Frank Lampard’s side increased their lead at the top of the Championship and are en route for promotion
Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent
10:16, 12 Mar 2026
Milan van Ewijk of Coventry City celebrates victory(Image: Getty Images)
Coventry City are playing like champions, sweeping aside Preston North End with a dominant performance at the CBS Arena on Wednesday night.
Goals from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Matt Grimes gave Frank Lampard’s men a sixth successive win and saw them stretch their lead at the top of the table to eight points.
Perhaps more importantly they are nine clear of Millwall in third and with nine games to go seemingly destined for a return to the Premier League.
But when will that happen? When will the 25-year top flight absence be confined to the history books? CoventryLive crunches the numbers.
When can the Sky Blues be promoted?
Millwall have 68 points, Ipswich have 65 but a game in hand. They play each other at Portman Road on March 21 so maximum either could get would be 95 points.
If City win every game from now, their massively superior goal difference would see them effectively promoted at Blackburn on Saturday, April 18 – albeit guaranteed elevation would come in the following game against Portsmouth on Tuesday, April 21.
When can they win the title?
At present Middlesbrough are the team to watch for this one. Boro on 69 points with nine games to go, so their maximum total is 96.
With 77 already on the board City need 20 more points – which if both teams win every game from here, would make Pompey at home on April 21 title day.
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What’s the latest for either?
Obviously the last game of the season but the Sky Blues would need to miss more than a few steps to end up needing to go to the final day away to Watford on May 2.
Don’t even mention it
The play-off final is at Wembley on Saturday, May 23. Yes it’s the best way to go up, but no thanks.
What’s the most likely promotion date?
This is much happier reading, Opta think Boro will finish second, with 83.97 points. Millwall are calculated to come third on 82.32 points.
Obviously the Sky Blues won’t be sure at the time but if those calculations are accurate, Lampard’s men could pass 84 points – and notionally have enough to be champions – on Good Friday, April 3 at home to Derby.
They could pass 83 points – according to Opta enough for promotion – a week on Saturday at Swansea.
But as mentioned those figures have been moving up and down all season and at this stage are nothing more than estimations.
Remaining fixtures
Mar 14 Southampton (h)
Mar 21 Swansea (a)
Apr 3 Derby (h)
Apr 6 Hull (a)
Apr 11 Sheff Wed (h)
Apr 18 Blackburn (a)
Apr 21 Portsmouth (h)
Apr 25 Wrexham (h)
May 2 Watford (a)
Which game would you like promotion to be secured? Let us know