Top 10 highest scoring Championship teams ever
Coventry City are on this list after easing past the 90-goal mark on their way back to the Premier League, but who else makes the cut?
And can Frank Lampard overtake his old friends from Leeds?
10) Newcastle United (1992/93) – 92 goals
This season and team is pivotal in not just the second tier, but Premier League history. The 92-goal Magpies thrust Kevin Keegan into the managerial spotlight, as well as one of the greatest ’90s strikers in Andy Cole. David Kelly top-scored for Newcastle that year as one of England’s most beloved sides was starting to be built.
9) Norwich City (2018/19) – 93 goals
Nobody particularly knew much about Teemu Pukki and Emi Buendia prior to that season, but everybody did by the end. Pukki scored 29 goals with Buendia brilliantly creative in a hugely entertaining team coached by Daniel Farke. The next season in the Premier League they scored just 26 goals. Ouch.
8) Coventry City (2025/26) – 93 goals
The Great Entertainers of the Championship have been promoted thanks to the goals of Haji Wright, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ellis Sims and Ephron Mason-Clark, who have all hit double figures. There’s a recent precedent to that translating to the Premier League…
7) Leeds United (2024/25) – 95 goals
Our second Daniel Farke team but this one has done rather better in the Premier League, though top scorers Joel Piroe and Dan James have been pretty much cast aside.
6) Portsmouth (2002/03) – 97 goals
What a cast of characters Harry Redknapp put together at Pompey in 2002. He persuaded Jim Smith to join him on the pitch and coaxed some ageing but hugely talented players like Tim Sherwood and Steve Stone onto the pitch. Paul Merson’s best years were behind him but he was fantastic in providing the ammo for Svetoslav Todorov and a young Yakubu.
5) Bournemouth (2014/15) – 98 goals
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth finished their charge up the divisions courtesy of their 98-goal Championship season in 2014/15. The subsequent FFP charge often comes up in reference to this side, but with Callum Wilson and Yann Kermorgant assisted by Matt Ritchie and Marc Pugh, there’s no arguing that they weren’t massively prolific and entertaining.
4) Reading (2005/06) – 99 goals
The oft-lauded Reading team of 2005/06 holds the record for the most points but they didn’t quite crack the 100-goal mark. When you look through the regular XI the names don’t quite have the star power of other teams in this list, but they were a formidable team perfectly set up by Steve Coppell. Kevin Doyle and Dave Kitson both hit 18 goals, while Steve Sidwell and James Harper dominated centrally in a side so well balanced it beggars belief.
3) Bolton Wanderers (1996/97) – 100 goals
All hail our first centurions in the list: Bolton 1996/97. Wanderers were well adrift at the bottom of the Premier League the previous campaign but lost just four games the following season under Colin Todd. Their goalscoring exploits were led by a prolific John McGinlay and Nathan Blake partnership that contributed 44 of their mighty 100-goal total.
2) Fulham (2021/22) – 106 goals
Out went Scott Parker and in came Marco Silva for a phenomenal free-scoring season which featured a remarkable three 7-0 wins. Aleksandar Mitrović scored a frankly ridiculous 43 goals thanks to the ammunition of Harry Wilson, Fabio Carvalho and Neeskens Cabano.
1) Manchester City (2001/02) – 108 goals
Out in front by some distance on 108 goals and our number one team are Manchester City 2001/02. We’ve already hailed Keegan for his Newcastle exploits, but he came back from his England disappointment to create another absolute goal machine. Shaun Goater was fed by a frankly way too good for the league creative duo of Eyal Berkovic and Ali Bernabia. Lethal, joyous, and the most prolific Championship team ever…for now.
