extend Birmingham's unbeaten run to eight league games. It also sealed their first win at Carrow Road since 2002, moving them to within two points of the play-off places at a crucial stage of the season.
Harriet Prior
Still gets home boost for Watford as Derby disappoint
My third trip to Vicarage Road this season and a third different manager in the home dug-out - could there be anything more typically Watford than that?
This one brought Ed Still his first victory as Watford head coach in his first home match in charge. It's not too often that a coach can enjoy the luxury of taking over at a club without significant issues to address but this is certainly the scenario for Still.
While working for the Pozzo family might appear to have its challenges based on those who have come and gone before, the players Still has inherited are talented and there were a decent number of glimpses of that in a controlled and largely stress free win over a Derby side who've travelled well this season. It was a shame the exciting Othmane Maamma was forced off with injury in the first half.
A goal in either half was enough - Luca Kjerrumgaard scored via a deflection with Watford's first meaningful attack of the game, and his replacement Mamadou Doumbia turned in Marc Bola's low cross to seal the points late on.
Derby occupied the final play-off place going into this game but this was a performance that suggested they'll struggle to stay there - John Eustace's side laboured and created very little in open play, but there is no doubt this is a huge improvement on last season's scramble for survival.
Rob Jones
Charlton battle for point as Southampton rue missed chances
It was a dominant performance from Southampton in the first half, with Charlton kept in the game with saves from Thomas Kaminski.
Charlton were fighting for their lives and were fortunate to go into the second half at 0-0.
Southampton then got their goal early in the second half, but their intensity dropped and Charlton grew back into the game. Miles Leaburn helping as a target man up top after coming off the bench.
And then, Charlton got the equaliser. It was deserved as Sonny Carey struck his eighth of the season, finishing off an impressive team move.
You feel a draw was a more positive result for Charlton in the end, bouncing back from defeat at home to Portsmouth in midweek.
The Saints, meanwhile, will be left to rue missed chances in the first half, when they could have killed the game.
Sam Obaseki
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Rowett defiant that Leicester players want to dig themselves out of trouble
It was a point in the end for Leicester City at Stoke, having dug their way from behind to lead, only to concede late on in a 2-2 draw.
But still, the Foxes remain in the bottom three, denied that win that would have lifted them above the dotted line. A solid enough one for Gary Rowett on his debut in the dugout.
There also seemed to be a lot more fight in the side, something they've been accused of lacking on more than one occasion this season.
"You saw the players' reaction at the end - they're devastated because they just want to win games of football," Rowett said.
"I think the one thing I've found coming into the club is that it's very easy to judge and label the players, but sometimes you have to just see what they're about.
"And at the moment, they've been really receptive to the ideas. They want to get out of the position they are in. They all recognise that it's not acceptable to be in a position we're in with the quality that we've got.
"But it's about doing it on the pitch and it's about showing it. We can talk about it till we're blue in the face, but it's about showing it. And I thought in the second half they did."
Simeon Gholam
Belief already looks like it's rebuilding under O'Neill at Blackburn
A week in charge and two wins from two for Michael O'Neill at Blackburn Rovers.
Although he may not have been officially in charge of the win at QPR last weekend, his impact has already been felt at Ewood Park.
A side that looked to be careering towards the drop suddenly has breathing space above the bottom three. Friday night's win over Preston, snatched at the last, was their first at home not against Sheffield Wednesday since the turn of the year.
Before seeing off their local rivals and Wednesday in their previous home game, they had won just two at home all season in 15 attempts.
"The important thing was if you can win a game in that way, it gives real belief to your team," said O'Neill. "They've probably not had that many, come out of tight games like that on the wrong end of the scoreline so that all helps in building confidence and belief in the group."
Simeon Gholam
All Championship weekend results
Friday
Saturday
- Hull 1-3 QPR
- Stoke 2-2 Leicester
- Swansea 1-0 Bristol City
- West Brom 0-2 Coventry
- Middlesbrough 0-0 Oxford
- Millwall 1-3 Portsmouth
- Norwich 1-2 Birmingham
- Southampton 1-1 Charlton
- Watford 2-0 Derby
- Wrexham 5-3 Ipswich
Sunday
