Championship Review: Brighton shocked, Wigan relegated, Redknapp works his magic

Brighton and Hove Albion missed the chance to win the Championship after a shock 1-0 home defeat to Bristol City.

The result means they stay a point above Newcastle United heading into the last round of matches and also guaranteed that Lee Johnson's side will stay in the division.

Wigan Athletic were not so fortunate and will join Rotherham United in League One next term, but Birmingham City finally got a win that could prove crucial in their survival bid.

Blackburn Rovers are also still alive but the game of the day saw Leeds United come back from 3-0 down to draw with Norwich City, only to see their hopes of a play-off spot all but ended.

 

CHAMPAGNE ON ICE FOR BRIGHTON AS LEEDS FALTER DESPITE COMEBACK

Brighton will need to beat Aston Villa on the last day of the season to ensure they win the title after Bristol City shocked them at Amex Stadium.

Chris Hughton's sluggish side were beaten courtesy of a first-half Josh Brownhill goal that ensures City cannot now be dragged into the bottom three.

Newcastle's win at Cardiff City on Friday means they can leapfrog Brighton if they better their result on the final day.

Leeds United's hopes of a Premier League return are virtually over, however, after they were held to a 3-3 draw by Norwich.

Garry Monk's side came from 3-0 down to salvage a point but Sheffield Wednesday's win at Ipswich Town and Fulham's 1-1 draw with Brentford means Leeds sit three points outside the play-offs, with a vastly inferior goal difference.

 

WIGAN WOE BUT REDKNAPP GETS BIRMINGHAM BOUNCING

Wigan – who lost Shaun MacDonald to a broken leg – joined Rotherham in dropping into League One after they lost 1-0 at Reading, who confirmed their play-off place through Yann Kermorgant's sixth-minute goal.

Blackburn gave their survival hopes a boost, with Danny Graham's goal giving them a 1-0 win over Aston Villa that puts them level on 48 points with Nottingham Forest, who went down 2-0 at QPR and are now only one goal above the drop zone.

Harry Redknapp's hopes of keeping Birmingham up are firmly intact, however, as they survived Che Adams' 23rd-minute red card – and a missed penalty from Lukas Jutkiewicz – to beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 and move two points clear of the bottom three.

 

BURTON GOING NOWHERE, ROTHERHAM END WROTTEN AWAY RUN

Burton Albion will be playing Championship football next season, with Luke Varney's goal cancelling out George Moncur's opener to secure a 1-1 draw at Barnsley.

Rotherham might already be down but their recent improvement continued at Preston North End, as Richard Smallwood's first goal for the club was enough for them to end a run of 14 away defeats in a row.

Meanwhile, Derby County ended a three-game wait for a win with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Wolves. David Nugent, Bradley Johnson and Craig Bryson getting the goals, with Ben Marshall scoring for the visitors after Ivan Cavaleiro had been sent off for an off-the-ball incident.

Latest in
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expected to sanction plenty of sales this summer
When does the summer transfer window open?
Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta could both do with improving their respective attacks this summer
Arsenal to make bold move for Liverpool star with uncertain Anfield future: report
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 21: Phil Foden of England reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifier between England and Albania at Wembley Stadium on March 21, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
'When I see Phil Foden play, he just seems like a shy lad - that holds him back a little bit. He has been tried in every position, but he just hasn’t performed': Ex-England star makes bold claim about Manchester City man
Arsenal's William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes embrace each other in celebration at full-time of the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on 25 January, 2025
Arsenal face losing Gabriel AND William Saliba, as new fears arise: report
Kevin De Bruyne of Man City in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Ipswich Town FC at Etihad Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Kevin De Bruyne touted for shock move to South American giants: report
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MAY 18: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of AS Roma, celebrates after the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and AS Roma at BayArena on May 18, 2023 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho planning Premier League raid for superstar: report
Latest in News
Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta could both do with improving their respective attacks this summer
Arsenal to make bold move for Liverpool star with uncertain Anfield future: report
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 21: Phil Foden of England reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifier between England and Albania at Wembley Stadium on March 21, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
'When I see Phil Foden play, he just seems like a shy lad - that holds him back a little bit. He has been tried in every position, but he just hasn’t performed': Ex-England star makes bold claim about Manchester City man
Arsenal's William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes embrace each other in celebration at full-time of the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on 25 January, 2025
Arsenal face losing Gabriel AND William Saliba, as new fears arise: report
Kevin De Bruyne of Man City in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Ipswich Town FC at Etihad Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Kevin De Bruyne touted for shock move to South American giants: report
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MAY 18: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of AS Roma, celebrates after the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and AS Roma at BayArena on May 18, 2023 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho planning Premier League raid for superstar: report
Jack Grealish
Manchester City report: Jack Grealish poised for European switch, with price revealed