Wrexham’s defeat against Southampton has left the OPTA supercomputer guessing that the Red Dragons will be in for a tough Championship season.
Wrexham lost 2-1 to Southampton in their opening Championship contest, with Phil Parkinson’s side falling to two late Saints goals.
It looked set to be a memorable day on the south coast for the Red Dragons, who were approaching the end of the game with a 1-0 lead, however Ryan Manning levelled up the contest with a brilliant free kick before Jack Stephens pegged home a winner for Southampton.
There was much to be admired in Wrexham’s showing; Kieffer Moore impressed on his debut, whilst Conor Coady also showed his quality and experience. Unfortunately, as things stand, Wrexham find themselves 17th in the table.
Following the narrow defeat to recently relegated Premier League side Southampton, the OPTA Analyst supercomputer has given Wrexham a new prediction for their end-of-season finish, and it is not good news.
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OPTA predicts Wrexham relegation following Southampton defeat
Before the 2025/26 Championship season kicked off, Wrexham were predicted a 21st-place finish by the supercomputer, just one place above the relegation zone.
After the prediction, Opta said: “Hollywood’s elite will be keeping an eye on things as Phil Parkinson’s side look for a fourth successive promotion, though the supercomputer is setting its sights on the other end of the table. Wrexham go down in 20.2% of sims, slightly more often than fellow promoted side Charlton Athletic (20.1%).”
Unfortunately for the Red Dragons, Charlton Athletic’s last-minute winner against Watford, paired with Wrexham’s defeat this weekend, has meant that the updated predictions place Phil Parkinson’s side in 22nd, which is in the relegation zone.
The supercomputer has calculated a 23.5% chance of Wrexham suffering relegation this season, meaning that their likelihood has risen by 3.2% after the opening day defeat.
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Phil Parkinson has plenty of positives to build on after Southampton defeat
On the surface, a defeat was fairly gutting for Wrexham to be handed against Southampton, especially after leading for the majority of the contest.
It was a disappointing way for the Red Dragons to lose in the end, but there was much to be admired of the showing from Phil Parkinson’s side.
On the attacking front, Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass proved to be a formidable force, and whilst the Welsh striker is set for a spell on the sidelines, there is hope that Ryan Hardie will be able to slot in instead of him.
Lewis O’Brien helped control the midfield battles, whilst Liberato Cacace also proved to be a threat on his Red Dragons debut.
The prediction of a relegation finish for Wrexham should definitely be taken with a pinch of salt, especially after what was an overly positive display against Southampton, and one that Parkinson will be keen to build on.