Birmingham City fixtures: Opta Analyst predictor makes grim reading for Blues
Opta believes that Birmingham City have the toughest opening eight fixtures in the Championship ahead of the new 2026-27 campaign.
Chris Davies is aiming to guide the Blues back to the Premier League this summer after missing out on the playoffs last campaign.
Birmingham were forced to settle for a 10th-place finish last season, despite ending the campaign on a five-match unbeaten run.
The West Midlands club have impressed in pre-season too, winning their first five matches before drawing to Barcelona at St Andrews.
Since then, they have gone on to knock Swansea City out of the Carabao Cup in the first round as they won 1-0.
However, the start of their Championship season may not be as smooth running, with the Blues facing the hardest run of fixtures before the international break.
Birmingham City face the hardest start in the Championship
According to Opta’s predictions, Birmingham face a terrible first eight matches of the campaign.
When examining Birmingham’s fixtures, this will come as little surprise, with the club hosting matches against Southampton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Middlesbrough.
All three of these teams are expected to be competing for a top two place in the table.
On top of this, the Blues will travel to Sheffield United, Wrexham, Norwich City and Derby County, all of whom could end the season in the playoffs.
Therefore, for many Birmingham fans hoping for an excellent start to the new season, this will be grim reading.
Who else are Birmingham looking to sign this summer?
Football Insider has exclusively reported that Birmingham City have held preliminary talks to sign Joe Gelhardt this summer.
The Leeds United attacker had a highly successful loan spell at Hull City last season, where he helped the club achieve promotion.
Now, the Blues are looking to secure a loan deal for the 24-year-old before the transfer window slams shut.
However, they will face competition from Hull City, who are keen to re-sign the attacker ahead of their upcoming Premier League campaign.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen who will win the race for Gelhardt this summer.