- Founded 1894
- Stadium Ashton Gate
- Manager Michael Skubala
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 12
- Goals Conceded 15
- Yellow Cards 14
- Total Red Cards 1
Bristol City Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Bristol City are ninth and living on the edge. Four wins and three defeats from eight, 11 scored and 12 conceded, and a single clean sheet is the profile of a side that has not yet found its balance under Michael Skubala. The raw material is obvious enough – one of the division’s outstanding young full-backs and a settled centre-back pairing – but the results have swung game to game. Below, we take a look at Bristol City’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: Sam Tickle – 58% – The lowest rating among the regulars. Twelve saves and one clean sheet from eight full games is a thin return, and 37 progressive passes is the only number working in his favour. Tickle has not been the cause of City’s problems, but nor has he solved any.
RB: George Tanner – 64% – Five starts, seven tackles won, six interceptions, five blocked shots and 22 passes into the penalty area. Tanner has been steady on the right without matching what Cardines offers on the other flank.
RCB: Rob Dickie – 64% – A colossal defensive return: 61 clearances, 56 duels won, 34 aerial duels won and eight blocked shots all lead the club by distance, with a goal on top. One error leading to a goal is the single blemish on a commanding season from Dickie.
LCB: Lisav Eissat – 63% – Forty-five clearances, 33 duels won, 23 aerials and a club-leading 43 progressive passes, plus a goal and 22 possessions regained in his own third. Twelve conceded on his watch and an error leading to a shot are what keep the rating where it is.
LB: Rio Cardines – 74% – Comfortably the best player at the club and one of the outstanding full-backs in the division. Six assists, 31 chances created, four of them clear-cut, and 96 passes into the penalty area are all club-leading figures, and he takes 37 of the corners. Nine tackles won says the defending has not been neglected either.
RCM: Jason Knight – 65% – The captain has played every minute and leads the club for passes into the final third with 78, adding 36 duels won, 18 aerials, eight interceptions and a goal. Nine occasions beaten one-on-one is the one number that needs trimming.
LCM: Adam Randell – 59% – Three starts, 183 minutes and a red card. Far too small a sample to judge, and the suspension has cost City continuity in a midfield that needed it.
AM: Scott Twine – 69% – Two goals and 10 chances created from six starts, two of them clear-cut. Twine has been the most reliable source of invention in the final third, and on a per-minute basis he is producing more than anyone bar Cardines.
RW: Yu Hirakawa – 59% – Twelve shots and five on target from seven starts, with a goal, but three big chances missed and very little creative output. The right wing has been City’s least productive attacking position.
LW: Sam Greenwood – 59% – Four appearances, three starts and a club-leading six shots on target, which is a striking rate in 307 minutes. Greenwood has not yet nailed down the shirt but the shooting numbers make a case for him.
ST: Lorent Tolaj – 66% – Two goals and an assist from a club-high 27 shots, with 33 touches in the opposition box. Five big chances missed is the most in the side and 18 fouls the highest figure at the club, and 51 duels lost points to a centre-forward working alone.
Bristol City’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Emil Riis
- Free-kicks: Rio Cardines, Jed Wallace
- Corners: Rio Cardines, Sam Greenwood
Rio Cardines has taken 37 of Bristol City’s corners to Sam Greenwood’s 5. Rio Cardines has had one of the direct free-kicks. Bristol City are yet to be awarded a penalty, so Emil Riis’ status as the taker is inherited rather than proven.
Bristol City FAQs
How have Bristol City started the 2026/27 season?
Unevenly. City are ninth on 13 points from eight games, with four wins and three defeats, and have conceded 12 goals while keeping just one clean sheet.
Who is Bristol City’s best player this season?
Left-back Rio Cardines on 74%, with six assists, 31 chances created and 37 corners taken – all club-leading figures.
Where did Bristol City finish in the 2025/26 Championship season?
Bristol City finished 12th in the Championship in the 2025/26 campaign with 62 points, well off the pace of the top six.
Who is the Bristol City manager?
Michael Skubala is the current Bristol City manager, appointed in May 2026 on a three-year deal from Lincoln City, whom he led to the League One title. He is the club’s fourth manager in less than two years.
Who is the current Bristol City captain?
Jason Knight is the Bristol City captain. The Republic of Ireland international has held the armband since the 2024/25 season.