How Wrexham's Remaining Fixtures Compare to Playoff Rivals After Birmingham Defeat
Wrexham's chances of securing a fourth consecutive promotion are slowly turning to dust after a recent downturn in form.
After a strong 2025–26 campaign in their grand return to the EFL Championship, the Red Dragons have dropped points in five of their last seven matches, falling out of the playoff places with just four games left in the season.
Their most recent blunder, a 2–0 defeat to Birmingham City, came just five days after Phil Parkinson's men were absolutely demolished 5–1 by playoff rivals Southampton. The two results, combined with a valiant 2–2 draw with West Brom, leave the oldest club in Wales winless since the international break.
Wrexham's Premier League dreams hinge on a return to winning ways, but even that might not be enough to get back into the playoff places. The club also needs its biggest competitors to stumble in their remaining fixtures as well.
Wrexham Standings: EFL Championship Table After 42 Games
| Place | Team | Points | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry City | 85 | 42 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 75 | 40 |
| 3 | Millwall | 73 | 42 |
| 4 | Middlesbrough | 72 | 42 |
| 5 | Southampton | 69 | 41 |
| 6 | Hull City | 68 | 42 |
| 7 | Wrexham | 64 | 42 |
| 8 | Derby County | 63 | 42 |
Wrexham now find themselves in seventh place, with 64 points in 42 games. With such few matches remaining, reclaiming sixth place is likely the only option for the Red Dragons to sneak into the playoffs.
Standing in their way are Southampton, Hull City and Derby County. Realistically, the Saints are out of reach with 69 points in fifth place considering they still have a game in hand.
The Tigers, though, are even on games played with Parkinson's men and only four points ahead of them in sixth place. Wrexham, who would have to remain perfect to even get a chance at overtaking Hull, also have Derby County breathing down their neck.
The eighth-place side is only trailing the Welsh outfit by one point, which means another stumble from Wrexham will leave the door open for Derby to leapfrog them in the standings and all but eliminate their playoff hopes.
Hull, Wrexham and Derby's Remaining Championship Fixtures
| Hull City (6th, 68 points) | Wrexham (7th, 64 points) | Derby (8th, 63 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Hull vs. Birmingham (April 18) | Wrexham vs. Stoke City (April 18) | Derby vs. Oxford Utd (April 18) |
| Leicester vs. Hull (April 21) | Oxford Utd vs. Wrexham (April 21) | Norwich vs. Derby (April 21) |
| Charlton vs. Hull (April 25) | Coventry vs. Wrexham (April 26) | QPR vs. Derby (April 25) |
| Hull vs. Norwich (May 2) | Wrexham vs. Middlesbrough (May 2) | Derby vs. Sheffield Utd (May 2) |
Of the three teams fighting for sixth place, Wrexham have the toughest slate of fixtures left. The Red Dragons first must face off with Stoke City, a team that already beat them back in October.
Then, after what should be a routine outing against relegation-battling Oxford United, Parkinson's men clash with league-leaders Coventry City and fourth-place Middlesbrough to close out the season-two nightmare opponents for a team that needs to win every game left on its schedule.
Hull City have some tricky fixtures coming their way as well, though nowhere near the level of difficulty still awaiting Wrexham. Next up is a pesky Birmingham side that the Tigers have only beaten once in their last four meetings across all competitions.
Relegation-bound Leicester City and 18th-place Charlton should pose little threat, before Hull end their season against Norwich City. Sergej Jakirović's men will welcome the added boost of the home crowd for a fixture that could determine whether they secure sixth place or not.
Derby also havewhat promises to be a competitive battle with Norwich left on their slate, but otherwise, they are relatively home free. Oxford United and Sheffield United are in the bottom half of the standings, and QPR are inconsistent at best.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Wrexham's Remaining Fixtures Compare to Playoff Rivals After Birmingham Defeat.
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This story was originally published April 12, 2026 at 11:05 AM.