Championship

Championship 2026/27: West Ham win at Swansea to close the gap to a point

The Championship is the second tier of English football, played under this name since 2004. Twenty-four teams meet home and away over 46 rounds. The top two are promoted to the Premier League automatically and the clubs below them contest the play-offs for the third promotion place, while the bottom three drop to League One. Coventry City won the title last season with 95 points and went up with Ipswich Town and Hull City, while Swansea's Žan Vipotnik was the top scorer with 23 goals.

After eleven rounds Swansea still lead with 23 points, but West Ham won 1-0 at the Swansea.com Stadium and are a point behind, level with Middlesbrough, who drew 2-2 with Cardiff. West Ham have the best attack, 30 goals, and Swansea the best defence, eight conceded. Birmingham, 3-0 winners over QPR, and West Brom are fourth and fifth on 20. Of the other relegated clubs, Wolves won 2-1 at Burnley and are eighth, while Burnley are 22nd with one win.

Preston are bottom with four points after a 4-1 defeat at Wrexham, and Derby are also in the relegation places. Norwich, 21st, have lost five in a row.

Middlesbrough's William Lankshear leads the scoring charts with nine goals, ahead of Southampton's Cyle Larin with seven, and Bristol City's Rio Cardines has the most assists, six.