Preston North End will be hoping to put their difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign behind them when they welcome Bristol City to Deepdale on Tuesday night.

The Lilywhites are still searching for their first Championship points after three consecutive defeats, while Bristol City head into the contest with renewed confidence after Michael Skubala finally secured his first win as Robins boss with a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth.

Match preview

Paul Heckingbottom‘s side began the 2026-27 campaign with a League Cup penalty-shootout victory over Huddersfield Town at the start of August, with the match taking place at Goodison Park rather than Deepdale due to issues with their pitch.

However, that early cup success has been followed by three successive Championship defeats and a second-round exit from the League Cup at the hands of Everton.

Their 12th consecutive campaign in the second tier began with a trip to Greater Manchester, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Bolton Wanderers, before returning to their usual home ground and losing 3-1 to promotion hopefuls Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Saturday’s contest saw the Lilywhites travel to London to face Charlton Athletic, where a clinical Karlan Grant finish shortly after half time was enough to maintain Nathan Jones’ winning start.

Preston struggled to create opportunities throughout the game, managing just one shot on target as they slipped to a third straight league defeat. 

Perhaps more concerning for Heckingbottom is that two of those three defeats have come against sides Preston would likely expect to finish above in the table, with Bolton widely tipped to finish at the bottom of the 24-team division and Charlton having ended last season seven points behind the Lilywhites. 

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As for Bristol City, they secured their first win under new manager Skubala at the weekend, beating Portsmouth 2-1 at Ashton Gate in a game where the Robins could arguably have won by a more comfortable margin.

Summer signing Lorent Tolaj opened the scoring with a superb finish from Jed Wallace’s first-time cross before Bristol City captain Jason Knight doubled their advantage early in the second half.

Portsmouth pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 95th minute, but the late consolation was not enough to deny Skubala his first victory since taking charge.

The result was particularly welcome for the former Lincoln City boss, who had started his tenure with two defeats and a draw, including an EFL Cup loss to League Two side Walsall.

Bristol City have now taken four points from their last two Championship games, although conceding another stoppage-time penalty will concern Skubala after Demarai Gray converted from the spot to earn Birmingham City a draw at St Andrew’s last weekend.

The two sides have become familiar faces around the Championship’s mid-table positions, with Bristol City finishing 12th last season and Preston 14th, separated by just two points, although Preston went unbeaten against the Robins home and away.

Preston North End Championship form:

Preston North End form (all competitions):

Bristol City Championship form:

Bristol City form (all competitions):

Team News

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Preston boss Heckingbottom has stated that he believes his squad needs at least five new arrivals before the transfer window closes, with Ali McCann’s hamstring injury highlighting the lack of depth available to him. 

Stanley Mills and Caleb Wiley both made their Preston debuts from the bench at the weekend after joining the club on Thursday and Friday respectively, and the pair could now push for starting places at Deepdale.

Former Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine is expected to retain his place in midfield, while Delano Burgzorg should continue to lead the line against his former side.

As for the Robins, they travel north with an almost fully fit squad, with Skubala missing only Luke McNally, who has not played since January 2025.

Cameron Pring came off the bench on Saturday following his injury and could now be considered for a place in the starting XI, while Rio Cardines is expected to continue at right-back after providing the assist for Bristol City’s second goal against Portsmouth.

Elijah Adebayo became another new signing for City ahead of their weekend clash with Portsmouth but was not included in the matchday squad, although he could now make his first appearance of the season.

However, Adebayo faces strong competition for a place in attack, with Tolaj and Dominic Ballard having already scored for their new clubs this season. 

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Iversen; H. Clarke, Offiah, Lindsay, Gibson. Vukcevic; Devine, Leroy, Thompson; Lang, Burgzorg

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

Tickle; Cardines, Dickie, Eissat, Pring; Knight, Williams; Wallace, Twine, Hirakawa; Tolaj

 

 

We say: Preston North End 1-2 Bristol City

Preston are yet to take the lead in any competition this season, and their difficult start could continue when Bristol City visit Deepdale on Tuesday.

The Robins appear to be finding their feet under Skubala after a draw and a win in their last two games, and we expect them to extend that unbeaten run with a narrow victory.

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