Why Coventry City and QPR prove how unpredictable the Championship | OneFootball

Since Coventry City defeated QPR 7-1 last month, the two clubs have each gone on an unexpected trajectory.

Last month, Coventry City defeated Queens Park Rangers in what was a humiliating display by the R's, losing the game 7-1 at the CBS Arena. Since then, the two clubs have each gone on to two very different trajectories.

The 2025/26 EFL Championship season is well and truly underway, with many twists and turns having already occurred in the opening stages of the campaign.

Sheffield United, who were one of the league favourites for promotion this season, are yet to pick up a single point in six matches, are rooted to the bottom of the table and have already sacked Ruben Selles and replaced him with Chris Wilder, just months after Wilder himself was dismissed.

Middlesbrough top the league table on 16 points from a possible 18, with Rob Edwards' side taking the second tier by storm as they have been the fastest out of the blocks.

The most surprising result at this stage in the season almost certainly would have to go to Coventry and QPR, who played out a 7-1 result in favour of the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena, where almost everything the home side touched went in that day.

But since that fixture just one month ago, the two sides have gone on completely different trajectories to that of what would have been expected, with the Championship reinforcing its claim as the most unpredictable league in world football.

Coventry City have not won a match since their fixture with QPR

Following their 7-1 demolition of QPR, the mood around Coventry was at an all-time high.

Their next match away to Millwall in the League Cup would no doubt have been one that the Sky Blues will have been cautious about, however, such as the Lions form at The Den, which would ultimately result in a 2-1 victory for the home side.

Heading back into League action, a 2-2 draw away to Oxford United followed, with a home tie against Norwich City in the next match ending in a 1-1 draw. Despite the Sky Blues dominating the match, it was a late goal from Haji Wright which rescued a point for them.

Their most recent outing was a goalless draw away to Leicester City, meaning Frank Lampard's side have yet to taste victory since their hammering of QPR.

QPR have been in scintillating form since their humiliation at the hands of Coventry City

On the flip-side, almost nobody would have predicted how emphatically QPR would bounce back after their battering last month.

A London derby at home against Charlton would be their first test since Coventry, which they passed convincingly in the end, thanks to two late goals from Koki Saito and Richard Kone sealing a 3-1 victory and their first win of the campaign.

The R's travelled to North Wales next to face newly-promoted Wrexham, whom they defeated 3-1 courtesy of goals from Kone, Rumarn Burrell and an own-goal by Conor Coady.

Their most recent fixture was one of their toughest tests yet on paper, against Stoke City, who again they would ultimately defeat 1-0 thanks to Harvey Vale's first goal for the club, amid a controversial challenge by defender Amadou Mbengue in the first half.