Championship: Coventry City Extends Lead Over Middlesbrough With Victory Against Watford

Frank Lampard's Coventry City extended their lead at the top of the Championship table with a 3-1 victory against Watford. The Hornets, reduced to ten men after James Abankwah's red card for a foul on Haji Wright, were already trailing by three goals. Brandon Thomas-Asante opened the scoring early, followed by Jamie Allen and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, whose goal made Imran Louza's penalty for Watford insignificant.

Coventry's triumph marked their fifth consecutive league win, a feat achieved only twice before in their history. With 28 points from 12 matches, they are enjoying their best start to a league season. Thomas-Asante has been pivotal, contributing to goals in six straight Championship games.

In contrast, Middlesbrough could only manage a draw

against Wrexham. Josh Windass put Wrexham ahead early on at Riverside Stadium. Middlesbrough equalised late through Hayden Hackney's header from Callum Brittain's cross but lost ground to teams below them as Millwall, Bristol City, and Stoke City all secured narrow victories.

Mark Robins' Stoke City edged past Portsmouth thanks to an own goal by Hayden Matthews. Meanwhile, Sinclair Armstrong's composed finish gave Bristol City a win over Birmingham City. Millwall defeated Leicester City despite Mihailo Ivanovic missing a penalty; Femi Azeez scored the decisive goal just before halftime.

Southampton continues to struggle under Will Still's management after losing 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers. Late goals from Ryan Alebiosu and Andri Gudjohnsen sealed Southampton’s fate, leaving them 20th in the standings. Sheffield Wednesday also suffered a home defeat against Oxford United amid ongoing fan protests following the club's administration announcement.

Fan Reactions and Club Challenges

Sheffield Wednesday fans returned to Hillsborough with mixed emotions after recent protests against owner Dejphon Chansiri. Despite their team's loss, supporters expressed gratitude for each other's solidarity during challenging times for the club.

Not the result we wanted but today was about so much more. Thank you all for your incredible support today pic.twitter.com/uihgbN9DDu

- Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) October 25, 2025

The weekend results have intensified competition within the Championship as teams jostle for position. Coventry City's impressive form sets them apart as they aim to maintain their lead at the top of the table amidst fierce competition from other clubs striving for promotion or survival this season.

Post-match celebrations, from the stands. pic.twitter.com/hWlo9LIR8O

- Coventry City (@Coventry_City) October 25, 2025