Championship Predictions – Game week One: Alex and Christian take on guest Jacob Horsfall
One of the most fascinating leagues in the world, the Championship, returns for another season.
Each new campaign brings six new teams into the fold, some off the back of successful League One campaigns, some after traumatic Premier League relegations. What unites them all in gameweek one is that each has a clean slate.
This season, Alex and Christian are going to attempt to predict the unpredictable and decide on each result every week, joined by some special guests along the way.
552 games – it all starts now.
How It Works
Each week of the season, Attacking Football writers Alex and Christian will be joined by a special guest in predicting the twelve games to come. Each score matters, as there is a league table reflecting each correct outcome.’
In this table, the points are rewarded accordingly:
2 points for guessing the exact scoreline
1 point for guessing the correct outcome
See the end of every article for the league table.
READ MORE: John Terry Slams Modern Football: “I Don’t Enjoy Watching It Anymore”
This Week’s Guest
We’re delighted to say our first guest of the season is content creator Jacob Horsfall, whose football insight can be found on X, YouTube and TikTok. Make sure to check him out!
Gameweek One Predictions
| Fixture | Alex | Christian | Jacob |
| Birmingham v Ipswich | In what should be a blockbuster opener to the season, I can see this one being lively. Ipswich’s quality should edge it – 2-1. Ipswich | Birmingham have had a strong window, but McKenna’s well-drilled Ipswich side, packed with goal scorers and talent, should look to dominate. 3-0 Ipswich. | Birmingham’s “feel good story” steals the show. Ipswich will undoubtedly destroy the Championship this season but it’ll start off rocky! 2-1 Birmingham. |
| Charlton v Watford | Both clubs will be interesting this season; Nathan Jones is certainly a pantomime villain in the making! I can see Charlton getting a surprise result out of this one at home! 1-0 Charlton | Out of the three promoted sides, Charlton are the most overlooked side. Jones is a Championship-proven manager, and it will be a tough test for Watford, despite their higher quality on paper. 0-0. | Both have had solid-good summer windows. Watford just have too much quality in comparison, though. 2-0 to Watford. |
| Coventry v Hull | Coventry will have some big pressure this season to perform, but Hull are a bit of an unknown quantity. I can see Lampard’s side winning comfortably. 2-0 Coventry. | Lampard’s Coventry really turned things around last season. Hull, barely surviving last time, could look set to struggle again. With players like Haji Wright and Jack Rudoni, Coventry’s attack should be too strong in this one. 4-0 Coventry. | Coventry have far, far too much quality. Especially if Charlie Hughes ends up done. 3-1 Coventry. |
| Southampton v Wrexham | This should be an interesting one; I’ll be there at St Mary’s myself. Wrexham have made some good additions, making the game tight, but the quality of Saints should come through. 2-1 Saints. | This match sums up the Championship. Unpredictable. Wrexham are flying after three straight promotions, while Saints return to where they were just two years ago. A perfect early test for both. 2-2. | Battle of “ooo, that’s interesting”. I think Southampton’s quality is just too much to falter here. 1-0 Saints. |
| Middlesbrough v Swansea | Swansea have had a very solid transfer window, while Middlesbrough have a new manager in Rob Edwards. I can see this being a close one. 1-1. | Rob Edwards has a big task ahead. Middlesbrough have struggled despite their quality in recent seasons, while Swansea have quietly strengthened over the summer. 1-0 Swansea. | Middlesbrough have been in some sad states lately. I rate Edwards as an appointment but think it’ll be a slow start. The Swans and their summer business excite me. 2-0 Swansea. |
| Norwich v Millwall | I can see this being one of the poorer games of the opening weekend; Millwall away may be a tough one for the Canaries. 1-1. | Millwall look like potential dark horses, but Norwich under Liam Manning are serious contenders. With home support behind them, I’m backing Norwich to edge it. 2-1 Norwich. | Milllllllllllll. Norwich are always naturally exciting but Millwall are inevitable. 1-0 Millwall. |
| Oxford v Portsmouth | Both stayed up after being newly promoted last campaign, but something tells me Portsmouth will get a huge away win here. 3-0 Portsmouth. | These two finished next to each other last season, but Portsmouth have only lost one in their previous ten meetings. With key player Josh Murphy and the overall attack more settled, they should have the edge. 2-1 Blues. | Battle of the League One survivors. Could go either way but I’ll settle on a draw. 1-1 |
| QPR v Preston | QPR’s signing of Kwame Poku looks exciting, and I can see them getting a decent result against a Preston side that seems to be faltering at the moment. 2-1 QPR. | Transfer activity has been promising for QPR, especially after losing Marti Cifuentes. Preston have leaned heavily on the free agent market, and this might be a tough opener for them. 1-0 QPR. | The R’s have had a good summer and Preston worry me… 2-0 QPR. |
| Stoke v Derby | Derby are recruiting well and seem on their way forwards again. They’ll win away from home. 1-0 Derby. | Derby have had a very strong window, but early injuries could hold them back on the opening day. Stoke might benefit, but this feels like a cagey opener. 0-0 | Stoke always have solid summers and then play poorly. Mighty Eustace marches on. I’m going with a Derby away win. 1-0 Derby. |
| West Brom v Blackburn | Bold prediction – I can see this being high-scoring! West Brom should take the home advantage and win based off of output from superstar Tom Fellows. 4-2 West Brom | Ryan Mason kicks off his managerial stint at The Hawthorns, bringing fresh ideas to a West Brom side in need of direction. Blackburn, meanwhile, will aim to control the game in and out of possession under Valérien Ismaël. 1-0 Blackburn. | West Brom win. Simple as that. 3-0 West Brom |
| Sheffield United v Bristol City | Both teams are in a period of transition, so I can see this one being a game that neither side wants to lose. Despite this, Sheffield United should have too much at Bramall Lane. 2-0 the Blades. | For Bristol City, losing manager Liam Manning feels like a real blow, whereas Sheffield United may have pulled off a smart switch in replacing Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles. The Blades’ transfers have been… questionable; the quality is still there. 2-0 Sheffield United. | Play-off flashbacks… I think teething issues for both sides could lead to a pretty dull affair. 1-0 Sheffield United. |
| Leicester v Sheffield Wednesday | With respect to Sheffield Wednesday, this should be a walk in the park for the Foxes, whose opponents have been decimated this summer due to Dejphon Chansiri’s disgraceful ownership. 4-0 Leicester. | With no points deduction as of yet and one of the strongest squads in the league, Leicester should come into this one full of confidence. Wednesdays, however, are short on depth and quality. This should be a comfortable start for the Foxes. 3-0 Leicester. | Two fanbases that hate their owners collide! Way too much attacking quality and Wednesday are already on the floor. 4-0 to Leicester. |
Alex + Christian vs The Guests
| Alex | Christian | Guests | |
| GW1 Points | – | – | – |
| Total Points | – | – | – |
Make sure to check back each week for the latest predictions and guests, and see how the table develops!
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