Stoke City

Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

Watford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.

Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.

Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.

Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.

Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.

Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.

The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.

Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.

The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.

Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.

Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.

Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.

The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.

Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.

Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.

Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.

It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.

Data collated from Transfermarkt

Image source, Getty Images

Sorba Thomas capped a busy few days by scoring his first senior goal for Wales in their 4-3 World Cup qualifying defeat by Belgium in Brussels on Monday.

The winger completed a move from Huddersfield Town to Stoke City on Saturday, having also played for Wales in a 4-0 qualifying victory over Liechtenstein on Friday.

The 26-year-old scored Wales' second goal of the evening against Belgium as they came from 3-0 down to level at 3-3 before Kevin de Bruyne scored a late winner for the home side.

Thomas spent last season on loan at French Ligue 1 side Nantes, scoring one goal in 25 appearances.

Ex-Stoke City and Huddersfield Town goalkeeping coach Andy Quy says new Potters signing Sorba Thomas will be a "real weapon" in the side's set plays next season.

Thomas signed a three-year contract with Stoke on Saturday.

"I was fortunate enough to work with Sorba at Huddersfield Town. An exciting talent, I have to say," Quy told BBC Radio Stoke.

"Excellent on the ball going forwards, wants to take people on, get crosses in the box, he's got really good delivery from set plays.

"He's one of those players who puts the ball on the money, puts the ball in the right space, asks questions of goalkeepers and certainly of defenders."

Listen to Quy's full thoughts and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

A number of EFL players have been selected in England's Under-21 squad for the European Championships in Slovakia this month.

Birmingham City's Jay Stansfield, who scored 19 goals in 37 League One games to help the Blues win the title and promotion to the second tier, is included.

Stansfield played three times during qualifying but this will be his first appearance at a tournament.

Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, who netted five league goals and made three assists, is also named in Lee Carsley's 23-man squad, along with Samuel Iling-Junior, who spent time on loan at Boro and Bologna from Aston Villa during the 2024-25 season.

Two players are included from relegated Premier League clubs - Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson and Southampton defender Ronnie Edwards - with the latter spending the second half of the campaign on loan at QPR.

Young Stoke City goalkeeper Tommy Simkin, who made 40 appearances on loan at Walsall in League Two and kept 14 clean sheets, has been picked.

Fellow goalkeepers Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who helped Doncaster Rovers win promotion to League One while on loan from Chelsea, and James Beadle, who spent the season at Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Brighton, will also be on the plane.

The U21 Euros will take place across eight host cities in Slovakia from 11-28 June with the Three Lions looking to retain the title they won in 2023.

England are in a group with Czech Republic, Slovenia and Germany and the top two will progress to the quarter-final.

You can see the full England U21 squad for the Euros here.

Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

The 2024-25 Championship season might be over but there are many ways to analyse and reflect on the campaign that has gone before us.

Not every club can go up but if there are signs a team is moving in the right direction, it can still be considered good progress - or quite the opposite if things are on the slide.

Here is a look at how each of the 18 sides who were in the Championship for the past two seasons got on points wise compared to the 2023-24 campaign.

It perhaps comes as no surprise that Sunderland, who won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, recorded the most significant improvement after finishing 16th in 2023-24 and picked up 20 more points.

Despite a tumultuous season off the field, Blackburn were the second most improved side in the division, gaining 13 points on the previous campaign as they missed out on the play-offs by just two points.

Leeds racked up 90 points in 2023-24 but somehow still managed a 10-point improvement as they hit the 100 mark on their way to winning the title in their best-ever season in the second tier.

Millwall's seven-point improvement was enough to help them finish five places higher in eighth, but they fell short of the top six by two points.

Meanwhile, Bristol City were only six points better off but managed to climb five places and claim a play-off spot, recording their best Championship finishing position since 2007-08.

Coventry also only improved by five points but were able to jump from ninth to fifth, perhaps showing just how fine the margins can be in the Championship when it comes to securing a play-off berth.

At the bottom...

Image source, Getty Images

You might want to look away now, Hull City fans.

The Tigers went backwards more than any other side compared to the previous season under Liam Rosenior, dropping from seventh place and three points outside the play-offs to only escaping relegation on goal difference on the final day.

Cardiff went from mid-table in 2023-24 to rock bottom and will drop down to League One for the first time in 22 years. It is pretty clear to see why as the Bluebirds picked up 18 fewer points compared to the previous season.

Norwich tumbled to 13th place after finishing in the play-offs a year before - an underperformance which ultimately cost Johannes Hoff Thorup his job as head coach.

Preston were 10 points off the play-off places in 2023-24 but picked up 13 fewer points under Paul Heckingbottom in what was their worst season since they were relegated from the Championship in 2010-11.

The Lilywhites' downturn was largely due to a major dip in form in the latter stages of the campaign, picking up only one win from their final 15 games (D7 L7) to avoid the drop by just one point.

West Bromwich Albion endured a disappointing season - for a club which always harbours ambitions of plying its trade in the top flight - with an 11-point drop off.

Albion's final points tally of 64 was their worst in the Championship since 1999-2000.

Plymouth may have only been five points worse off than they were in 2023-24 but having survived on the final day that season, there were to be no such heroics this time around and their two-year stint in the second tier is over.

And the rest...

Image source, Getty Images

*All data based only on teams who were in the Championship in 2023-24 and 2024-25

"Frustrating, a bit of deja vu in there as well. Chaotic with the number of managerial changes. Tense towards the end as they continued to flirt with relegation.

"I think you can sum it up by saying [it's] one to put well behind the club, the fanbase and everybody else.

"We'll get this season review out the way and then never think about it again hopefully."

Those are the thoughts of BBC Radio Stoke commentator Mark Elliott following the end of Stoke City's season, which saw the Potters finish 18th and avoid relegation by just two points.

He joins presenter Lucas Yeomans on the latest episode of A Cold Wet Tuesday Night to review Stoke's campaign, discuss the squad and what might be needed to improve next season.

Listen to A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson says avoiding relegation from the Championship this season was a "relief" and not something to be celebrated.

The Potters finished two points above the drop zone in 18th with 51 points - their worst overall tally and lowest league position since relegation to the second tier in 2018.

"It's been a disappointing season because our goal was completely different," Johansson told BBC Radio Stoke.

"It's not a celebration; it's more of a massive relief. We had different plans for this season and how it was going to go, but then it changed.

"But to be fair to the boys and the fans, we stuck with it and made sure we stayed up, and then next season we can go again. We can't wait to go again."

The Swedish international was named Stoke's player of the year in his debut season but praised the whole team for staying up despite playing under three different managers.

"It has been a tough season, but I think as a group, we've grown loads," Johansson said.

"We're a proper family in there. We support each other. It's one of the best changing rooms you can walk into.

"Even though it's been a bit rocky sometimes, we made sure to stick together."

Johansson also thanked the "incredible" fans and said their support shows that Stoke is a "great and massive" club.

On whether he will be at the club next season, the 26-year-old added: "I signed for Stoke, so this is where my head and heart are at the moment."

Listen to Johansson's full interview on BBC Sounds.

Image source, PA Media

Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke to written media after the Potters had their Championship survival sealed with a goalless draw at Derby County.

"It was a rubbish game but we both ended up getting what we needed, so that is the most important thing," he said.

"The game was so lacking in quality it's frightening, but understandable in the circumstances.

"The players managed themselves really well during the week and managed themselves through the game well today.

"Since I came in [to Stoke] in January, it has been a really tough period - I think one of the toughest of my career. It has been really difficult because I'm the third permanent manager and fourth voice they have had.

"It's been a lot of upheaval. This team should never have been anywhere near the bottom, it's a mid-table team at worst. And had everyone been fit and we'd been in earlier, things wouldn't have got down to this day.

"But thankfully we have managed to come out the other side OK."

Image source, Rex Features

Managing Stoke City is not an impossible job and the club has the infrastructure to succeed, according to head coach Mark Robins.

The Potters need to win at fellow-strugglers Derby County (12:30 BST) on Saturday to be assured of Championship football for next season but a failure to take three points would still require wins for Hull City, Luton Town and Preston North End to send them down.

"The challenge is there and significant - it's been branded an impossible job but it isn't," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"Around the club things are good and are moving forward.

"We've got a decent infrastructure but our supporters aren't interested in that, they're just interested in getting the result we need."

Robins became Stoke's fourth permanent boss in 13 months when he was appointed on New Year's Day and is staying calm ahead of the trip to Pride Park.

"I understand the seriousness of it but if you've done everything you can in terms of preparation you can't do any more - we've all been diligent so we'll mosey up to Derby and look forward to it," he added.

"It's a game of football, it's what we do - this is important and we'll give everything we possibly can and as long as we do that we'll be fine."

Both Derby County and Stoke City face the possibility of relegation to League One at the end of play on Saturday (12:30 BST) - but one side could ensure it definitely won't be them with a win at Pride Park.

Neither side currently sit in the bottom three but remain within striking distance of the three teams below them; Preston North End, Luton Town and Hull City.

Only one of those teams will find themselves relegated but should Preston, Luton and Hull all win their respective matches, it'll come down to an all-or-nothing dog fight between Derby and Stoke.

The Rams have the form, having won both their past two matches while Stoke have lost theirs, but it was the Potters who took victory in the reverse fixture with a narrow 2-1 win.

• Derby County are unbeaten across their last four home league games against Stoke City (W2 D2), keeping three clean sheets during that time at Pride Park.

• After winning the reverse fixture 2-1 in November last year, Stoke City will be looking to complete their first league double over Derby County since the 2006-07 campaign.

• After failing to win any of their 12 league games between December and March, Derby have since lost just two of their last 10 (W6 D2), scoring multiple times in six of those matches.

• Over the last six seasons, Stoke City have lost just one of their six Championship matches on the final day of the season (W3 D2), winning their last 4-0 against Bristol City in 2024.

• Stoke City have accumulated just 50 points across their 45 Championship matches this season (W12 D14 L19) and even a win would still give them their joint lowest points tally since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2018 (53 in 2022-23).

"If you would have said that, three or four weeks ago, Preston are going to have to go to the last day of the season to get a result, you'd be like no, no chance," former Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff tells the 72+ podcast.

McAnuff and Aaron Paul are joined by former Barnsley manager Darrell Clarke as they discuss the upcoming Championship relegation fight and who they think is most at risk.

For McAnuff, it's Hull City and Preston North End that "are in trouble".

Hull sacked former boss Liam Rosenior after finishing seventh in the Championship last season, but have struggled since his departure and are currently sitting in the bottom three, a point away from safety.

Meanwhile, Preston are among three teams just a point above and have been dragged into the relegation fight after a winless run of seven games - and it's the Lancashire side Clarke is most concerned about.

"I just think to myself, they've dropped off a cliff, they've got Bristol City away, I fancy Hull to get something at Portsmouth," Clarke said.

"Fratton Park is a difficult place to go to... but they are on holiday aren't they?"

Listen to the full episode and more on the Football Daily podcast.

Former Stoke City midfielder Danny Pugh says he "didn't expect" the club to be in a Championship relegation fight on the final day of the season.

The Potters are 18th in the table, just two points above the drop zone and face one of their rivals in Derby County on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Should they lose to the Rams, they would still be safe as long as Hull City and Luton Town do not pick up wins also, nor Preston North End earn a point against Bristol City.

"We were hoping it wouldn't have come to this," Pugh told BBC Radio Stoke.

"But like you say, it's squeaky bum time.

"It's disappointing but I think they will have enough to not get sucked into it."

The final game against the Rams will be on home ground and while Pugh thinks that will be a strength for the side, he also says there will be a different kind of atmosphere when the players step on to the pitch.

"You've got that excitement, you've got that adrenaline. You're aware there's a different feeling in the stadium," Pugh said.

"There's definitely that added tension, that added pressure when there's so much hanging on the game."

Listen to Pugh's full thoughts and more on BBC Sounds.