Championship football fans can rejoice as this weekend marks the start of the 17/18 season. What sometimes seems like a never ending pre-season period is over and now we finally get to see whose hard work over the summer immediately pays off. Up first, on Friday evening, are Sunderland and Derby. The Black Cats haven’t been in the second tier of English football since 2007 and they’ll be desperate to bounce back up immediately. Also relegated last season were Hull, who face the challenge of Aston Villa. It’s the first time Steve Bruce is facing his former club and the first competitive test for Russian boss Leonid Slutsky.
On Sunday we will get the first look at how Bolton cope with life back in the Championship. They face a Leeds United side led by an unexpected Head Coach choice in the form of Thomas Christiansen. The former Barcelona man doesn’t boast much managerial experience but he’s optimistic about what he can achieve. Later in the day two Premier League clubs are in action, competing for the Community Shield. Although not the most prestigious price of silverware a side can win, both sides will be taking the game at Wembley seriously.
Friday 4th August 2017
Sunderland v Derby (19:45) – Derby to win (23/10 with Bet365)
It’s dark times for Sunderland at the moment who endured a horrible season under David Moyes last season. Expectations under new boss Simon Grayson appear to be limited too, with few predicting the Mackems will secure promotion this season. Goals at both ends of the pitch were a trouble last year and the situation will not be helped by the departure of last year’s top goal scorer, Jermaine Defoe and the consistently impressive keeper, Jordan Pickford. A 5-0 loss to Celtic in their last pre-season game will do nothing for their confidence either and they a side who look like starting the season slowly.
Derby have also lost a couple of key players, Tom Ince and Will Hughes, but they’ve picked up some great signings on the cheap. Andre Wisdom, Tom Huddlestone and Curtis Davies have joined the Rams this summer as they try and push for promotion once again. Pre-season results have been mixed but nothing which will be of concern to former Birmingham boss Gary Rowett. How they cope without Ince and Hughes in the Championship will be interesting to see but at odds of 23/10 they are worth gambling on to make a positive start.
Saturday 5th August 2017
Aston Villa v Hull (17:30) – Draw (12/5 with Ladbrokes)
Aston Villa are the favourite to win the league the season among some bookies and this is a status certainly justified. On paper their squad looks like one of the strongest in the league and the acquisition of John Terry could prove to be a very shrewd one. His leadership and locker room presence were so important for many years at Chelsea and the ex-England captain should have a big impact at his new club. A slight concern is their pre-season form though which saw them fail to win any of their three games.
Hull’s pre-season performances on the other hand look rather impressive. Draws against Nantes and Ajax have to be considered very handy results and the Tigers even managed to best Portuguese giants Benfica. The Hull squad may have been dismantled this summer but Leonid Slutsky looks capable of getting the best out his players. To almost everyone’s surprise Hull began last season very strongly despite lots of summer sales so it would be wise not to write them off here. Another winning start might be asking too much this time but the away side are well worth backing for a point.
Sunday 6th August 2017
Arsenal v Chelsea (14:00) – Arsenal to lift the trophy (11/10 with Sky Bet)
League champions Chelsea are favourites to begin their 2017/18 season with a piece of silverware. It was at Wembley where they ended last season during their FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal and although less is at stake, the Blues will be keen for their revenge. If their recent pre-season meeting is anything to go by then this certainly looks possible as Chelsea won 3-0 in Beijing. It’s important to take this result with a pinch of salt however as Arsenal will be more fired up for this encounter.
With three FA Cups won at Wembley in the last four years, Arsene Wenger has been enjoying his time in England’s national stadium of late. His big summer signing, Alexander Lacazette, seems to be bedding well into the side and as of yet no big names have departed. The team news for Chelsea is rather less rosy as Eden Hazard is out injured, Diego Costa not in Conte’s plans and Nemanja Matic has signed for Man United. Although the Blues have also strengthened themselves, given Arsenal’s record at Wembley, they are the ones worth backing in what should be a closely fought game.
Bolton v Leeds (16:30) – Leeds to win (13/8 with Betfair)
Bolton left it late to guarantee their spot in this season’s Championship and they face a big fight to stay in England’s second tier. The cash strapped side continue to face financial concerns and once again they’ve relied on free signings in the transfer window. It didn’t hold them back last year but relying on other team’s unwanted players won’t be as easy among big spending Championship clubs. The Trotters approach the game on a run of four games without a win and there’s little to suggest they can begin the season with three points.
Leeds have had plenty troubles of their own in recent years too but there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel thanks to new chairman Andrea Radrizzani. The appointment of Thomas Christiansen, who formerly managed APOEL, is a gamble but one that looks like it could pay off. The Yorkshire outfit’s scouting network has been busy this summer with players acquired from all over Europe. There’s some promising names among them and the permanent signing of Pontus Jansson from Torino is a huge boost. With a good looking squad and a decent pre-season, Leeds have to be backed here.