PREVIEW: Coventry take on league leaders Middlesbrough in crucial Championship showdown | OneFootball

Monday night will see a crucial Sky Bet Championship clash at the Coventry Building Society Arena, as Coventry City host table-topping Middlesbrough.

Coventry were virtually unstoppable during the first half of the season, but their form has dipped sharply in 2026, with just two wins from seven league games and four defeats.

This slump has seen them slip to second place – much to the delight of Boro, who have won all six of their league matches since the New Year, including victories over Southampton, West Brom, Stoke, Preston, Norwich, and Sheffield United.

A remarkable run that has seen Middlesbrough overcome a nine-point deficit to overtake Coventry at the top of the table last weekend.

The Sky Blues come into this one off the back of a frustrating 0-0 draw at home against relegation-threatened Oxford United, a game in which they created numerous chances but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Jamie Cumming, who made six saves, while Coventry also fired 18 shots off target.

Middlesbrough’s top scorer, Morgan Whittaker, is without a goal in his last two matches, but former Bristol City striker Tommy Conway has stepped up, scoring three goals in his last three league games to bring his tally to seven this season.

Earlier this season, Frank Lampard’s side suffered a 4-2 defeat in the North East, with late braces from Ellis Simms and Liam Kitching securing the win for Boro. Historically, Coventry have had the upper hand in this fixture, winning the last six meetings between the sides. Middlesbrough’s last victory here came in January 2022, when Andraz Sporar scored the only goal.

Boro have also faced upheaval this season, losing manager Rob Edwards to Wolves in November. Swedish coach Kim Hellberg replaced him and has overseen 10 wins from his first 15 matches, putting Middlesbrough firmly in contention for a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

Coventry last featured in the top flight in the 2000/01 season, having since played across all three tiers of the EFL. Ahead of the clash, Lampard confirmed that winger Ephron Mason-Clark is “hoping” to be available after missing the Oxford game with a foot injury, while loan signing Frank Onyeka has returned to full training following the birth of his second child.

Hellberg issued a statement of intent, saying: “We’re going to go there and try to take control of the game. We want to play the way we want ourselves – that’s the most important thing.”

The match kicks off at the CBS Arena on Monday, February 16th, at 8pm (UK time), and you’ll be able to watch it on Sky Sports.