This week brought the first round of midweek fixtures in the 2025/26 EFL Championship season, with several high-profile matchups occurring over two days. In case you missed any of the action, here are the major storylines from match day eight.
The biggest game of the season so far falls flat, as first and third play out a goalless draw
Stoke City travelled to league leaders Middlesbrough on Tuesday night for a highly anticipated match between two of the Championship’s best teams so far. Mark Robins’ side could take the gap between them and Middlesbrough to just one point with a win at the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough dominated the early goings, forcing three saves from Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson in the first 15 minutes. It was midfielder Hayden Hackney whose play in midfield stood out.
Meanwhile, the visitors managed very few forays into the Middlesbrough area, taking just three shots to the home side’s seven, with none on target.
The biggest moment of the half came right at the end, when Middlesbrough striker Tommy Conway drove down the right flank and into the penalty area. Conway got past Ben Pearson on the edge of the box but went down as Pearson appeared to flick a leg out.
The referee booked Conway for simulation, amidst a chorus of booes from the crowd. Upon replay, Pearson does appear to catch Conway.
Stoke brought on midfielder Tomas Rigo and winger Millon Manhoef at half-time in an attempt to give them more attacking threat. The change gave them more athleticism in central midfield, and added pace to their right wing, while also allowing Sorba Thomas to switch to his preferred left side.
After the changes, Stoke took control of the match, getting their first shot on target just one and a half minutes into the second half when Sorba Thomas cut in on his right and whipped in a shot.
Stoke City peppered the Middlesbrough goal for the rest of the half. After a first half in which they managed just 0.06 expected goals, the visitors took 15 shots with five on target with an xG of 1.55 in the second period.
However, they couldn’t break the deadlock, squandering several fantastic opportunities with tame or off-target efforts.
It was end-to-end, and Middlesbrough had plenty of opportunity to punish Stoke City on the counterattack, but they too couldn’t find the final pass or shot, managing just one shot on target in the second period. Though it was a well-struck effort from substitute Sontje Hansen, forcing a fingertip save in the 87th minute.
Mark Robins described the match as “basketball”, saying he was “really happy yet slightly disappointed” after the 0-0 draw.
Rob Edwards called it a game of two halves and chose not to speak on the penalty incident. His side retains a two-point gap on the rest of the table.
Demarai Gray salvages a point late with a brilliant volley
Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday have almost nothing in common off the pitch.
The home side returned to the EFL Championship from League One this summer after a massive injection of cash from billionaire owners Tom Wagner and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday is in the midst of an ownership crisis and once again failed to pay their players and staff in September.
On the pitch, Birmingham City sat firmly mid-table after an up-and-down start to the season, but were unbeaten in eight home fixtures.
Sheffield Wednesday entered the game in the relegation zone, though they had managed a win and a draw in their last two games.
It was all going to plan early for the home side, Jay Stansfield broke the deadlock for Birmingham City in just the ninth minute of play. Stansfield got a bit lucky with a ricochet off the defender, but he finished well for his third goal of the season.
The home side controlled 74% possession in the first half, but Sheffield Wednesday restricted them to just the one goal from two shots on target.
In the 38th minute, Wednesday midfielder Svante Ingelsson attempted a chipped pass over the top of the Birmingham defenders. Eiran Cashin mistimed his clearance, sending striker Jamal Lowe through on goal, who equalized against the run of play.
Birmingham City continued to dominate possession and create chances, with Stansfield coming closest again, forcing a save early in the second.
But it was Sheffield Wednesday who took the lead in the 77th minute. Midfielder Barry Bannan delivered a nice free kick to the back post, where substitute striker George Brown tapped home their second.
Sheffield Wednesday clung to their lead, hoping to sneak away with their second win of the season.
They made it all the way to the ninth minute of added time, when Birmingham City won a late throw-in, sending everyone, including the goalkeeper, into the box for a long throw routine.
Wednesday cleared two initial efforts, but the final clearance fell right in front of winger Demarai Gray, who swung his leg at it and connected perfectly, smashing a volley off the crossbar and in.
It was a devastating result for Sheffield Wednesday, who, against all odds, were seconds away from a massive win. But it was jubilation for the home fans who didn’t leave early to beat the traffic.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen heaped praise on his team for their performance, despite all the noise around the club. “It’s a difficult situation,” he said. “They do all that they can for each other, all that they can for the team, and all that they can for the fans.”
Coventry City smash Millwall at the Den
In the highlight of Wednesday night’s fixtures, Millwall hosted Coventry City at The Den. It was a rematch of the two sides’ EFL Cup second round match from just over a month ago, in which Millwall advanced with a 2-1 victory.
That match is the only loss inflicted on Frank Lampard’s Coventry so far this season. The Sky Blues had an opportunity to close the gap between them and Middlesbrough to just two points with a win.
Millwall’s early play was good, looking to stretch the Coventry City back line with balls in behind and into the half-spaces for runners from midfield.
But in the 30th minute, a long-ball from the Coventry goalkeeper found the head of Haji Wright, whose flicked-on header should’ve been cleared. Instead, Brandan Thomas-Asante dispossessed Tristan Crama and was through on goal.
Thomas-Asante looked to have gone too far wide, but managed to square the ball back across the goal for a Wright tap-in.
Once Coventry City took the lead, they put on a counter-attacking clinic.
Coventry City held just 30% possession in the second half and completed only 75 passes compared to Millwall’s 235. But Lampard’s side were ruthless in front of goal, scoring with all three of their shots on target.
Wright got his second in the 60th minute, heading in a lovely cross from right-back Milan van Ewijk. Wright now tops the Championship scoring charts with seven.
Ellis Simms replaced Wright in the 72nd minute and got Coventry’s third ten minutes later. A free kick whipped into the back post was headed back across the goal, and deflected off the crossbar to the striker, who couldn’t miss.
Millwall had a couple of fantastic opportunities to get one back late on, but the ball just wasn’t bouncing their way.
Coventry City capped off the performance with a fourth goal in the 87th minute. Kaine Kesler-Hayden broke down the right flank and played a one-two with Van Ewijk. The Dutch right-back squared it back to him in the penalty area, where the substitute’s first-time effort deflected off a defender and in.
“It was a complete performance,” said Lampard after the match. His side now has the chance to go top with a win at the weekend if results go their way.
EFL Championship MD8 results
( ) = League position
- (11) Birmingham City 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday (23)
- (2) Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Swansea City (11)
- (5) Bristol City 1-1 Ipswich Town (13)
- (18) Hull City 2-2 Preston North End (7)
- (6) Leicester City 1-1 Wrexham (15)
- (1) Middlesbrough 0-0 Stoke City (3)
- (24) Sheffield United 1-2 Southampton (14)
- (20) Derby County 1-1 Charlton Athletic (9)
- (12) Millwall 0-4 Coventry City (2)
- (19) Norwich City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion (4)
- (17) Portsmouth 2-2 Watford (16)
- (10) Queens Park Rangers 0-0 Oxford United (21)
