The Championship table after eight games looked very different by the end of the 2025/26 season, with some clubs climbing more than 10 places while others suffered dramatic falls down the standings.
A comparison of the early table and final positions, shared by Wrexham Reds News, shows just how much the division changed over the course of the campaign.
Only Watford finished in exactly the same position they occupied after eight matches, remaining 16th.
Early leaders couldn’t hold their ground
Middlesbrough were top of the league after eight games but finished the season in fifth, while Coventry City, who were second early on, went on to win the title.
Stoke City’s drop was even sharper, falling from third to 17th by the end of the campaign.
West Bromwich Albion slipped from fourth to 21st, and Leicester City matched that 17-place decline, going from sixth to 23rd.
Other clubs also lost considerable ground. Bristol City fell from fifth to 12th, Preston North End from seventh to 14th, and Swansea City from eighth to 11th.
Charlton Athletic, ninth after eight games, finished 19th, while Queens Park Rangers dropped from 10th to 15th.
Big climbs from the middle and bottom
Several teams made substantial progress up the table, including two clubs who climbed 12 places.
Hull City jumped from 18th to sixth, while Derby County moved from 20th to eighth, recording the joint-largest improvements shown in the comparison.
Ipswich Town gained 11 places to finish second after sitting 13th early on, while Sheffield United climbed from the foot of the table to 13th.
Millwall also enjoyed a considerable rise, moving from 12th to third, a nine-place improvement that took them into the play-off positions.
Southampton climbed 10 places from 14th to fourth, while Norwich City made an identical improvement, rising from 19th to ninth.
Birmingham City edged up one position, finishing 10th after sitting 11th at the eight-match stage.
Wrexham among the clubs making progress
Wrexham were another side to climb the standings, having occupied 15th place after their opening eight Championship fixtures.
Phil Parkinson’s side eventually finished seventh, an improvement of eight places that left them narrowly outside the play-off positions.
Their rise was among the more notable movements in the division, particularly given the club were competing in their first Championship campaign following three successive promotions.
Only one club stayed in the same position
Watford were the only team to finish in exactly the same position they held after eight matches, ending the campaign 16th.
Blackburn Rovers improved slightly, moving from 22nd to 20th, while Portsmouth dropped one place from 17th to 18th.
Oxford United also fell one position, from 21st to 22nd, and Sheffield Wednesday finished bottom after sitting 23rd at the early checkpoint.
The comparison highlights just how much the Championship standings changed across the season, with early frontrunners falling away and several clubs recovering from difficult starts to finish considerably higher up the table.
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