Oxford United 1–1 Charlton Athletic

🏟️ Kassam Stadium

Oxford were agonisingly close to a fourth straight win before Charlie Kelman converted a 93rd-minute penalty for Charlton — a cruel ending for the hosts, who had led through Cameron Brannagan’s 57th-minute spot-kick after Kayne Ramsay needlessly barged over Will Lankshear. Oxford slipped back into the bottom three by 5pm and remain a point from safety.

⚽ Goals: Brannagan (57′, pen) | Kelman (90+3′, pen)

Key Moment: Ciaron Brown’s late handball inside the box gifted Charlton the lifeline, mirroring the controversial incident that gave Oxford their own penalty earlier in the game.

What It Means: Oxford remain in a desperate relegation fight — this felt like two points lost as much as one gained. Charlton, for their part, remain safe but showed resilience despite losing striker Lyndon Dykes to illness before kick-off.

Middlesbrough 1–1 Bristol City

🏟️ Riverside Stadium

A damaging afternoon for Michael Hellberg’s promotion aspirations. Castledine’s first goal for the club, set up by the influential Hackney, looked like it would be enough — until Aaron Randell thundered in a header from Tomi Horvat’s wicked corner with barely a minute of added time remaining. Hackney’s early substitution after pulling up will be the real worry at the Riverside.

⚽ Goals: Castledine (65′) | Randell (90′)

Key Moment: Strelec’s failure to double the lead when clean through at 1-0 proved costly — it epitomised Boro’s inability to kill games at home this season.

What It Means: Middlesbrough have now taken just three points from home games against Oxford, Leicester, Charlton and Bristol City. Ipswich’s win means they could slip to 3rd if results elsewhere go against them. Boro travel to Blackburn next.

Norwich City 2–0 Preston North End

🏟️ Carrow Road

Philippe Clement’s revival at Carrow Road continues. Ali Ahmed — four goals in 11 games since his January arrival from Vancouver Whitecaps — opened the scoring, before skipper Kenny McLean curled a fine 25-yard free-kick home to double the lead. Preston, who spent much of the season in the play-off places, have now lost eight of their last 12 and slipped to 17th.

⚽ Goals: Ahmed (??’), McLean (??’)

Key Moment: Liam Gibbs striking the bar before half-time as Norwich threatened to make it a rout — Preston’s failure to threaten at the other end summed up their alarming slump.

What It Means: Norwich are now 12th but remain nine points adrift of the play-offs. Preston’s decline from promotion hopefuls to mid-table worry is one of the season’s more remarkable reversals.

Birmingham City 1–1 Sheffield United

🏟️ St Andrew’s

A point that will feel much better to Sheffield United than Birmingham. The Blades were reduced to ten men inside the first half-hour when Femi Seriki was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Ibrahim Osman, yet Patrick Bamford’s cool finish in first-half stoppage time earned a share of the spoils despite Birmingham having the better of the match throughout. Goalkeeper Adam Davies was the Blades’ hero, twice denying Demarai Gray.

⚽ Goals: Ducksch (25′) | Bamford (45+’)

Key Moment: A bizarre own penalty when defender Robinson picked up the ball believing it had gone out — Peck’s saved spot-kick was a huge let-off for United that arguably cost Birmingham a win they deserved.

What It Means: Chris Wilder was quick to defend his players after criticism suggesting poor attitude — and a point with ten men for 65 minutes backed him up. Birmingham will rue a string of missed chances and Davies’ inspired display.

Stoke City 3–1 Watford

🏟️ bet365 Stadium

Million Manhoef was the star of the show at the bet365 Stadium, netting twice to help Stoke end a four-game winless run. Manhoef opened with a composed 28th-minute finish after Milan Smit’s assist, then drove home a crucial 77th-minute second after a counter-attack. Nestory Irankunda’s fine solo effort briefly raised Watford’s hopes at 2-1, but Sam Gallagher’s clinical late finish confirmed the points.

⚽ Goals: Manhoef (28′, 77′), Gallagher (85′) | Irankunda (81′)

Key Moment: Irankunda’s stunning solo strike to make it 2-1 with nine minutes left — had Watford equalised from there, this would have been a very different afternoon.

What It Means: Stoke’s first win in four provides some breathing room in mid-table. Watford remain under pressure after a difficult week.

Sheffield Wednesday 0–2 Ipswich Town

🏟️ Hillsborough

Ipswich were made to work hard by a stubborn Wednesday side before Ivan Azon’s 78th-minute finish broke the deadlock, heading in from Ben Johnson’s cross after replacing George Hirst. Jack Clarke then sealed it from the penalty spot three minutes later — his 13th goal of the season — after Sean Fusire’s foul. The win extended Ipswich’s unbeaten run to six games.

⚽ Goals: Azon (78′), Clarke (81′, pen)

Key Moment: Azon’s introduction on 66 minutes changed the game — his first contribution was a one-on-one he should have scored, but he made amends swiftly with the opener.

What It Means: Ipswich move 3rd, two points behind Middlesbrough with a game in hand. Kieran McKenna’s side have momentum at exactly the right time. Wednesday showed improving signs under Henrik Pedersen but their first home point of 2026 continues to elude them.

Millwall 1–2 Blackburn Rovers

🏟️ The Den

A stunning comeback at The Den. Millwall looked set for a fifth straight win — and a move into the automatic promotion places — after Luke Cundle’s overhead kick put them ahead, but Zak Sturge’s red card for bringing down Yuki Ohashi changed everything. Mathias Jorgensen tapped in an equaliser in the 80th minute, then drilled home a winner five minutes later to send Blackburn into delirium.

⚽ Goals: Cundle (??’) | Jorgensen (80′, 85′)

Key Moment: Sturge’s dismissal — Millwall playing more than half an hour with ten men proved impossible to overcome as Blackburn’s quality told.

What It Means: Millwall slip to 4th, two points behind Middlesbrough. Blackburn climb to 19th — three points above the drop zone — making this a six-pointer in both directions. An extraordinary afternoon at The Den.

Leicester City 1–3 Queens Park Rangers

🏟️ King Power Stadium

A nightmare afternoon at the King Power. Jordan James’ magnificent individual goal had Leicester fans dreaming of back-to-back wins against a QPR side without a goal in four games — but the familiar defensive collapse arrived with a vengeance. Ben Nelson gifted Harvey Vale the equaliser, then turned Vale’s innocuous cross into his own net, and Ronnie Edwards headed home a corner to complete a 3-1 win for the visitors that left the Foxes in the bottom two.

⚽ Goals: Jordan James (14′) | Vale (??’), Nelson OG (50′), Edwards (??’)

Key Moment: Nelson leaving a routine backpass for goalkeeper Stolarczyk, only for Vale to nip in — the moment that unravelled a match Leicester should have been winning comfortably.

What It Means: Leicester are in deep trouble. Gary Rowett faces arguably the biggest task of his managerial career. QPR climb away from the drop zone with a crucial three points.

Coventry City 1–2 Southampton

🏟️ Coventry Building Society Arena

Southampton inflicted only the second home defeat of Coventry’s season in a result that will raise eyebrows across the Championship. Flynn Downes headed in a rebound off the post to put Saints ahead in the second half, before Kuryu Matsuki added a second from close range to make it 10 league games unbeaten for Tonda Eckert’s side. Victor Torp’s stoppage-time penalty gave it a tense finale but Coventry — and Haji Wright, who limped off with what appeared to be a groin injury — couldn’t find an equaliser.

⚽ Goals: Downes (??’), Matsuki (??’) | Torp (90+’, pen)

Key Moment: The outstanding Daniel Peretz’s brilliant save to deny Liam Kitching at 0-0 — had that gone in, the whole complexion of the game changes.

What It Means: Coventry’s lead is trimmed to seven points. Southampton move to within three points of the play-off places in seventh. Haji Wright’s fitness is the significant concern for Frank Lampard heading into the run-in.

Portsmouth 0–1 Derby County

🏟️ Fratton Park

Derby claimed a professional win at Fratton Park with Sam Szmodics’ early goal the difference between two sides with very different ambitions right now. The Rams were well worth it — Agyemang and Ward also hit the woodwork — with the defensive unit of Clarke, Murkin, Sanderson and Ward putting in dominant displays to preserve the clean sheet against a Portsmouth side that lacked a cutting edge throughout.

⚽ Goals: Szmodics (??’)

Key Moment: Agyemang and Ward both striking the woodwork underlined Derby’s dominance — Portsmouth were fortunate the scoreline was only 0-1.

What It Means: Derby continue their push for play-off contention. Portsmouth remain in survival mode and their lack of a multi-faceted attacking threat is a serious concern heading into the final stretch.

Wrexham 2–0 Swansea City (Friday 13th March)

🏟️ STōK Cae Ras | Attendance: 10,641

Wrexham opened Gameweek 38 with a statement win over their Welsh rivals, tightening their grip on a top-six place. Nathan Broadhead broke the deadlock midway through the first half with a composed finish after being set up by Callum Doyle and Lewis O’Brien, drilling past Lawrence Vigouroux from an acute angle. Swansea dominated possession and goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo produced a brilliant one-on-one save to deny Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik before Broadhead’s goal — that miss ultimately proved decisive. Doyle’s late header from George Thomason’s cross deflected in off Liam Cullen to seal it two minutes from time.

⚽ Goals: Broadhead (25′), Cullen OG (88′)

Key Moment: Okonkwo’s brilliant save to deny Vipotnik one-on-one at 0-0 — had the Championship’s top scorer converted, the evening could have been very different for Phil Parkinson’s side.

What It Means: Wrexham open up a six-point gap over seventh-placed Southampton and consolidate their top-six place. Swansea drop to 12th and are eight points off the play-offs with eight games left.

⭐ West Bromwich Albion 3–0 Hull City (Hull City)

🏟️ The Hawthorns

A chastening afternoon at The Hawthorns for Hull City, whose promotion push was halted by a combination of disciplinary misfortune and a Baggies side desperate for points. West Brom took the lead through Josh Maja’s composed finish from Jed Wallace’s cross, before Charlie Hughes’ red card for a last-man foul on Wallace left Hull fighting an uphill battle for most of the game. Aune Heggebo converted at the near post to double the lead after the break, and Isaac Price’s cool added-time slot completed a 3-0 win — West Brom’s first in 13 league games — that also lifted the hosts out of the relegation zone.

⚽ Goals: Maja (24′), Heggebo (67′), Price (90′)

Key Moment: Charlie Hughes’ red card for a last-man challenge on Jed Wallace changed the match entirely. Hull were still in the game at 1-0 at that point, but defending with ten men for the majority of the second half against a side fighting for their Championship lives proved impossible.

What It Means: Three dropped points against relegation-threatened opposition is a significant blow to Hull’s promotion ambitions. The manner of the defeat — going down to ten men and conceding twice after the break — will frustrate the Tigers. With eight games remaining, they need to respond quickly.

📖 Read our full match report here

⭐ Player of the Week: Mathias Jorgensen (Blackburn Rovers)

In the context of a gameweek where so much was at stake, it’s hard to look past Mathias Jorgensen’s match-winning cameo at The Den. With Millwall reduced to ten men but still leading, the Danish striker tapped in an equaliser in the 80th minute and then drilled home a clinical winner five minutes later to earn Blackburn their first win in five games. Two goals in five minutes to overturn a deficit against ten men, away from home, with relegation consequences on the line — that’s the kind of performance that wins Player of the Week.

🎯 Goal of the Week

Jordan James (Leicester City) vs Queens Park Rangers — A goal that deserved to win a match rather than start a capitulation. James picked the ball up near the halfway line, drove at the QPR defence and curled a superb effort past Joe Walsh after just 14 minutes — a goal of genuine quality from the 21-year-old. Sadly for Leicester, it only made the subsequent collapse all the more painful.

💪 Performance of the Week

QPR‘s 3-1 win against Leicester City — A QPR side that had failed to score in four consecutive games came to the King Power and put three past a Leicester team desperately in need of a result. Harvey Vale’s two contributions were decisive and Ronnie Edwards headed home the killer third. In the context of both clubs’ seasons, this was as significant a result as you’ll see in the Championship this weekend.

🔥 Under Pressure

Gary Rowett (Leicester City) — Sam Parkin probably spoke for most observers when he described keeping Leicester up as potentially the greatest challenge of Rowett’s managerial career. Three goals conceded in 15 minutes against a side without a goal in four games, at home, just days after a confidence-boosting win over Bristol City. The defensive frailties are endemic rather than circumstantial, and time is running out.

⚽ Championship Top Scorers

What This Gameweek Means for Hull City

Result: Lost 0–3 away at West Bromwich Albion — A damaging defeat, with Charlie Hughes’ red card the pivotal moment — but a performance that will still frustrate after going behind to a relegation-threatened side.

League Position: 5th (unchanged)

Points: 63 from 38 games

Form: W L L W L

The promotion picture remains complex. Coventry’s lead at the top was trimmed but remains comfortable at seven points, while Ipswich’s win at Sheffield Wednesday moved them to within two points of Middlesbrough in second with a game in hand. Millwall’s shock defeat means the play-off places are tightly bunched. For Hull, the weekend’s other results mean that they sit 5th on 63 points, five points adrift of the play-off places with Millwall in 4th on 68 points and eight games remaining.

🔮 Predictions Review

Correct Results: 4/11 (Portsmouth vs Derby not yet played)

Correct Scores: 1/11

Season Record: 40/92 (43%)

Best Call: Norwich City 2-0 Preston North End — exact scoreline correct

Worst Call: Leicester City vs QPR — predicting a home win over a side without a goal in four games seemed reasonable. The Foxes conceded three in 15 minutes.

📚 Five Things We Learned

1. Coventry can be beaten — just not often enough. Southampton’s win was fully deserved but it took an outstanding goalkeeper performance and a dogged team effort. The Sky Blues’ lead is seven points with eight games left. Barring a genuine collapse, the title is theirs.
2. The Championship red card curse is real. Hull and Millwall both lost after dismissals — two points in the promotion and play-off picture cost by individual mistakes in a division where every point counts. Discipline is as crucial as quality in April.
3. Ipswich are the form team in the division. Six games unbeaten, a game in hand on Middlesbrough, and a sense of purpose under McKenna that no other side in the top six currently matches. The automatic promotion race is far from settled.
4. Leicester’s problems are structural, not motivational. The talent is there — Jordan James’s goal proved that. But the same defensive fragilities keep recurring regardless of personnel or manager. Rowett has a monumental task on his hands.
5. West Brom’s survival bid is alive. Thirteen games without a win felt like a death sentence, but a professional 3-0 performance against promotion-chasing opposition — aided by a red card, yes, but well-taken goals throughout — signals that the Baggies have genuine fight left in them.

👀 Key Fixtures Next Week

• Blackburn Rovers vs Middlesbrough — Boro desperately need a bounce-back after dropping home points; Blackburn are flying after their Den heroics. A fascinating clash at both ends of the table.
• Bristol City vs West Brom — A genuine relegation six-pointer as the Robins host a suddenly revived West Brom side. Could define both clubs’ seasons.
• Coventry City vs Swansea City — The leaders will be looking to restore their winning habit after Southampton’s shock win, and with the Wright injury concern looming.
• Ipswich Town vs Millwall — Every Ipswich fixture is must-watch now. McKenna’s side need to keep winning to maintain pressure on Middlesbrough.
• Leicester City vs Watford — Rowett’s side simply cannot afford another performance like the QPR humiliation. This is season-defining territory.

Hull City’s Upcoming Fixtures