EFL Championship final day permutations for title win, play-offs and relegation

It’s the climax to an enthralling Championship season on Saturday with the best coverage across the talkSPORT Network. Nine months, 540 games of second-tier English football, have all come down to a final few hours of twists and turns. Leeds have one hand on the Championship titleGetty It could be the most dramatic Championship final day in recent history The Championship continues to deliver the best entertainment in the EFL, with the title race, playoffs, and relegation all still to be decided. TalkSPORT Two will provide live, exclusive commentary of Coventry vs Middlesbrough at 12.30pm, with updates from all the key matches. The relegation battle Who is involved? Stoke City, Derby County, Preston North End, Luton Town, Hull City and Plymouth Argyle Already relegated: Cardiff City Aaron Ramsey’s caretaker spell at Cardiff ended in heartbreak last weekend, after becoming the first team to drop into League One. A 0-0 draw with West Brom moved the Bluebirds to the bottom of the division and an insurmountable five points from safety. Plymouth look destined to join them, having struggled to recover from their dismal start to the campaign under Wayne Rooney. The ex-England captain left the Pilgrims last in the Championship and in need of a miracle when he was sacked in December. Miron Muslic’s side sits three points from safety, but also need a 14-goal swing over Luton Town to preserve their second-division status. If that wasn’t hard enough, Plymouth are facing top-of-the-table Leeds, with the Hatters away to playoff-chasing West Brom. However, the last relegation spot can still be filled by any one of five teams, with Hull City in 22nd the most at risk of the drop. The Tigers are a point off safety, but have a better goal difference than Luton (by +12), and Preston (by +1), so a draw would be enough if either of those teams loses. A win guarantees survival, with Derby playing Stoke City. TeamPositionPointsGoal Difference Who are they playing?What do they need?Plymouth23rd46 pointsGD -36Leeds United (h)Beat Leeds, with Luton losing while overturning a 14-goal swing. Also need a Hull City loss at PortsmouthHull City22nd48 pointsGD -10Portsmouth (a)A loss equals relegation. Better the result of one of Luton, Preston or Derby to stay up Luton Town21st49 pointsGD -22West Bromwich Albion (a)Win at West Brom or if Hull lose.Preston 20th49 pointsGD -11Bristol City (a)Win at Bristol City or if Hull loseDerby19th49 pointsGD -8Stoke City (h)Win at home to Stoke or if Hull lose.Stoke 18th50 pointsGD -17Derby County (a)Avoid defeat at Derby – A defeat by fewer than five goals will only lead to relegation if Luton and Hull win and Preston get at least a draw Rooney left Plymouth with a mountain to climb The play-off chase Who is involved? Bristol City, Coventry City, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough Already secured play-off spot: Sheffield United (3rd confirmed), Sunderland (4th confirmed) Sheffield United and Sunderland have already cemented their places in third and fourth, having missed out on automatic promotion. Bristol City‘s heavy defeat to Leeds on Monday cost the club the chance to seal their place ahead of the final day. But Liam Manning’s men still hold all the cards in the play-off race when they host relegation-threatened Preston. Victory will guarantee their spot, but a draw could also be enough for the Robins. Lose and they could finish as low as eighth. Elsewhere, Frank Lampard‘s Coventry City remain in sixth place on goal difference and face a do-or-die clash with Middlesbrough. Millwall and Blackburn both know that anything less than wins over big-hitters Burnley and Sheffield United will likely end their hopes. TeamPositionPointsGoal Difference Who are they playing?What do they need?Middlesbrough9th64 pointsGD +10Coventry City (a)Boro go into the top six with a win and if Millwall and Blackburn fail to win.Victory also enough if Bristol City lose and only one of Millwall or Blackburn win Blackburn8th65 pointsGD +5Sheffield United (a)Rovers go into the top six with a win, but only if two of Bristol City, Coventry and Millwall fail to winMillwall7th66 pointsGD 0Burnley (a)The Lions go into the top six with a win if one of Bristol City or Coventry fail to winCoventry6th66 pointsGD +4Middlesbrough (h)Coventry will finish in a play-off spot if they beat Boro. A draw would be enough if either 1) Millwall and Blackburn both fail to win, or 2)Bristol City lose, and one of Millwall or Blackburn fail to winBristol City5th67 pointsGD +4Preston (h)Win at home to Preston. Draw and defeat only enough coupled with results elsewhere. Lampard can make a triumphant return to the Championship play-offs this weekendGetty The title race Burnley (2nd, 97 points, GD +51) Leeds (1st, 97 points, GD +64) The race to decide the Championship title is the simplest of all, with the top two already-promoted sides in a

May 2, 2025 - 14:00

EFL Championship final day permutations for title win, play-offs and relegation

It’s the climax to an enthralling Championship season on Saturday with the best coverage across the talkSPORT Network.

Nine months, 540 games of second-tier English football, have all come down to a final few hours of twists and turns.

Leeds have one hand on the Championship title

It could be the most dramatic Championship final day in recent history

The Championship continues to deliver the best entertainment in the EFL, with the title race, playoffs, and relegation all still to be decided.

TalkSPORT Two will provide live, exclusive commentary of Coventry vs Middlesbrough at 12.30pm, with updates from all the key matches.

The relegation battle

Who is involved? Stoke City, Derby County, Preston North End, Luton Town, Hull City and Plymouth Argyle
Already relegated: Cardiff City

Aaron Ramsey’s caretaker spell at Cardiff ended in heartbreak last weekend, after becoming the first team to drop into League One.

A 0-0 draw with West Brom moved the Bluebirds to the bottom of the division and an insurmountable five points from safety.

Plymouth look destined to join them, having struggled to recover from their dismal start to the campaign under Wayne Rooney.

The ex-England captain left the Pilgrims last in the Championship and in need of a miracle when he was sacked in December.

Miron Muslic’s side sits three points from safety, but also need a 14-goal swing over Luton Town to preserve their second-division status.

If that wasn’t hard enough, Plymouth are facing top-of-the-table Leeds, with the Hatters away to playoff-chasing West Brom.

However, the last relegation spot can still be filled by any one of five teams, with Hull City in 22nd the most at risk of the drop.

The Tigers are a point off safety, but have a better goal difference than Luton (by +12), and Preston (by +1), so a draw would be enough if either of those teams loses. A win guarantees survival, with Derby playing Stoke City.

Team	Position	Points	Goal Difference	Who are they playing?	What do they need?
Plymouth	23rd	46 points	GD -36	Leeds United (h)	Beat Leeds, with Luton losing while overturning a 14-goal swing. Also need a Hull City loss at Portsmouth
Hull City	22nd	48 points	GD -10	Portsmouth (a)	A loss equals relegation. Better the result of one of Luton, Preston or Derby to stay up
Luton Town	21st	49 points	GD -22	West Bromwich Albion (a)	Win at West Brom or if Hull lose.
Preston	20th	49 points	GD -11	Bristol City (a)	Win at Bristol City or if Hull lose
Derby	19th	49 points	GD -8	Stoke City (h)	Win at home to Stoke or if Hull lose.
Stoke	18th	50 points	GD -17	Derby County (a)	Avoid defeat at Derby – A defeat by fewer than five goals will only lead to relegation if Luton and Hull win and Preston get at least a draw

Rooney left Plymouth with a mountain to climb

The play-off chase

Who is involved? Bristol City, Coventry City, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough
Already secured play-off spot: Sheffield United (3rd confirmed), Sunderland (4th confirmed)

Sheffield United and Sunderland have already cemented their places in third and fourth, having missed out on automatic promotion.

Bristol City‘s heavy defeat to Leeds on Monday cost the club the chance to seal their place ahead of the final day.

But Liam Manning’s men still hold all the cards in the play-off race when they host relegation-threatened Preston.

Victory will guarantee their spot, but a draw could also be enough for the Robins. Lose and they could finish as low as eighth.

Elsewhere, Frank Lampard‘s Coventry City remain in sixth place on goal difference and face a do-or-die clash with Middlesbrough.

Millwall and Blackburn both know that anything less than wins over big-hitters Burnley and Sheffield United will likely end their hopes.

Team	Position	Points	Goal Difference	Who are they playing?	What do they need?
Middlesbrough	9th	64 points	GD +10	Coventry City (a)	Boro go into the top six with a win and if Millwall and Blackburn fail to win. Victory also enough if Bristol City lose and only one of Millwall or Blackburn win
Blackburn	8th	65 points	GD +5	Sheffield United (a)	Rovers go into the top six with a win, but only if two of Bristol City, Coventry and Millwall fail to win
Millwall	7th	66 points	GD 0	Burnley (a)	The Lions go into the top six with a win if one of Bristol City or Coventry fail to win
Coventry	6th	66 points	GD +4	Middlesbrough (h)	Coventry will finish in a play-off spot if they beat Boro. A draw would be enough if either 1) Millwall and Blackburn both fail to win, or 2) Bristol City lose, and one of Millwall or Blackburn fail to win
Bristol City	5th	67 points	GD +4	Preston (h)	Win at home to Preston. Draw and defeat only enough coupled with results elsewhere.