It’s only been a week since the clocks changed, but with spring in the air, the first promotions and relegations are being settled in English football.
Southampton suffered the ignominy of being the first team to have their fate confirmed this season when their relegation back to the Championship was confirmed following Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham with eight games of the season remaining.
That sets a new record for the earliest relegation in Premier League history and another new Championship team for the 2025/26 campaign could also be confirmed this week.
The battle for the League One title appears to be all but over, with big-spending Birmingham City beginning the week with a whopping 11-point lead at the top, with two games in hand to boot.
The Blues claimed a 38th win of the season on Saturday when they swept aside Barnsley 6-2 at St Andrews, extending their club record for the number of wins in a season.
The victory also saw them maintain their sizable gap over second-place Wrexham and has neatly set the stage for a promotion-securing victory this week.
Should Chris Davies’ side beat Peterborough United on Tuesday evening they will move onto 95 points and will have secured a top-two place and promotion back to the second tier with six games to spare. Even if they don’t win against the Posh, promotion will also be there is if third-placed Wycombe drop points away at Huddersfield that same evening.
It could turn out to be a memorable week for the Blues, who will again face Peterborough on Sunday afternoon, this time at Wembley in the Football League Trophy final with silverware on the line.
The League One points record is also in the Blues’ sights, with Wolves’ tally of 103 points in the 2013/14 the current mark, while the 106 points that Reading won in the 2005/06 Championship to set the all-time EFL record also under threat.
Birmingham suffered relegation from the Championship last season, but were aggressive in the transfer market last summer, topping the £25million mark, including a League One record-breaking fee to sign Fulham striker Jay Stansfield for more than £10million.
The 22-year-old has gone on to net 23 goals in all competitions to fire the Blues into pole position, with another big-spending side in Wrexham currently leading the chasing pack for the other automatic promotion spot.
