Predicting the final 2025/26 EFL Championship top 6 - Birmingham City miss out | OneFootball

Predicting who will clinch the coveted top six positions in the Championship after just six games of the new season

The Championship season is now well under way and the early contenders for promotion to the Premier League are emerging.

Middlesbrough are top of the table, and are one of only two sides that remain unbeaten after the opening six fixtures of the campaign.

Coventry City in sixth are the other, with Frank Lampard’s team on 10 points from their opening six games.

The likes of Stoke City, Bristol City and Preston North End are among the other clubs at the top end of the table, along with the recently relegated Leicester City.

Here we predict how the top six positions in the Championship will look by the end of the season…

6th - West Brom

Predicting sixth in the Championship is always tough as it almost always goes down to the wire with multiple teams still in the mix.

It’s a position that can also spring a surprise or two, with Bristol City earning the spot last year, for instance.

Ryan Mason’s side could be the one that just gets in, with West Brom making a solid start under the new manager.

Given he’s overseen only a handful of games in his career as a manager, there’s a lot to be encouraged by with Mason.

If he can get Josh Maja fit and firing on a consistent basis, then that could prove the key difference-maker between getting a play-off place and just missing out.

5th - Southampton

Southampton’s start to the new campaign has definitely been underwhelming, and supporters will be questioning Will Still if it persists like this.

But the Saints have a very talented squad, and the late summer additions of Tom Fellows and Finn Azaz makes them even more dangerous.

The Hampshire outfit have only scored seven goals from an expected goals (xG) of 10.5 from their opening six games, so there has been some under-performance that could come good over the course of a full season.

And with players like Adam Armstrong, Ben Brereton Diaz and Cameron Archer, who have all proven themselves at this level, this team should have enough goals for a top six finish.

4th - Coventry City

Coventry City have been in promotion contention over the last few years, but a play-off semi-final and final defeat in 2025 and 2023 has left them still in the Championship.

Frank Lampard’s side have started this campaign strongly, and they have proven themselves as an exciting, attacking team that are capable of good results against anyone.

The Sky Blues have cost themselves in the past with slow starts, so the fact they’ve hit the ground running to begin this season is very encouraging.

Their leaky defence may cost them the chance at automatic promotion, but they should still be in the fight for a top six finish by May.

3rd - Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are the fast starters this season, with Rob Edwards making an instant impact at the Riverside.

There have already been 10 unique goal scorers in this squad after just six games, highlighting the different ways in which Boro can win games.

If Tommy Conway in particular can step up and consistently find the back of the net, then they will be very hard to beat, with their defence only conceding four goals from their first six fixtures.

It’s possible they will be in contention for automatic promotion too, but they may just miss out this term.

2nd - Leicester City

It’s not been the best of starts for Leicester City, and the possibility of a points deduction could yet hurt their top two hopes.

But Martí Cifuentes has proven himself as a great coach at this level, and the squad at his disposal at the King Power Stadium possesses a lot of Premier League potential, including the likes of Abdul Fatawu, Ricardo Pereira and the very exciting Jeremy Monga.

If things can click soon, then they could easily string together a winning run that moves them well up the table.

1st - Ipswich Town

It’s been a similarly disappointing start to the season for Ipswich Town too, with Kieran McKenna’s side struggling after suffering relegation from the Premier League.

But the Northern Irishman is perhaps the most talented coach in the division, and he has some of the most exciting attacking talent in the Championship at his disposal.

The 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United showed how good the Tractor Boys can be when they’re at their best.