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Championship Gameweek 40 Review: Millwall Surge, Mr Roy Returns — and the Race Heats Up

underthegreysky1971 by underthegreysky1971
05/04/2026
in Championship, Reviews
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Championship Gameweek 40 Review: Millwall Surge, Mr Roy Returns — and the Race Heats Up

📅 Gameweek 40 Summary:
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Dates: Saturday 3rd April 2026
Matches Played: 11
Total Goals: 35 (Avg: 3.18 per game)
Hull City Result: Drew 1–1 vs Oxford United

Easter weekend brought a full programme of Championship football and it delivered — 35 goals across 11 games, a managerial legend winning on his debut at 78, Josh Coburn twisting the knife on his former club, and Coventry continuing their relentless march towards the title. Hull City picked up a point at Oxford to stay fifth, but with Wrexham level on points the play-off picture is tighter than ever with six games to go.

Jump to:  Results  ·  Talking Points  ·  Match Summaries  ·  Awards  ·  Hull City Focus  ·  Conclusion

Gameweek 40 Results Overview

All Results — Goals vs xG Analysis

Championship - Matchday 40 Review

Season 2025-26 | Post-Match Analysis

39Goals
3.3Per Game
3Home Wins
6Draws
3Away Wins
Middlesbrough
1-2
Millwall
Expected Goals (xG)
3.04
0.79
Middlesbrough underperformed (-2.0)Millwall overperformed (+1.2)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Leicester
2-2
Preston
Expected Goals (xG)
2.01
0.41
Preston overperformed (+1.6)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Birmingham
0-1
Blackburn
Expected Goals (xG)
1.06
1.52
Birmingham underperformed (-1.1)Blackburn underperformed (-0.5)
Friday, 3 April 2026
West Brom
2-2
Wrexham
Expected Goals (xG)
1.61
1.73
Result aligned with xG
Friday, 3 April 2026
Sheffield Utd
3-3
Swansea
Expected Goals (xG)
1.04
1.96
Sheffield Utd overperformed (+2.0)Swansea overperformed (+1.0)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Norwich
1-1
Portsmouth
Expected Goals (xG)
0.44
0.50
Norwich overperformed (+0.6)
Friday, 3 April 2026
QPR
2-1
Watford
Expected Goals (xG)
2.40
0.34
Watford overperformed (+0.7)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Stoke City
2-0
Sheffield Wednesday
Expected Goals (xG)
2.54
1.39
Stoke City underperformed (-0.5)Sheffield Wednesday underperformed (-1.4)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Charlton
1-2
Bristol City
Expected Goals (xG)
1.56
2.59
Charlton underperformed (-0.6)Bristol City underperformed (-0.6)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Oxford United
1-1
Hull City
Expected Goals (xG)
3.44
0.82
Oxford United underperformed (-2.4)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Coventry
3-2
Derby
Expected Goals (xG)
1.57
2.18
Coventry overperformed (+1.4)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Southampton
2-2
Ipswich
Expected Goals (xG)
1.01
1.77
Southampton overperformed (+1.0)
Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Goals vs Expected Goals




Results at a Glance

⚽ All Results

Middlesbrough 1–2 Millwall
Sheffield Utd 3–3 Swansea
Stoke City 2–0 Sheffield Wednesday
West Brom 2–2 Wrexham
QPR 2–1 Watford
Birmingham 0–1 Blackburn
Norwich 1–1 Portsmouth
Leicester 2–2 Preston
Oxford United 1–1 Hull City
Charlton 1–2 Bristol City
Coventry 3–2 Derby

← scroll →

Updated Championship Table

🏆 Championship Table

Championship Table

PosTeamPWDLGFGAGDPts
1Coventry46281179745+5295
2Ipswich46231588047+3384
3Millwall462411116449+1583
4Southampton462214108256+2680
5Middlesbrough462214107247+2580
6Hull City462110157066+473
7Wrexham461914136965+471
8Derby46209176759+869
9Norwich46198196356+765
10Birmingham461713165756+164
11Swansea461810185759-264
12Bristol City461711185959062
13Sheffield Utd46186226666060
14Preston461515165562-760
15QPR461610206173-1258
16Watford461415175365-1257
17Stoke City461510215156-555
18Portsmouth461413194964-1555
19Charlton461314194458-1453
20Blackburn461313204256-1452
21West Brom461314194858-1051
22Oxford United461114214559-1447
23Leicester461216185868-1046
24Sheffield Wednesday46212322989-600

← scroll →

Key Talking Points

📰 The Big Stories

  • Millwall go second. Josh Coburn scored twice against his former club as Millwall beat Middlesbrough 2–1 at the Riverside. The Lions are now one point above Boro in the race for automatic promotion. Coburn’s goals against the club that sold him remain the storyline of the week.
  • Coventry inch towards the title. A 3–2 win over Derby keeps Coventry 11 points clear at the top with six games remaining. Frank Lampard praised Jack Rudoni and Frank Onyeka after another statement victory. The Sky Blues have led the table for 30 of their 40 fixtures this season.
  • Roy Hodgson wins on his return. At 78 years old, Roy Hodgson took charge of Bristol City for the first time and won 2–1 at Charlton. He stood throughout on the touchline and admitted to mixed emotions about the performance but the three points are what matters.
  • Wrexham come back from 2–0 to draw at West Brom. Phil Parkinson’s side clawed back a two-goal deficit at The Hawthorns to draw 2–2 and return to the top six. Parkinson was furious about a penalty decision against Issa Kabore and plans to send a dossier to the head of officials.
  • Sheffield Wednesday’s season in numbers. The Owls lost 2–0 at Stoke to remain on 12 points from 40 games — one win all season. Their relegation from the Championship is a formality; the question now is by how much.
  • Ipswich in the shadows. The Tractor Boys didn’t play this weekend but remain fourth on 69 points from just 38 games. Their two games in hand could yet make them the most dangerous team in the promotion race.

Match Summaries

Middlesbrough 1–2 Millwall

The game of the gameweek for the promotion picture. Josh Coburn—who Middlesbrough sold in January—scored twice at the Riverside to send Millwall second. Middlesbrough’s winless run continues under Kim Hellberg and the gap to Millwall is now one point. The Riverside was a sombre place by full-time.

What It Means: Millwall firmly in the automatic promotion race. Boro’s wobble is becoming a collapse.

Charlton 1–2 Bristol City

Roy Hodgson’s return to management at 78 years old went as well as it possibly could. Bristol City won 2–1 at Charlton in a match that had a seesaw second half, with Hodgson standing throughout on the touchline. He described mixed emotions about the performance but none about the result.

What It Means: Bristol City move to 54 points and 13th. Hodgson has the bounce that new managers invariably bring.

Coventry 3–2 Derby County

Frank Lampard’s Coventry continue their remarkable season, beating Derby 3–2 in a match that was closer than the top-of-the-table side would have wanted. Derby manager John Eustace felt his side performed well but was let down by sloppy goals conceded. Coventry remain 11 points clear with six games to play.

What It Means: Coventry’s title is theirs to lose. At 83 points they could theoretically reach 100 if they win their remaining games.

West Brom 2–2 Wrexham

Wrexham came from 2–0 down to earn a point at The Hawthorns, with Phil Parkinson furious about a penalty decision against Issa Kabore that he described as “very harsh.” The draw keeps Wrexham level on 67 points with Hull City in fifth, separated only by goal difference.

What It Means: The fifth vs sixth battle between Hull and Wrexham could go to the final day.

Sheffield Utd 3–3 Swansea

Six goals at Bramall Lane in a chaotic draw that helped neither side significantly. Swansea’s Zan Vipotnik — the Championship’s top scorer with 18 goals — will have been involved. Sheffield United remain 17th on 51 points.

What It Means: Mid-table stalemate. Both teams have bigger problems to worry about next season.

⭐ Oxford United 1–1 Hull City

🏟 Kassam Stadium

Hull City picked up a point at Oxford United to stay fifth in the Championship, but it was a frustrating afternoon for Tim Walter’s side who will feel they should have won. Oxford — third-bottom and fighting relegation — showed the desperation of a side needing points, making Hull work hard for everything they got.

What It Means: Hull stay fifth on 67 points — level with Wrexham in sixth — with six games remaining. Every point matters now and while a draw on the road is not a disaster, the Tigers will need wins to guarantee their play-off place and push for a higher seeding.

ChampionshipFriday, 03 April 2026 • 14:00Kassam Stadium
Oxford UnitedOxford United
1 - 1Full Time
Hull CityHull City

Match Statistics

3.44
Expected Goals (xG)
0.82
3.44
Expected Goals (xG)
0.82
34.0
Possession
66.0
16
Total Shots
9
4
Shots on Target
2
12
Shots off Target
7
1
Corners
5
10
Fouls
10
0
Yellow Cards
1
0
Red Cards
0
1
Offsides
1
1
Saves
3
263
Total Passes
515
165
Accurate Passes
419
63
Pass Accuracy
81

Gameweek Awards

⭐ Player of the Week: Josh Coburn (Millwall)

There was only one candidate this week. Coburn scored twice against Middlesbrough — the club that sold him — to send Millwall above Boro in the promotion race. Whether driven by desire to prove a point or simply in form, Coburn delivered the most consequential individual performance of the gameweek.

🎯 Performance of the Week

Millwall’s 2–1 win away at Middlesbrough — a composed, focused display in one of the division’s most hostile environments, delivered exactly when it mattered most in the promotion race.

🎤 Manager of the Week

Roy Hodgson (Bristol City) — Winning on your first game back in management at 78 years old. Extraordinary.

🔥 Under Pressure

Kim Hellberg (Middlesbrough) — The winless run is now significant and damaging. Boro have dropped from automatic promotion to third. Being overtaken by a side they sold a striker to is a tough one to explain to supporters.

Top Scorers Update

⚽ Championship Top Scorers

1. Žan Vipotnik (Swansea) 18
2. Haji Wright (Coventry) 16
3. Jack Clarke (Ipswich) 14
4. Oliver McBurnie (Hull City) 13
4. Joe Gelhardt (Hull City) 13

← scroll →

Hull City Recent Form

Hull City - Recent League Form

WWDWLD

Gameweek Performance Ratings

Matchday 40 Performance Ratings

Based on xG performance analysis

Millwall1-2 (A)xG: 0.79 (+1.2)
9.1
Coventry3-2xG: 1.57 (+1.4)
8.2
Stoke City2-0xG: 2.54 (-0.5)
7.8
Blackburn0-1 (A)xG: 1.52 (-0.5)
7.7
Preston2-2 (A)xG: 0.41 (+1.6)
7.4
Hull City1-1 (A)xG: 0.82 (+0.2)
7.3
Sheffield Utd3-3xG: 1.04 (+2.0)
7.2
Bristol City1-2 (A)xG: 2.59 (-0.6)
7.2
Southampton2-2xG: 1.01 (+1.0)
6.8
QPR2-1xG: 2.40 (-0.4)
6.8

Hull City Focus

What This Gameweek Means for Hull City

Result: Drew 1–1 away at Oxford United — a point against a desperate team fighting relegation is acceptable, but Hull needed three.

League Position: 5th (unchanged)

Points: 67 from 40 games

Hull sit fifth and level on points with Wrexham in sixth — the same 67 points, separated by goal difference alone. With Ipswich lurking in fourth on 69 points but with two games in hand, Hull’s play-off place is not yet mathematically confirmed. The priority now is to win home games and hope results elsewhere go their way. Six games remain.

Verdict: Mixed. A point away from home is not a disaster, but drawing with a relegation-threatened Oxford at the Kassam when you need maximum points is a missed opportunity. The top six is Hull’s to lose but they cannot afford many more dropped points.

Prediction Tracker

🔮 Season Prediction Record

234 correct from 544 predictions (43%)

What We Learned

📚 Five Things We Learned

  1. Coventry’s title is essentially done — 83 points with six to play, in a division where second place has 72.
  2. Selling a striker to a promotion rival in January is a significant risk. Middlesbrough are learning that the hard way.
  3. Roy Hodgson still has it. Age is just a number when you have that much experience to draw on.
  4. Sheffield Wednesday’s season is already a historical footnote — one win from 40 games.
  5. The play-off picture will likely go to the final weekend. Hull, Wrexham, Southampton and Derby are all in or around the mix with very little between them.

Looking Ahead: Gameweek 41

👁 Key Fixtures Next Week

  • Ipswich in action — could close to within a point of second if they win
  • Millwall vs anyone — can they back up the Boro result?
  • Middlesbrough need a response — quickly
  • Watch Derby — still very much in the play-off picture despite losing to Coventry

Hull City’s Upcoming Fixtures

Hull City’s Next Fixtures

No upcoming fixtures found.

Conclusion

Gameweek 40 had everything: a managerial legend winning on debut, a striker haunting his old club, and a title race that is almost over at the top while remaining utterly chaotic below. Coventry are Championship champions in all but the final whistle. The real story now is who joins them in the Premier League — and whether Hull City can hold on for a play-off place when Wrexham are breathing down their necks with identical points.

Check back later this week for our full Gameweek 41 preview!

Tags: championshipHull citymatch reviewMillwallpromotion raceRoy Hodgson
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Wrexham vs Southampton: A Play-Off Six-Pointer That Could Define Both Clubs’ Seasons

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