How long AI thinks every EFL Championship club would survive in the Premier League if promoted today | OneFootball

How many current Championship clubs would survive a season in the top flight as it currently stands according to AI?

In recent years, the gap between the Premier League and the Championship appears to have grown ever wider - and that's a concern for the current crop of second tier clubs.

Despite Sunderland competing ever so well in 2025-26 after throwing a ton of money at building a new-look squad following their play-off final triumph, as well as Leeds United also putting up a committed fight to try and survive, recent history tells us that many clubs who are promoted from the Championship are up against it from the get-go.

But how would the second tier outfits of the campaign going on right now fare if they were to be promoted to English football's premier competition today? FLW asked AI for their thoughts on the matter...

Birmingham City - 0 years

This may be a controversial one, given Birmingham City's ambitions and the way they spend money, but AI doesn't think they'd even last a season in the Premier League.

Tom Wagner certainly hasn't been shy with Knighthead's money, with the recent January window splurges on Carlos Vicente, August Priske and others a further sign of that, but not every club who are cash-rich survive in the top flight.

Blues haven't been at that level since the year 2011, and whilst their aims and ambitions are to get back there as soon as possible, ChatGPT hasn't got faith that they can stay there.

Blackburn Rovers - 1-2 years

A club that are part of a rare group that have won the Premier League, Blackburn Rovers look a long way off reaching the top flight, despite finishing 2024-25 just outside the top six of the Championship.

2025-26 has been a monumental struggle for the Lancashire outfit, some 31 years after Kenny Dalglish guided them to glory, and if their misfortune continues, they'll head in the opposite direction rather than being promoted.

Despite this, AI thinks that if Rovers were to be promoted, they'd stay in the Premier League for at least one year - perhaps by spending the television money riches you receive when you enter the division.

Bristol City - 0 years

One of the few Championship clubs that have never experienced the Premier League, Bristol City have had some near misses, but could they be making it sooner rather than later under Austrian coach Gerhard Struber?

The Robins are almost certainly in a battle for the play-offs this year, but AI doesn't fancy them to survive in the top flight whatsoever if they were promoted this year.

There's been plenty of investment at Ashton Gate over the years by the Lansdown family, but it may take a little bit more of a push for City to be a Premier League club.

Charlton Athletic - 0 years

In the early 2000s, Charlton Athletic were a regular staple of the Premier League, with Alan Curbishley's management of the club a real highlight of their modern history.

Fortunes haven't been as bright since their relegation from that level in 2007 though, with the Addicks bouncing between the second and third tiers of English football.

Whilst Global Football Partners invested a considerable amount of money into Nathan Jones' first-team squad last summer, they'd need a whole lot more if they were to head to the Premier League at this moment, so the AI prediction of zero seasons survived in the Premier League feels apt.

Coventry City - 2-4 years

After 25 years away from England's upper echelons, Coventry City are in their best position ever to return under Frank Lampard's management.

The ex-England international midfielder has been a hit with the Sky Blues, and despite not being at the same level of their impressive early season form recently, City are still in a fantastic position to go up.

And AI thinks that with the fact they're well run by owner Doug King and with their strong fanbase, Cov could make a good go of it in the Premier League for at least a couple of seasons, especially as they've been quite shrewd in the transfer market in recent times - especially when it comes to re-investing funds made from sales.

Derby County - 1-2 years

Just a few years ago, Derby County were in administration and really struggling, but what a difference a few years can make.

Now owned by local businessman David Clowes, the Rams have showed ambition since returning to the Championship, with some big money buys, and even the hiring of John Eustace in 2025 being a real high point, having snagged him from a divisional rival in Blackburn Rovers.

The foundations are there at Pride Park for County to become a top flight club once more, but AI thinks the Rams would only survive for one, maybe two seasons before returning to the Championship.

Hull City - 0-1 years

Last in the Premier League in 2017, Hull City have since freed themselves of the Allam family and now have Turkish media mogul Acun Ilicali as their owner - and you can't say he's not spent the money to try and get the Tigers back to the promised land.

Spending has got City in trouble though, with a transfer fee restriction placed upon the club last summer due to late payments to other clubs for players, but frees and loans haven't done their chances of making it back to the big time any harm in 2025-26.

AI predicts Hull to struggle in the Premier League though if they got back there, and at a push they're tipped to have one survival season.

Ipswich Town - 3-6 years

Ipswich Town's transfer activity in the summer of 2024, coupled with the management of Kieran McKenna, brought promise to the club's first Premier League campaign since 2001-02, but it didn't work out on the pitch.

The Tractor Boys returned to the Championship with somewhat of a whimper when it was all said and done, but they were always going to be in an automatic promotion battle once more during the current campaign, given the squad McKenna has on paper to work with.

And AI believes that Town would be in a better position to survive in the Premier League if they went back there this year - they'd survive for at least three seasons and maybe even six, if the right moves were made in the transfer market.

Leicester City - 5+ years

AI has optimistically predicted Leicester City to spend at least five years in the Premier League if they were to be promoted this season - which now is a distant dream given their points deduction for breaching financial rules.

The Foxes of course won the Premier League against all odds in 2016, but in the last three completed seasons, they've been relegated twice from the top flight, with their last stay lasting just one year.

Unless City can sort their financial problems out, they're unlikely to make it back to the top flight anytime soon, but AI has a more favourable view of potential happenings at the King Power Stadium.

Middlesbrough - 2-3 years

The arrival of Kim Hellberg as Middlesbrough's new head coach - after Rob Edwards decided to end his short stint at the club in favour of a move to Wolves - could not have worked out any better so far.

Boro have been absolutely flying under the Swede and have been playing far more attractive football than under Edwards, and they are now in a battle for the Championship title, having not been in the Premier League since 2017.

Their last stay in the top flight lasted just one year, but AI thinks that they'd survive for at least two seasons if they were to go up under Hellberg - the sky is the limit however for the Teessiders and their new leader in the Riverside Stadium dugout.