Championship 2026-27 season preview: West Ham, Wolves headline second-tier promotion race

After six years of dependable maturation successful the part nether Mark Robins and Frank Lampard, Coventry City secured the Championship rubric past season, sealing a instrumentality to the Premier League for the archetypal clip successful implicit 2 decades.

Ipswich Town and astonishment bundle Hull City joined the Sky Blues successful the promised onshore aft a 46-game run which provided grounds to clubs that dilatory and sustainable progression could yet pb to the eventual prize.

However, that rather-fairytale publication looks successful information of being ripped up and thrown successful the metaphorical bin this season, with a fig of large food dropping down from the apical formation into Championship waters.

Here, Sports Mole looks astatine immoderate of the teams who could beryllium heavy progressive successful the second-tier promotion contention this campaign.

Championship 2026-27 play preview: Summer income improbable to thwart West Ham

For the archetypal clip successful 14 years, West Ham United are backmost successful the Championship aft an 18th-placed Premier League decorativeness past season, yet pipped to top-flight information by metropolis rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Hammers suffering the drop, the 2026-27 2nd tier has a standout nine erstwhile again, akin to the storylines of Newcastle United successful 2016-17 and erstwhile English champions Leicester City successful 2023-24.

Both the Magpies and the Foxes cantered to the Championship rubric successful those seasons with implicit 90 points, and specified a palmy run is not beyond the scope of West Ham nether Nuno Espirito Santo.

The summertime income of Crysencio Summerville, Mateus Fernandes and Callum Wilson person weakened the squad but bolstered the East Londoners' slope balance, whilst the Hammers person crucially committed Jarrod Bowen to the second-tier fight.

Championship 2026-27 play preview: Wolves ditch section lad for Portuguese promise

After guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers done the last 7 months of their disastrous 2025-26 campaign, Rob Edwards was relieved of his duties successful June, with the Black Country nine appointing Cesar Peixoto.

The Old Gold person returned to Portuguese roots successful a quest to repetition their astir caller run successful the Championship of 2017-18, erstwhile Ruben Neves headlined arguably the astir talented title-winning XI successful the division's history.

The throwback taxable is beardown astatine Molineux this play but determination is surely much than nostalgia successful store pursuing the accomplishment of striker Raul Jimenez and erstwhile England planetary Kieran Trippier.

Without West Ham's intrusion into the 2nd tier, Wolves would beryllium the evident favourites for automatic promotion this term, successful which league derby days with West Bromwich Albion volition instrumentality for the archetypal clip since 2021.

Championship 2026-27 play preview: Spygate ungraded deals Southampton promotion problem

Despite giving the remainder of their promotion rivals a caput commencement during the archetypal 3 months of past season, Southampton raced into the Championship playoffs earlier 1 of the division's biggest-ever scandals.

After playing excellently against Arsenal and Manchester City successful the spring, the Saints were the overwhelming favourites for Wembley occurrence against Hull earlier Tonda Eckert's broadside were expelled from the promotion contention owed to spying connected absorption grooming sessions.

Southampton are nary longer the large dogs successful the Championship promotion contention pursuing the relegations of West Ham, Wolves and adjacent Burnley, with the South Coast nine perchance a wounded carnal from the stresses of past season.

The Saints person done good to unafraid the imperishable services of Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz aft awesome indebtedness stints, however, the aboriginal of prima attacker Leo Scienza is presently unclear. 

Championship 2026-27 play preview: Wrexham, Birmingham among those to payment from playoff expansion

Bolstered by American backing, Wrexham and Birmingham City are often packaged unneurotic by Championship commentators arsenic 2 sides with dreams of reaching the Premier League and making a important impact.

The Red Dragons and Blues finished seventh and 10th respectively past season, with some clubs volition surely fancying their chances of making the playoffs successful 2026-27 pursuing its enlargement to six teams.

As good arsenic those sides progressive successful the alleged Hollywood derby, Millwall, Middlesbrough and Norwich City volition besides beryllium looking to person a accidental successful the promotion race, arsenic good arsenic Derby County and Sheffield United.

Championship 2026-27 play preview: Promotion contention arsenic predicted by AI

We asked ChatGPT to foretell the winners of the 2026-27 Championship season, and the AI is backing West Ham to assistance the second-tier title, with Burnley fixed the 2nd spot successful the apical two.

The machine has predicted Wolves (third), Southampton (fourth), Middlesbrough (fifth), Birmingham (sixth), Norwich (seventh) and Sheffield United (eighth) to marque up remainder the apical eight, with Wolves going connected to bushed the Saints successful the playoff last astatine Wembley.