City go into this weekend’s clash with Stockport County on the cusp of matching an all-time record in the Football League for unbeaten matches.
If we avoid defeat against the Hatters, it will mean we have done so for 20 consecutive League One matches, with the current record standing at 19. That record, set by Danny Cowley’s Imps in 2018/19, helped us to the League Two title.
Can another record help us to the Championship? Most outside the club think it will, but inside, we still need the maths to add up.
I thought, as comparison is the thief of joy, and I am always up for stealing joy, I’d compare the two runs, game by game, for you to relive and enjoy. I also thought I’d give you the sold stats.
Our current run has seen us win 15 matches and draw four, giving us an unbelievable points haul of 49 from a possible 57. In 2018/19, the same run brought us nine wins and ten draws, 37 points from the possible 57. In terms of goals, our last 19 matches have seen us amass an aggregate score of 44-13, while in 2018/19, it was 31-16. This run will have lasted for 105 as a minimum, taking us up to Saturday, while the last one was good for 111 days.
I’m not saying a previous club-record run of 19 games was poor, not at all, but it’s important to see how utterly outstanding this latest run has been.
I’m not going to decide which is best, because one doesn’t need to be better than the other, but here is how each run unfolded, match by match, for you to enjoy.
Match 1
Sa 29 Nov 2025 – Port Vale – 1-0 (H)
Sa 29 Dec 2018 – Cambridge U – 2-1 (A)
This run started with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against struggling Port Vale, looking to pick up the pieces after our 3-2 defeat against Wycombe. In 2018, we had to come from behind away at Cambridge United, going 1-0 down to a goal by veteran Jobo Ibhere, before John Akinde and Neal Eardley snatched us the points. Our defeat on Boxing Day against Crewe had been something of a shock, with us having been unbeaten in ten league and cup matches beforehand.
Match 2
Tu 09 Dec 2025 – Barnsley – 3-1 (H)
Tu 01 Jan 2019 – Port Vale – 1-1 (H)
Port Vale again (olé olé) as they feature early in the run. They were struggling, and we should have won, but Manny Oyeleke bagged in the 90th minute to earn them a point.
This season, the 3-1 win at Barnsley was a respite from what felt like a tough run, where the Port Vale win made it just three wins in nine in all competitions.
Match 3
Sa 13 Dec 2025 – Blackpool – 2-2 (A)
Sa 12 Jan 2019 – Swindon – 2-2 (A)
Match three in both runs was a 2-2 draw, away from home, in which we took a 2-0 lead. How odd! January 12th, 2019 was the day I got my dog, Charlie, and we took a 2-0 lead early, only to have Bruno Andrade and Jason Shackell sent off. Swindon bagged a penalty, and then in the 90th minute, they levelled.
This season, we were 2-0 down against Blackpool, only for them to get back into it with a penalty, and then score late on to secure a point they barely deserved.
Even spookier, both were our first away games after defeat in a cup competition, which punctuates the early part of the run. Blackpool this season came seven days after we lost to Huddersfield, while the Swindon draw came seven days after we lost at Everton.
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