The Premier League is just eight points away for Coventry City, but it could be secured next week after just two victories
Kieran Horn
22:45, 03 Apr 2026
Coventry City players celebrate a goal during the game against Derby County
Coventry City are on the verge of promotion to the Premier League after beating Derby County 3-2(Image: (Photo by Ryan Browne/Shutterstock))
Coventry City can wrap up promotion to the Premier League in just eight days. Frank Lampard's side beat Derby County in a five-goal thriller on Friday evening with Frank Onyeka's bizarre strike and a Jack Rudoni brace sealing the win under the lights at the CBS Arena.
The Sky Blues were made to work for the points with Onyeka's unorthodox cross-shot opener initially cancelled out by Ben Brereton-Diaz. The returning Rudoni then struck off the bench before the Derby attacker scored another equaliser, with this one a controversial penalty.
Rudoni managed more heroics just moments later, however, as he expertly turned home a Milan van Ewijk cross. Coventry managed to defend resolutely for the remainder and thus picked up another important win, which has moved them 12 clear of Middlesbrough in third.
The Premier League is now so close for Lampard and Co. but there is still work to be done. With all of that being said, CoventryLive has taken a look at exactly when promotion can be celebrated in CV6.
Earliest date Coventry can secure promotion
The victory over Derby has taken Coventry up to 83 points at the top and that means promotion to the Premier League can technically be achieved at their game at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, April 11.
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK!Get more Coventry City news and analysis via our FB page
For that highly unlikely scenario to play out, the Sky Blues would need to beat Hull on Easter Monday. They also require both of Ipswich and Middlesbrough to lose their next two games with Millwall now in second after their win at the latter on Good Friday.
Coventry could hit a maximum of 89 points after those two games with Middlesbrough and Ipswich losing their matches to remain on 71 and 69, respectively. That scenario would make Coventry's tally unreachable by either even with Ipswich having two games in hand.
Ipswich were due to face Southampton but the latter's involvement in the FA Cup quarter-finals has seen that clash pushed back to late April. And the gap will be too big if they lose to Birmingham and Norwich over the coming week while Coventry win both of their games.
Either Middlesbrough or Ipswich picking up only one point could also be enough if Coventry beat Hull and Wednesday with their two rivals then being 17 or 19 points behind.
Coventry City players celebrate
Coventry City beat Derby on Friday evening(Image: Anna Gowthorpe/Shutterstock)
Alternative Coventry promotion scenarios
Despite the possibility of promotion out of the Championship being possible in just over one week, it would take just one of Boro and Ipswich to win one of their next games in order to prevent that.
The wait for promotion would subsequently go to the following Friday when they face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Lampard and his players could even know what they have to do for that clash as Ipswich play one of their games in hand a few days prior.
Ipswich beating Portsmouth after winning against either Birmingham or local rivals Norwich would be enough for Coventry to claim an automatic promotion spot assuming they win all of their next three games.
Though there is a big gap between Coventry and those below them, they require just eight points from a possible 18 left with Ipswich only able to hit a maximum of 93.
Article continues below
Second-placed Millwall can only hit 90 if they win all of their remaining games which makes two wins and two draws or just three victories enough for Coventry.
Should goal difference come into play - and City will be hoping it doesn't get to that - their vastly superior tally of +42 compared to Millwall (+10), Boro (+21) and Ipswich (+28) effectively acts as an extra point at this late stage of the campaign.