- 1 Burnley vs West Ham United: two relegated favourites meet on day one
- 2 Burnley are still trying to find their feet under Nicky Hayen
- 3 West Ham arrive with the more settled squad
- 4 Football prediction Burnley vs West Ham United
- 5 First, a note on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Burnley vs West Ham United: two relegated favourites meet on day one 
The 2026-27 Championship gets under way with the standout fixture of the opening round. Burnley and West Ham, both relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, meet at Turf Moor on Sunday 16 August at 4pm UK time.
Both clubs are among the early favourites for the second-tier title. The parachute payments that come with relegation give them a financial edge most teams in the division can only dream about.
West Ham have opted for continuity in the dugout. Nuno Espírito Santo stays on despite relegation, with memories still fresh of the Championship title he won with Wolverhampton in 2018.
Burnley have gone the other way and changed manager. Nicky Hayen, in the job for just five weeks, brings a possession-based style that worked at Club Bruges and Genk.
Both clubs have brought in three players this summer, with more arrivals expected before the window shuts. On paper, the Hammers still look much better equipped for a promotion push.
The first round of the League Cup already offered a clue last week. West Ham beat Portsmouth 3-1, while Burnley needed penalties after a 1-1 draw with League One side Notts County.
One final factor shapes the outlook: Turf Moor has long been a fortress for Burnley in the second tier. That is exactly why this trip cannot be dismissed as a routine job.
Burnley are still trying to find their feet under Nicky Hayen 
Burnley did not win any of their pre-season games this summer. They did at least keep things respectable, losing by a single goal to Ajax and Torino, with a draw against Espanyol in between.
The 1-1 draw with Notts County, though, left a mark. Five weeks of work with Hayen clearly is not enough yet to build the kind of rhythm this team needs.
Summer has also stripped the dressing room of several key figures. Maxime Esteve has joined RB Leipzig and Jaidon Anthony has moved to Brentford, two exits that hit the spine of the side.
The new faces are still a bit of a gamble. Ugo Raghouber, signed from Lille, and Lluc Castell, from Espanyol, arrive without any real track record in English football.
Raghouber is still likely to make his league debut alongside Hannibal Mejbri in midfield. Josh Laurent offers the more experienced alternative if Hayen wants a steadier option.
The injury list does not help. Josh Cullen and Jordan Beyer are out long term, while Jaydon Banel and Connor Roberts are both being assessed before kick-off.
Up front, the question is how bold Hayen wants to be. Zeki Amdouni can come in for Aaron Ramsey in the final third if Burnley want to put more pressure on the visitors.
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West Ham arrive with the more settled squad 
West Ham have come through five pre-season games unbeaten. That run includes a 5-0 win at Stevenage and a 0-0 draw against Rangers, two tests with very different demands.
The 3-1 win over Portsmouth in the League Cup backed that up. Nuno Espírito Santo is unlikely to tinker much with that side for the league opener.
The club did make money from player sales, with Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville both leaving. Keeping Jarrod Bowen, though, was the biggest move of West Ham’s summer.
The arrivals of Joel Veltman and Manor Solomon add experience that relegated teams often lack. Solomon, signed from Tottenham, is likely to start on the bench given how recent his arrival was.
Two absentees are confirmed for this trip. Tomas Soucek is still recovering from ankle ligament damage suffered at the World Cup this summer, while new signing Keiber Lamadrid is also unavailable.
El Hadji Malick Diouf could also begin on the bench amid speculation over his future. Kim Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos are expected to form the central defensive pairing.
The attack will revolve around Bowen and Valentin Castellanos. That duo gives the Hammers a level of individual quality Burnley simply cannot match right now.
Probable Burnley line-up: Weiss ; Walker, Worrell, Humphreys ; Sonne, Mejbri, Raghouber, Bruun Larsen ; Edwards, Ramsey ; Flemming
Probable West Ham United line-up: Hermansen ; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles ; Alvarez, Orford ; Bowen, Kante, Pablo ; Castellanos
Football prediction Burnley vs West Ham United
Our prediction: West Ham United to win
West Ham are unbeaten in six matches in all competitions, including pre-season and the League Cup. Burnley, by contrast, have not won once this summer and needed penalties to get past a League One club.
The gap in quality is obvious. Bowen, Castellanos and Alvarez were all still playing in the Premier League three months ago, while Burnley lost Esteve and Anthony without bringing in like-for-like replacements.
Turf Moor is never a simple away day, but West Ham have the squad depth and staff stability to handle it. The Hammers leave Lancashire with all three points.
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