Eng. Championship
2026-10-17 - Swansea City vs West Ham United
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Championship
Saturday 17th October 2026 - Kick Off 3pm
Swansea City
After spending time as a Coach under Jurgen Klopp and taking a couple of Assistant roles, Vitor Matos moved into full time management with Maritimo in Portugal. He was only in that position for a handful of months before Swansea City appointed him as manager last season and he ended up guiding them to another mid-table spot in the Championship standings.
Expectations were not very high in the summer as Swansea City prepared for a ninth season in a row in the second tier of English Football, although the expanded Play Off format has offered an opportunity. Instead, Swansea City have begun this season in emphatic form and fans are now going to be targeting much more with the team top of the Championship table after ten games have been played. The Swans have a 3-2-0 record at home this season where they have scored 7 goals and conceded 2.
Swansea City scored late in South London during the week to earn a deserved win at Millwall and that makes it 4 straight League wins. The side have won 3 of the last 4 Championship fixtures at home, including back to back victories over Burnley and Norwich City.
West Ham United
They travelled to Lincolnshire as big favourites during the week and West Ham United had life made all the easier when Lincoln City were reduced to nine men after just 23 minutes. It took a bit of time for Nuno Espirito Santo's men to find their groove, but they scored on the brink of half time and West Ham United came out with a lot of intensity in the second half when adding five more goals.
The Hammers are 3rd in the Championship table with 19 points on the board and that leaves them a couple of points behind Middlesbrough for a an automatic promotion spot. There is no doubt that West Ham United are still favourites for a return to the Premier League, but the manager will want to see the team improve the 2-3-0 away record.
West Ham United had been Knocked Out of the League Cup Third Round by Fulham and they followed up by drawing London derbies against Millwall and Queens Park Rangers either side of the extended international break. The win at the ProAmpac Stadium means West Ham United are unbeaten in 6 away games in all competitions this season and have won half of those matches.
Head to Head
These two clubs last played in the same Division in the 2017/18 season when both were in the Premier League and each beat the other at home.
Swansea City and West Ham United had drawn 3 in a row when meeting in Wales before the latter won 1-4 here on Boxing Day in 2016.
However, The Swans earned revenge with a 4-1 win of their own in the most recent meeting at this Stadium in March 2018.
Prediction
Teams will begin to take a bit more notice of the League standings now almost a quarter of the regular season has been played and two of the top three meet on Saturday.
This looks like being an entertaining game on paper considering the goals that both Swansea City and West Ham United have been producing in recent weeks.
Swansea City have impressed when they have gone forward at home, but there are some defensive vulnerabilities and West Ham United will certainly feel they can expose those.
At the same time, West Ham United's win at Lincoln City was the first away clean sheet earned this season and that was largely down to the home team being reduced to nine men with a little over 20 minutes on the clock.
Both teams can get on the scoreboard in this one and the attacking numbers of Swansea City and West Ham United suggest they can combine for at least three goals on Saturday afternoon.
The Pick :
Swansea City 2-1 West Ham United
