JoshLFC180

Three of the last four matches between Birmingham and Ipswich were draws and I do think this opening Championship game will be a very good one. Birmingham have come up, Ipswich have come down, both will have eyes on the Premier League and I think this will end in a score draw.

This is a London Derby and with Charlton coming up from League One via the playoffs I do think they will want to start well at home. Watford are a decent team that draw a lot of games and I think this early game Saturday will finish in a draw.

Three of the last five matches head-to-head were draws between Coventry City and Hull. I do think this will be a close game on the opening Saturday of the new Championship season. Coventry drew their last two friendlies, and I think they might start slow, and this ends in a draw.

Southampton drew three of their last five friendlies, and coming down from the Premier League, the pressure will be on them to start well. Wrexham have had successful successive promotions, and I do think they will relish this trip to St Mary's. I think Wrexham will score and play well, and they will get a point away from home.

Liverpool are the Premier League champions and after the way they finished their tour of Asia winning 3-1 against Yokohama I do think they will be ready to go for the Community Shield. Palace have only beaten Liverpool once since 2017 and I think The Reds win this silverware.

Liverpool beat Preston and Yokohama 3-1 during their pre-season campaign, and it's often been a scoreline they have won by in the last few seasons. Liverpool beat Palace 3-1 the season before last, and I do think both teams score in the Community Shield, and Liverpool win it by two goals.

The new premier league season starts at Anfield and I do think Liverpool win start the season with a win at home to Bournemouth on Friday night. The champions have beaten Bournemouth in five straight games and scored fifteen against them in the last three Anfield, I think this will be a home win for The Reds.

Brighton have had the better pre season and I do think they will start the season with a home win. Last season they beat Fulham 2-1 at home and I think Albion will open up by beating them to make the perfect start to the new Premier League season.

Tottenham Hotspur have won the last four matches against Burnley and I do think they will beat The Clarets in the first game of season. It's Spurs new manager Thomas Frank's first match in charge on the Premier League with his new club and I think Tottenham start with a win against Burnley.

Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers home and away last season, and I do think they will win at Molineux. Nine of the last ten head-to-head were City wins, and I think after a good summer of business, they will start with a win at Wolves.

Fourteen wins and two draws in the last sixteen games against Palace and I do think The Blues will start with a home win. Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup and I think they will have a really good season and I do think they win this first London Derby of the season.

The Flying Scotsman did win on the Players Championship and European Tour circuits in 2025, and I do think he has one more run in the World Championship at the Alexandra Palace. Gary Anderson is a two-time world champion back in 2015 and 2016, and he was the runner-up as recent as 2021. I think the Scot will want to put last year's early exit to bed, and I do think Anderson can get to another world final.

In 2024, Luke Littler went all the way to the World Championship final, losing to Luke Humphries. Last year, he went one better by going all the way to the final and beating Michael Van Gerwen in the 2025 World Championship final. I do think The Nuke can become a two-time World Champion by defending his title in 2026.

The Dutch have made eleven appearances in the World Cup and have reached the final three times in 1974, 1978, and most recently in 2010. I do think they have their best squad in some years right now, and they are also former European Champions. Since being runner-up in South Africa 2010, they were third in Brazil 2014 and a quarter-finalist in 2022 in Qatar. I think the Netherlands can make it to another World Cup final in 2026.