Jarrod Bowen and Manor Solomon in a West Ham kit, with Nuno Espirito Santo in the middle

Jarrod Bowen, Nuno Espirito Santo and Manor SolomonBreaking Media

Supercomputer predicts exactly where West Ham will finish in 2026-27 Championship campaign

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Published on:

12 Aug 2026, 9:26 am

West Ham United have a huge weight on their shoulders as they embark on their first Championship campaign in 14 years.

Nuno Espirito Santo was unable to keep the Hammers up after replacing Graham Potter last season.

West Ham's fate was sealed on the final day, with Tottenham staying up at their expense.

The Hammers have seen some key players leave over the summer, but have also retained Jarrod Bowen and added Manor Solomon in attack.

Only promotion will suffice for West Ham this campaign, with a top-two finish very much the aim rather than the playoffs.

Ahead of the new season beginning this weekend, a supercomputer has predicted the Irons' most likely finish.

West Ham backed for immediate Premier League return

West Ham will hope to hand one or two new players to their squad before the summer transfer window closes.

However, even if the window was to shut today, Nuno has enough talent to work with.

Retaining Bowen was massive for West Ham, with the England international set to take the division by storm.

Opta Analyst's Supercomputer has West Ham down to finish the campaign in first place.

West Ham are given a 17.2 per cent chance of winning the title and a 29.4 per cent chance of automatic promotion.

Southampton are backed to finish second, with a 23.7 per cent chance of automatic promotion, followed by Middlesbrough at 21 per cent.

The model, which simulates the season 10,000 times, has predicted two of the four most likely teams to go up over the past couple of campaigns.

West Ham's most vital run of fixtures in 2026-27 Championship season examined as they hunt instant Premier League return

Who else should West Ham be wary of?

Southampton and Middlesbrough are very much West Ham's biggest threat to automatic promotion.

Beyond those two, who reached the playoffs last season, Wolves and Burnley - fresh from being relegated alongside the Hammers - are also strong contenders.

There are then the likes of Millwall and Norwich City, followed by a list of about 10 others who will fancy their chances of making the playoffs.

It is worth mentioning that the teams who finish from third to eighth will make the playoffs this campaign - so two teams more than previously.

Making the top two is imperative for Nuno's men, then, and there is no reason why that will not be the case.

Millwall Football Club