Updated March 17, 2026
Alex Neil transforms the Lions into genuine promotion contenders
Millwall's 2025-26 season has exceeded every pre-season prediction, with Alex Neil's side sitting third in the Championship with 59 points from 34 matches and harbouring realistic ambitions of automatic promotion. Seven wins from nine games have propelled the Lions to within a single point of second-placed Middlesbrough, and the defence has kept the most clean sheets in the division. The Den is generating an atmosphere that visiting teams genuinely fear.
Record sale of Romain Esse funds a squad built for the occasion
The fourteen-million-pound sale of Romain Esse to Crystal Palace in May 2025 gave Millwall the financial firepower to invest in a squad capable of challenging at the top. Club-record signing Josh Coburn has delivered crucial goals, eight-goal winger Femi Azeez has provided flair, and the midfield presses with an intensity that reflects Neil's tactical demands. Millwall have always been a tough proposition at home; now they are winning on the road with equal conviction.
A historic opportunity beckons for Bermondsey's club
Millwall have not played in the top flight since 1989-90, and the current campaign represents arguably their best chance in a generation to end that drought. Attendances at The Den have surged, with the 19,004 crowd for the Charlton match marking the largest Football League attendance at the ground. The Lions' fans, long accustomed to being written off, are allowing themselves to dream of Premier League football for the first time in 36 years.