Birmingham City manager Chris Davies could be forgiven for a moment of frustration when the club's 2026/27 Championship fixture list landed on his desk this morning. The opening eight games present a formidable challenge that will test whether his side are genuine promotion contenders or merely play-off hopefuls.
Daunting Start at Bramall Lane
Blues begin their campaign with a trip to Sheffield United, revisiting the scene of arguably their darkest day under Davies last season. That traumatic encounter at Bramall Lane cost them dearly, and Davies views the opener as a chance to right those wrongs and address an away record that ultimately cost Birmingham a play-off place. Sheffield United, under Chris Wilder, are expected to challenge at the top end of the table.
The second game sees Bristol City visit St Andrew's—a more favourable fixture after April's 2-1 victory. However, the Robins now operate under new leadership with Michael Skubala, making them an unknown quantity.
Eight Games That Define the Season
Following Bristol City, Blues face a relentless sequence: Wrexham away, Southampton and Wolves at home, Norwich and Derby County away, and Middlesbrough at home. This run concludes before the first international break of the season. Excluding recently relegated Wolves, Blues won only two of these matches last season, drew two, and lost three.
Three opponents—Southampton, Wolves, and Middlesbrough—are expected to be in the thick of the promotion race. The others are all fancied for a play-off push. Birmingham themselves are fifth favourites for promotion at 15/4 with Bet365, behind West Ham, Wolves, Burnley, and Middlesbrough.
Opportunity in December and January
Flip the coin, and Blues' run through December and January offers a chance to bank points. Last season, a dire spell of three points from seven games between early December and New Year's Day, capped by a 3-0 defeat to Watford, severely dented their play-off ambitions. This time, fixtures against Charlton away, two games against Portsmouth, a St Andrew's blockbuster with West Ham, Cardiff City, Queens Park Rangers, and Lincoln City provide a golden opportunity to accumulate points before a tricky midweek trip to Millwall in late January.
Brutal Finish Mirrors the Start
The tough start is mirrored at the season's end. In the final month, Blues face West Ham away, Norwich at home, Wolves away, Wrexham at home, Southampton away, Watford away, and Burnley at home. Davies' side must be good enough during these two daunting runs to improve on last season's 10th-placed finish, with the definition of success this time being a top-eight finish and a play-off berth.
Christoph Klarer and his teammates will need to hit the ground running if they are to prove that Birmingham City are the real deal in the Championship this season.
