Championship roundup: Leicester City relegated as Coventry City crowned champions

Leicester City’s dramatic fall continued as a 2-2 draw with Hull City confirmed their relegation to League One – completing a second successive drop just 10 years after their famous 5,000-1 Premier League title triumph.

While lifting the top-flight trophy at the King Power Stadium in May 2016 ranks as the Foxes’ greatest day, last night will go down as one of their worst as it condemned them to the third tier for the first time since 2009

At the top, Coventry City were crowned Championship winners in style, thrashing Portsmouth 5-1 to seal the title.

In the race for automatic promotion, Millwall boosted their chances with a strong win over Stoke City, while Southampton slipped up after dropping points against Bristol City.

The play-off battle also took another turn, with Wrexham edging past Oxford United to climb back into the top six.

Here is a full roundup of Tuesday’s action.

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Leicester City 2-2 Hull City

Memories of winning the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri, a run to the Champions League quarter-finals and an FA Cup victory will seem like distant memories for Leicester now.

Four years ago, they played Roma in a European quarter-final; next year, they will take on Bromley.

Their demise from such heights has come from mismanagement off the pitch, with relegation in part attributed to a six-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules.

There was a toxic atmosphere with players booed – midfielder Harry Winks was given particular attention – and abuse directed at chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, with no guarantee the club will be able to bounce straight back after three years of downward spiral.

One win in 17 games had Leicester staring down the barrel and anything other than victory against the Tigers meant their fate would be sealed.

And they were masters of their own downfall when goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, playing out from the back, passed straight to Liam Millar, who composed himself and fired home Hull’s opener

Leicester were a completely different side after the interval and turned the game around in just 92 seconds after being awarded a penalty when Abdul Fatawu was tripped by Lewis Koumas.

Jordan James stepped up 12 yards and then, from the next attack, Luke Thomas got on the end of Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s cross to make it 2-1 and the great escape was on for Gary Rowett’s side.

But only for all of nine minutes as Hull levelled when Millar caused trouble down the left and teed up Oli McBurnie, who rifled home from 16 yards.

Leicester pushed desperately to find a winner, but at full-time, their players collapsed as relegation was confirmed.

Coventry City 5-1 Portsmouth

Frank Lampard’s side had been promoted following their 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers on Friday night and went a step further to clinch the title four days later.

The Sky Blues will return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years after relegation at the end of the 2000-01 season.

The defeat ended Portsmouth’s run of three straight victories without conceding, but Oxford United’s loss to Wrexham means John Mousinho’s side have secured their place in the Championship for next season.

The newly-crowned champions were up and running when Jack Rudoni’s corner was nodded in by top scorer Haji Wright.

Pompey goalkeeper Nocolas Schmid should have done better as he flapped at the corner and allowed Wright to notch his 17th of the season.

It was the 27th goal the Sky Blues had scored from a set-piece this season and Portsmouth found themselves two goals behind almost immediately after the break.

It was another moment to forget for Schmid, whose heavy touch from Regan Poole’s backpass allowed Ephron Mason-Clark to steal in and tap into an empty net.

Things were starting to unravel for Portsmouth as Poole then diverted Milan van Ewijk’s cross into his own net just five minutes into the second half.

Pompey grabbed one back when Adrian Segecic latched onto Rudoni’s loose pass and lashed beyond Carl Rushworth from the edge of the box.

But any hopes of an unlikely comeback were dashed almost immediately as Victor Torp’s defence-splitting pass played in Mason-Clark, who made space to fire in his second.

Substitute Kaine Kesler-Hayden put the icing on the cake when he slotted in Rudoni’s cross at the back post to notch Coventry’s 90th league goal of the season.

Stoke City 1-3 Millwall

Alex Neil saw Millwall move back into the Championship top two and guarantee a play-off place with a 3-1 win at the bet365 Stadium.

Victory lifted them three points above third-placed Ipswich Town, who travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday.

Camiel Neghli grabbed the opener, netting for the second successive match.

Zak Sturge provided the opportunity with a teasing centre from the left, and when Eric Bocat couldn’t sort out his feet to clear, he curled in a superb rising left-foot drive.

Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson was then beaten but his right-hand upright kept out Tatsuki Seko’s volley after Millwall failed to clear Lewis Baker’s corner.

But there was relief among the 1,302 travelling fans when Femi Azeez doubled the Lions’ advantage as his fiercely-struck left-footed shot from outside the penalty area proved too hot to handle for keeper Gavin Bazunu.

Stoke hit back immediately with the aid of a slice of luck when substitute Lamine Cisse dinked a ball into the six-yard box and Caleb Taylor’s unintentional touch wrong-footed Patterson for an own goal.

But Josh Coburn made it 3-1 after Bocat gifted the ball to Neghli to claim his 10th goal of the season.

Southampton 2-2 Bristol City

Southampton dropped points in their automatic promotion hunt for the first time in over a month as they twice pegged Bristol City back to draw 2-2 at St Mary’s.

Saints extended their unbeaten run to 20, but their winning spell ended at eight ahead of their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on Saturday.

The dugouts saw the oldest and youngest Championship managers face off, with Roy Hodgson’s 78 years of experience and Tonda Eckert’s 33 years of youthful energy.

The hosts were behind in the fifth minute when Ryan Manning headed into his own goal as he challenged Sam Bell to meet an impeccable Scott Twine in-swinger, but nodded past his own goalkeeper.

No one grabbed the initiative until Manning redeemed himself, as his free-kick into the six-yard box was met by Cyle Larin.

Bell might not have got the decisive touch to the opener, but there was no doubt he would be credited with the Robins’ second as the forward ghosted in at a corner to flick Tomi Horvat’s delivery goalbound.

But they lost their lead for a second time when Tom Fellow’s standing cross was headed in by the unmarked Ross Stewart.

Oxford United 0-1 Wrexham

Wrexham moved into the Championship play-off places as in-form Josh Windass pushed Oxford closer to the relegation trapdoor.

The win saw Wrexham take sixth spot from Hull on goal difference as the Tigers were held 2-2 at Leicester.

Wrexham’s hopes of making the play-offs – and possibly a historic fourth consecutive promotion – now rest on closing fixtures against champions Coventry and fifth-placed Middlesbrough.

It is a much different story for Oxford, who face the distinct prospect of joining Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday in League One next season.

The U’s will be relegated on Wednesday should Charlton draw against Ipswich and Blackburn beat Sheffield United.

The Red Dragons struck the only goal of the game when Sam Smith battled well to set up Windass, whose precise low drive from 20 yards sealed his 15th league goal of the season and his fifth goal in six games.

Wrexham’s defenders stood tall and held on to keep the dream of Premier League football very much alive.

West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Watford

West Brom clinched Championship safety – pending a possible points deduction – with a 3-0 win over Watford at The Hawthorns.

James Morrison’s side made it nine games unbeaten and 488 minutes without conceding.

Albion must now wait to see the outcome from a hearing following alleged infringements of Profit and Sustainability Rules.

But for now, they are safe following one of their most one-sided victories of the season.

Issac Price broke the deadlock, sweeping home a first-time shot from 12 yards after a teasing cross from Danny Imray.

Daryl Dike’s header ended in the roof of the net from Price’s curling free-kick on the right to double the home side’s lead.

Albion made it 3-0 in clinical style – Imray side-footing home after Josh Maja teed him up after Price knocked Jayson Molumby’s deep cross back into the danger area.

Norwich City 2-1 Derby County

Norwich City secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Derby County at Carrow Road to dent the Rams’ play-off dreams and keep their own slender hopes alive.

The Canaries are six points off the top six with two games left – their superior goal difference keeping them in the race – while Derby sit four behind Hull and Wrexham, with both sides needing maximum points and favours elsewhere.

Norwich were awarded a penalty early on, but Mohamed Toure saw his effort saved by Jacob Zetterstrom.

The in-form Australian striker made amends soon after, finishing emphatically from a tight angle after being picked out by Amankwah Forson for his ninth in 11 appearances since joining in January.

Derby were gifted an equaliser when Kenny McLean was caught in possession trying to play out from the back, allowing David Ozoh to fire home.

However, parity was brief as Liam Gibbs curled in a superb winner from the edge of the box for his first goal of the season.

QPR 1-2 Swansea City

Steve Cook’s farewell turned sour as his early error helped gift Swansea City a 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

Cook, who played 180 times in the Premier League for Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest before joining Rangers in 2023, annouced announced on Monday he is leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old, making his 100th and final appearance for the club, was named captain for the night but endured a nightmare start when his attempted clearance tripped team-mate Rhys Norrington-Davies, allowing Ronald to score his first goal since September.

Cook received a standing ovation when substituted on the hour, but Swansea doubled their lead late on through a controversial penalty from Zan Vipotnik after a foul just outside the area was given.

Norrington-Davies headed in a stoppage-time consolation, but it came too late to prevent defeat for Rangers.

Cook will not feature in the final two fixtures of the season and has yet to confirm whether he will continue his playing career elsewhere or potentially take a coaching role with the Hoops.

Championship full-time scores

Leicester City 2-2 Hull City
Coventry City 5-1 Portsmouth
Stoke City 1-3 Millwall
Southampton 2-2 Bristol City
Oxford United 0-1 Wrexham
West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Watford
Norwich City 2-1 Derby County
QPR 1-2 Swansea City

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