Simeon Gholam’s Championship score predictions have been revealed ahead of the next round of matches for the 2025/26 season.
Watch plenty of games live across Sky Sports with highlights of the other EFL matches on Sky Sports News, ITV and YouTube.
It’s set up to be another exciting season, with many soccer scores to keep an eye on across the world.
Simeon Gholam is without David Prutton this week, so is instead joined by Gary Weaver gave a preview heading into the next game of the regular season, predicting the results of every fixture; listen to the podcast below or via any of your regular podcast providers.
WREXHAM v COVENTRY
Simeon: Five points off the playoffs. And of course, they lost in midweek in the Carabao, in the old Welsh Derby to Cardiff City. Coventry, three points clear at the top, six wins on the bounce. Irrepressible, unstoppable form at the moment for Frank Lampard’s side. We’ll start with Wrexham, though. Not the best week for them in terms of losing at home to Cardiff in the cup and obviously being denied that win later on at Middlesbrough in the Championship last weekend.
Gary Weaver: Yeah. But I think they’ll be happy with the points at Borough. And we said it before, they look a really good Championship team to me, now Wrexham, what they’ve built there under Phil. The game against Cardiff, he obviously made changes, but Cardiff City were so good. They were excellent. And that was a game of real feeling, Cardiff, from the capital of Wales, they really had to start throwing their weight around in that game, which they did, to be fair. But Wrexham would be looking forward to this, the Racecourse. I went there for the first time the other week, which I can’t believe I hadn’t been there before. That place will be bouncing for Coventry on Friday. And Phil Parkinson, you always back Phil to come up with some kind of plan, tactical plan to try and negate a Coventry team, which as you say, mate, flying. Who can stop them right now?
Simeon: Can Wrexham stop them? That’s the question we’re going to ask. But yeah, Coventry, as we said, just so good at the moment. It’s really, really, six wins in a row, as I said, it’s really, really exploded. They’re so much better than every other team in the Championship at the moment. I can’t remember a team, a time or a season, at least in my time covering the Championship, where one team, even at this stage has been so clearly much better than everyone else in the league.
Gary: And that’s the thing. And it’s not just the scorelines. If you look at the underlying stats that we like to talk about, the top of them as well, they are the best team in the And you look at Frank, you know, we’ll change things around. He went to back three against Portsmouth to try and negate their physicality, whether he tries the same against Wrexham and Kieffer Moore on Friday night and puts Luke Woolfenden as an extra centre back. Brandon Thomas Asante, seven and seven, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s mad to think Brandon Thomas Asante was almost out the door last January. Blackburn almost signed him January 2025, so earlier this year. But Frank, as I say, he changes things around and in terms of tactically, but the big thing, I mean, we mentioned it before for me is that the continuity from last season, because they were excellent second half of last season, excellent in the playoffs, unlucky to lose against Sunderland. And I think what, three or four signings in the summer, they just picked up and not only carried on, they’ve got even better in there. I know Frank Lampard wants to play it down in terms of it’s the Championship. Something’s always waiting around the corner, but at the moment they are head and shoulders, the best team in this league.
Simeon: Yeah. I mean, they’ve got the two top scorers, as you mentioned, Brandon Thomas Asante had never scored more than 11 in a season in his entire career or any league. He’s scored nine already this season. Haji Wright’s got nine as well. Matt Grimes in midfield dominating things. He’s more touches, more passes than any other midfielder in the league.
Gary: No surprise.
Simeon: Carl Rushworth in goal, more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the league. It’s just, it’s, it’s all just so good at every end of the pitch. It’s quite remarkable. So no doubt they’ll now go and lose 2-0 to Wrexham. But yeah, this is…
Gary: Is that your prediction?
Simeon: No, we’re not there yet. We’re not there yet. This is the first league meeting between these two sides since 1964 and Coventry’s first trip to the racecourse since a league cup win in 1994. These two sides did, however, play two years ago in the FA Cup. I don’t know if you remember that Wrexham won 4-3 at Coventry, but this is obviously at the Racecourse. Do you want to now ask me what I think the score’s going to be?
Simeon’s score prediction: 2-1 Coventry win
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LEICESTER v BLACKBURN
Simeon: Leicester have slipped a tenth in the table, lost their last two. Just a point from three games since the international break. Blackburn, a big, much needed win over Southampton last time out. Just a point in a place above the bottom three heading into the weekend, but not in the bottom three heading into the weekend. Two teams who need a result this weekend for very different reasons. But yeah, Leicester, they were ticking along, weren’t they? Picking up wins and results before, but now it just seems like they’re not even edging those wins anymore, and it’s not really been good enough for what we expected from them, has it?
Gary: Well, you would have thought the winner, Swansea, when they played really well, was the launch pad, but it’s, you know, even with a Championship, it’s a strange old season for the relegated club so far, though they are the highest placed relegated club at the moment, if you like. But yeah, one win in eight. I think Marti Cifuentes is still trying to find his perfect striker. Obviously, he’ll play Daka if he wants to stretch the game and get in behind. Jordan Ayew is coming to link. Carranza is kind of in between those two. I think they’ve had a problem with number 10. Aaron Ramsey looks like he’s injured again. He has been playing well when he’s played there, but when he hasn’t been playing there, he’s tried Jordan James, De Cordova-Reid, Louis Page, who’s now away with England’s under-17s. So yeah, it’s not going well for Leicester, and if you look at the reaction at the end at Millwall, and look, let’s face facts, Millwall are great at the moment, so that’s not easy going to the den, but it wasn’t just that game, I don’t think. Well, it wasn’t, in terms of the Leicester reaction when the players and Marti Cifuentes went over and they were kind of told to go away, more or less, no uncertain terms by a large continuous of the Leicester City fans, so it’ll be an interesting place there on Saturday, it’ll be an interesting place, and yeah, they need to start motoring, and obviously there’s the other side, we’re waiting to hear what happens with the off-the-pitch stuff as well, so a lot of uncertainty there at the moment.
Simeon: Blackburn, as we said, got that win over Southampton last week, just outside their bottom three, obviously, still have the caveat of being a game behind everyone else, and they should really have three more points after that Ipswich game, but they don’t, so we just probably stopped referencing that in every podcast I’ve done since then, but they did get that win last week, and can they kick on under that after, you know, against a Leicester side that are probably quite low on confidence at the moment?
Gary: Well, I’d imagine, I mean, look, what I’d say about Leicester Simeon, when they click, when they play football, and are really at the top level, they’re excellent to watch this season, it’s just trying to turn that into more than 20-minute spells, I think, for Cifuentes, but they’ve shown some really good, well, they’ve played some really good football this season, just trying to sort out that number 10 position for Blackburn, mate. It was toxic at Ewood again last week, behind against Southampton, chants against the owners from the Rovers fans, some against Ismael as well, then it, like you say, it turned around. Again, it’s a strange place, I think, Ewood Park at the moment, and I mean, if you’re Blackburn, you go and try and play on Leicester’s fragility, don’t you, on Saturday, and try and go after them from the off, but you know, Blackburn have had a lot of change this season, and I think more changes than the Ismael expected, Dom Hyam leaving, we’ve spoken about Wrexham, he’s gone there, obviously they’ve lost a lot of players for zero money in the last few years, with Diaz going, Rothwell, so if players weren’t committed to Blackburn, and weren’t going to sign a new contract, then Blackburn are now, well, they’re in the final year, we’ve got to sell them, that’s why there’s been a lot of change, and they’ve reduced the age of the team, so it’s, I hate that word, transition, but I think it is transition for Blackburn Rovers, isn’t it, at the moment, but as for the game itself, like I say, if you’re Rovers, then surely you try and go after Leicester from the off, if you can, and just try and test their confidence, and see what the atmosphere is like around the place.
Simeon: Blackburn won their last trip to the King Power Stadium, but the caveat was, that was the last day of the 2023-24 season, when Leicester had already won the title, and Blackburn needed points to guarantee their survival, so it was very, very different circumstances.
Simeon’s score prediction: 1-1 draw
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NORWICH v HULL
Simeon: Five defeats on the bounce now for Norwich City, no wins in eight, in the bottom three, it can’t go on like this, can it?
Gary: Well, I suppose it can.
Simeon: Very good Mick McCarthy impression.
Gary: Yeah, our old mate Mick.
Simeon: Hull start the weekend, level on points, with 6th place, that team in Charleston is 6th, who are the ones ahead of them late on last time out, so they could be in the play-offs going into this one, if they’d managed to dig that one out, but they didn’t, so they’re not. Let’s start with Norwich, Gary. Liam Manning’s still there, but it can’t go on like this, can it?
Gary: Well, the owner Mark Attanasio is over to show his support for Liam Manning, but obviously nothing’s happening at Carrow Road in terms of their home games, I mean, they’ve been appalling result-wise at home, I know against West Brom they were unlucky, Josh Griffiths was brilliant for West Brom that particular day, but again, we talk about toxic atmospheres, you wonder what Carrow Road would be like if Hull hit the front early on Saturday. I think, look, Liam Manning’s spoken in the last couple of weeks about Norwich City as a club, as a training ground, as everything being too nice, and that’s been mentioned at Norwich before, I remember I spoke to previous Norwich managers who’ve said, look, it can be too nice here sometimes, you know, best training ground or great training grounds, great place to be, great city, great areas around there, and that’s why a lot of players, when they finish playing, they tend to stay in the area, and I know that’s been levelled before, but it’s too nice, and Liam Manning has said the same thing in the last couple of weeks, so he obviously is desperate for a result, you know, he made a big decision to leave Bristol City in the summer, go to Norwich, a homecoming for him, I know he’s a coach at Ipswich but he’s from the Norwich area, but yeah, he’ll be desperate for someone, they just need something, just anything at Carrow Road just to get going.
Simeon: Hull still picking up points even without McBurnie, who’s missed the last few games, who was obviously the catalyst in the first few weeks of the season, I think they’re surprising a few with what they’ve done this season, obviously Ryan Giles is playing really good football as well from his position, assists, leading assister in the Championship at the moment.
Gary: He’s back to doing Ryan Giles things, because he had a difficult spell when he went back to Middlesbrough, didn’t hit the heights again, you know, the same kind of form that he was in previously at Middlesbrough, but yeah, it looks like he’s got his competence back, he’s flying, Joe Gelhardt scoring goals as well, as you mentioned in the absence of McBurnie, yeah, and they are surprising a few people. I think an important part for Hull is Dean Holden, who knows the championship inside out, the assistant manager there who’s been brought in, I mean that’s, you know, I’m going to go over old ground here, Simeon, only because I went to Strasbourg the other week, right, I’m going over old ground here, but Hull’s decision to dispense with Liam Rosenior a season before that, well no, just a shocking decision, I mean, only matched by Sheffield United and what’s happened in their summer when they got rid of Chris Wilder, and Liam’s doing really, really well at Strasbourg now, but yeah, Hull looks to have maybe now recovered from that ridiculous decision, but Dean Holden is a big part of the coaching setup there, and his Championship now, he’s with Steven Gerrard, not so long ago, but yeah, they are surprising a few, and again, as we said before about Blackburn going to Leicester, if you’re Hull, surely you’re going to go after Norwich from the off, and just try and, again, play on the fragility that’s around Carrow Road at the moment. Norwich are unbeaten in the last five against Hull City, winning four, then lost own to the Tigers at September 2010.
Simeon’s score prediction: I don’t like doing this, but I’m going to have to go for more pressure on Norwich City and Liam Manning over a Hull City win, I’m going to say it’s going to be 2-0 to Hull.
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WEST BROM v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Simeon: West Brom back-to-back defeats last week, Watford and Ipswich, they’re now two points off the playoffs. Sheffield Wednesday beaten at home by Oxford last time out, but there were more important things going on at Hillsborough last Saturday, certainly bigger fish to fry there in terms of what’s going on at that club. So the onus is really on West Brom to bounce back and get three points on the board here, isn’t it, Gary? It’s a must win for them.
Gary: Yeah, I was at the game at Ipswich last week when, you know, they’re close to taking the point from Portman Road, then there was that decision by Josh Griffiths to play off the back and play to Alex Mowatt, Ipswich closed in, Jack Clarke scored, which was the winner. We were looking at Ryan Mason down below us, he kicked the seat in the dugout at that point and it looked like he had a few words with Boaz Myhill, the goalkeeping coach as well, and Ryan Mason did say after the game it wasn’t the plan to play out, so why we just played out in that moment there, which has cost us. But they didn’t have much going forward in that particular game, Simeon, last week, I think it was an Isaac Price header late on, if I remember rightly, I think it was the only effort on target and Ryan Mason has said that, you know, in that game in particular we’re not believing that we can score goals. But yeah, as you say for Sheffield Wednesday, mate, their fight is just staying alive and it looks like hopefully that’s going to happen now in terms of what’s happened in the last week or so. And Barry Bannan’s been quite vocal, isn’t he? Do you know what, I’d say about Barry Bannan, love Barry Bannan, brilliant, if you phone him he’ll talk to you, always there for you, fantastic fella. And the way he’s led that club as the captain the last year, there’s not more has been outstanding. And Barry’s spoken about the fact that, look, the players can actually play with a bit more freedom, you know, it’s a long way back now to try and survive in the Championship, but surviving as a club is what matters to Sheffield Wednesday and them having maybe that freedom that Barry’s talking about, it gives them the opportunity to upset a few like West Brom at the weekend.
Simeon: Things kind of start now, you feel like maybe the occasion was a bit overwhelming, so I’m not overwhelmed, but I feel like there was just more important things going on than the actual result last Saturday, so it’ll be interesting to see how they do at the Hawthorns. West Brom have just two defeats in the last 12 against Sheffield Wednesday, although both of those did actually come at Hillsborough last year, they haven’t lost to the Owls at the Hawthorns since 2007.
Simeon’s score prediction: 1-0 West Brom win
BIRMINGHAM v PORTSMOUTH
Gary: Birmingham City versus Portsmouth, Birmingham beating at Bristol City last time out, Chris Davies a bit under pressure maybe, Portsmouth lost their last two, Simeon, what will the result be?
Simeon’s score prediction: I am going to go 1-1.
CHARLTON v SWANSEA
Gary: Charlton v Swansea, Swansea did alright against Manchester City, didn’t they, in the Carabao Cup, so Charlton in the top six heading into the weekend, Simeon, with an exclamation mark you’ve written here, thank you, late point to Hull last time out with a full stop, okay, only one defeated today, Swansea beat Norwich last time out, what will the score be, Simeon?
Simeon’s score prediction: Charlton to win 2-0. Completely negating the fact that Swansea did quite well against Man City in the weekend, they’ll be tired, they’ll be knackered, okay, and Charlton’s a hard place to go.
OXFORD v MILLWALL
Gary: Oxford versus Millwall, Oxford and then just a full stop you’ve written, so okay, won at Sheffield Wednesday last time out, four wins on the bounce from Millwall and just one goal conceded in that time, Oxford-Millwall, Gary Rowett’s against his old club, what do you reckon, Simeon?
Simeon’s score prediction: I am gonna go for a Millwall win because they are too good at the moment, I’m gonna go for 3-1 to Millwall. Yeah, Femi Azeez banging him in at the moment, isn’t he?
QPR v IPSWICH
Gary: Queen’s Park Rangers against Ipswich, Queen’s Park Rangers beating Derby last time, Ipswich late winners against West Bromwich Derby in both 1-0 scorelines, thank you for that information, Simeon, what will the score be?
Simeon: I mean, there’s been some noise at Ipswich this week, hasn’t there, so that could, you know, that could be a bit…
Gary: Celtic noise, you mean?
Simeon’s score prediction: I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t speculate on such things, uh, I’m gonna go for a QPR win here, actually, I’m gonna say QPR to win this, I’m gonna go for a silly David Prutton in scoreline, I’m gonna say 3-2.
SHEFFIELD UNITED v DERBY
Gary: Sheffield United v Derby, Sheffield United, beaten by Preston 3-2 in that comeback last Friday, Derby beat Queen’s Park Rangers, what are you thinking?
Simeon’s score prediction: I’m gonna go for a 1-1 draw here.
SOUTHAMPTON v PRESTON
Gary: Will still need something, doesn’t he? Massively, uh, back-to-back defeats, no wins in four, just two league wins all season, they’ve won just four league games in a year and a half, which obviously includes, wow, way before Will Still and, and the Premier League last season, Preston, that incredible comeback against Sheffield United, what are you thinking at St. Mary’s?
Simeon’s score prediction: Preston to eat more pressure on Will Still and Southampton, I’m gonna go for a 2-1 away win.
STOKE v BRISTOL CITY
Gary: Stoke against Bristol City, Stoke nicked a 1-0 win at Portsmouth last time out, in the words of Simeon, not me, Bristol City, three wins on the bounce under Gerhard Struber, what do you think?
Simeon’s score prediction: 2-2.
WATFORD v MIDDLESBROUGH
Gary: Watford v Middlesbrough. Watford, another full stop, one winning three under Javi Gracia, thus far. Javi Gracia, so far, Middlesbrough, nicked, there we go again, a late draw at home to Wrexham, last time out, two wins from three since the international break, what are you thinking is going to happen at Vicarage Road?
Simeon’s score prediction: I am going to go for a Middlesbrough narrow win, I’m going to say Middlesbrough are going to win this one 1-0.
