Birmingham City

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Chris Davies' Birmingham City travel less than an hour along the M6 to Frank Lampard's Coventry City in a West Midlands derby on Saturday (12:30 BST).

A win for either side would propel them above the other in the Championship table as each have 10 points from their opening six matches.

The Sky Blues are coming off the back of three draws, while Blues hope to build a winning run after beating Swansea City 1-0 last time out.

• Coventry are unbeaten in their last six home league games against Birmingham (W3 D3), conceding just one goal in this run.

• Birmingham won their last league meeting with Coventry 3-0 in April 2024, last beating the Sky Blues twice in succession in the 2006-07 campaign.

• Coventry are unbeaten in their first six league games of a season for the first time since 2019-20 (first 10 in League One) and for the first time in the second tier or higher since the 1993-94 Premier League campaign (first eight).

• No Championship team have scored more 90th minute goals (including stoppage time) this season than Birmingham who have scored three, with Lyndon Dykes netting a 94th minute winner against Swansea last time out.

• Coventry City's Jack Rudoni ranks first for shots attempted (21), ball carry distance (1,425m) and possession won in the final third (10) among all Championship players this season.

Image source, BBC Sport

Birmingham City can feel happy with how they have dealt with their return to the Championship but there is still room for improvement, says head coach Chris Davies.

Blues have won three of their opening six games to sit in eighth place in the table, having won the League One title last season.

"It's a hard league - we've had really competitive games but even the ones we've been on the wrong side of, we've been competitive," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"Every team carries a threat and you have to be strong defensively."

Birmingham visit Coventry on Saturday (12:30 BST) at the start of a week which sees them play three games in six days.

"The general feeling is we're happy with how we've competed but you can also see it's pretty relentless," added Davies.

"We're pleased with how we've adapted but we think there's still room to grow - you need to have a system but enough flexibility to solve different problems."

"That night at St Andrew's with the play-off semi-final and the penalties. The atmosphere that night was one of the best I've seen and heard and felt in any stadium.

"It was an unbelievable atmosphere. That was one of the reasons I wanted to play for Birmingham."

Former Blues striker Tommy Mooney has been reminiscing over his time at Birmingham City and explains why he was lured to the Midlands from Watford amid Premier League interest and talks through his favourite memories of the club.

Listen to the full interview with Tommy Mooney and more Blues on Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Birmingham City have a squad that is "easily top-six" quality says recent arrival Jack Robinson.

The 32-year-old centre-back joined Blues on transfer deadline day and, at the time, said the stature and ambition of the club, following their record League One title-winning season last term, was the main reason he moved from Sheffield United.

It is a sentiment he has echoed after making his debut as Blues snapped their run of three defeats in a row in all competitions with a 1-0 win over Swansea, thanks to substitute Lyndon Dykes' late header.

"It's easily a top-six squad," Robinson, who won promotion to the top flight with the Blades in 2022-23, told BBC Radio WM.

"I suppose it's down to us players to prove that.

"We've got a really strong bench - I'd say Premier League players coming on to help us and they make a massive difference when they come on.

"We've got to be consistent throughout the league. It's a tough ask when the international breaks stop in November - the season gets hard and that's where you need to be consistent and pick up those wins.

"Be good away from from home and nice and solid at home and this squad has more than enough to go at this season."

Eighth-placed Blues take on Coventry City, in sixth, in a West Midlands derby at the CBS Arena on Saturday [12.30 BST].

A potential move to take the Championship play-offs down to eighth place would damage the competition's credibility, according to former Huddersfield, Stoke and Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith.

The EFL board is set to discuss proposals to increase the number of teams in the end-of-season play-offs from four to six but Smith, who was promoted to the Premier League with Huddersfield via the play-offs in 2017 is not a fan of the idea.

"It's not for me - I think it suits teams who don't really have a chance to get in the top six," he told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"From a credibility point of view the top six is there to be aimed at and you have to earn your place in it."

The play-offs were first introduced for the 1986-87 season where sides finishing third down to fifth were involved along with the team third-from-bottom in the top flight.

After two seasons the format was changed to be played out between teams finishing third to sixth in the second tier.

"To finish eighth in the Championship and potentially get promoted to the Premier League it just doesn't sit right with me," added Smith.

"Notoriously over the past years getting into the top six is tough and when you get in there after a long hard season it feels brilliant, so to make it a top eight it dilutes it."

Image source, Rex Features

Birmingham City ended a three-match goalless losing streak with victory over Swansea City thanks to a stoppage-time header from striker Lyndon Dykes.

But despite the string of poor results that preceded it, Blues boss Chris Davies said that there was "a lot" he liked about his side's performances so far this season.

"I thought we were the better team. We deserved to win the game. I think we've been close in a couple of narrow defeats recently, but there's a lot about our game I have liked," he told BBC Sport.

"I think we handled the game really well. Swansea are an established side at this level, good team in possession, and I thought we really limited then.

"We were very aggressive and we created lots of moments and chances to win the match."

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies admits his side have endured a "challenging spell" following back-to-back away defeats in the Championship.

Blues suffered a 1-0 defeat at Stoke City last Saturday, a fortnight after losing 2-0 at Leicester prior to the international break.

"I think we started brightly in our first few games and we have just hit a little bit of a challenging spell with these few away games, but my job is to find the perspective pretty quickly," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"I am looking at those two games as the harder games that we will have this season, especially on the road. We are back at home on Saturday, where we are typically very strong, so we are looking forward to that game."

Davies' side are without a goal in their past three games in all competitions, including a defeat by Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.

"It is something we are aware of," the 40-year-old added. "I certainly don't want to create too much of it, but it is about how we can become more unpredictable at times in order to create more goal chances.

"Our build-up play is quite good. We can get through the lines into the final third OK - we have had a lot of entries into the box in comparison to Leicester and Stoke - but we haven't been able to convert that into big chances."

Birmingham host Swansea City on Saturday (12:30 BST) and the Swans come into the game off the back of a dramatic midweek Carabao Cup comeback victory against Nottingham Forest.

In seventh spot, they are four places and one point better off than Blues.

"It is a club I know pretty well and that I am very familiar with," added Davies, a former Wales Under-19 international.

"But like anything, that counts for very little when the game gets going. They have had a strong start themselves and they will be really buoyed by their victory [over Forest], so I think they will come full of confidence."

For the full Davies interview and more Blues content, head here to BBC Sounds.

Birmingham will seek to get back to winning ways as Swansea head to St Andrew's on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST).

The Blues have lost their past two league games without scoring but have the longest unbeaten run on home turf in the country.

The Swans are seeking to make it five unbeaten in the Championship and also stunned Premier League Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup in midweek.

• Birmingham City are unbeaten in each of their past eight league matches against Swansea City (W3 D5), since a 3-1 home defeat in July 2020.

• Four of the past five Championship meetings between Swansea City and Birmingham City have ended level.

• Birmingham City are unbeaten in each of their past 27 home league games (W22 D5), the longest ongoing run in England's top four tiers.

• Since Alan Sheehan's first game in charge on 22 February, only Middlesbrough (33) have won more Championship points than Swansea City (32), with the Swans winning nine of 18 matches in that time (D5 L4).

• Birmingham have failed to score in each of their past two league games, last going three without a goal back in March 2024.

• The Blues have mustered the fewest shots on target of any Championship side in 2025-26 so far (9).

Image source, Rex Features

Birmingham City captain Christoph Klarer says the squad will use the lack of a midweek game to drill down on analysing where they got things wrong against Stoke City and improve for Saturday's meeting with Swansea City.

Blues' 1-0 defeat by the in-form Potters was their second league loss in a row and third on the bounce overall after the Carabao Cup exit to Port Vale.

Bosun Lawal's header from a corner condemned Blues to back-to-back league defeats for the first time since April 2024.

"We know this division is good," Klarer told BBC Radio WM.

"If we're not at our best then we can concede set-pieces like we did - it's completely not where we want to be in the first 20-30 minutes."

Chris Davies' side also failed to muster a shot on target against Stoke, which Klarer says is a blip they must sort out quickly.

"We were lacking some quality going forward and didn't really test their keeper at all," the Austrian centre-back added.

"We've got some quality players going forward - not just the strikers - but we just struggled to create chances, we're lacking something in the final third."

With a full week to plan for the match against Swansea, Klarer says Blues will use the extra time without another game wisely.

"We'll analyse it and we need to improve, that's for sure, because you never want to lose two on the bounce," he added.

"But we've got a week now to put it right against Swansea."

Listen to more from Klarer and Birmingham City on BBC Sounds.

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies says that he doesn't want the side to "lose too much heart" after suffering a second successive loss in the Championship.

The West Midlands side conceded a narrow 1-0 loss to Stoke City on Saturday.

"You expect it to be a tough start here and we weren't good enough in the first 20 minutes or half an hour and it cost us the game.

"Very rarely have I seen us as passive and soft as that in the opening periods of a game - there weren't enough blue shirts winning second balls and in the duels.

"It was all us in the second half without turning that possession and dominance into meaningful chances.

"It's not a surprise to me how tough the Championship [is] but we have to make sure we don't lose too much heart from it and learn."

Listen to the full post-match interview with Davies and more Birmingham City content on BBC Sounds.

Stoke City will take on Birmingham City on Saturday (15:00 BST) with the Potters in their best season-opening form since 2021, when they won three and drew one Championship game.

Birmingham City will look to return to winning ways after losing 2-0 at Leicester City before the international break.

• Stoke City have won only one of their last eight league games against Birmingham City (D4 L3); a 3-1 away win in December 2023.

• Birmingham City are unbeaten in their last four away league games against Stoke City (W2 D2), winning on each of their previous two trips.

• After losing 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion last time out, Stoke are looking to avoid successive home league defeats for the first time since September 2024.

• Birmingham's 2-0 defeat at Leicester City last time out ended a run of 16 successive league games unbeaten (W13 D3). They haven't lost successive league matches since April 2024.

• Stoke's Sorba Thomas has played more passes into the opposition box than any other Championship player this season (45), while only Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan and Southampton's Ryan Manning (12 each) have created more chances than the Stoke winger (11).

Birmingham City head coach Chris Davies has been assessing his squad following the closure of the transfer window as they prepare to travel to Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Blues' signings included experienced defender Jack Robinson from Sheffield United and Sunderland loanee Patrick Roberts.

Roberts impressed most recently during Sunderland's Championship play-off final with Sheffield United, when he assisted the Black Cats equalising goal.

"[Roberts is] someone with that creativity and craft and invention. We haven't got too many like him so I was really pleased we could get him in," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"He knows he's got to earn his place there and he's backing himself to do that.

"We have a squad now that have to fight and earn their position in their team."

Davies also provided an encouraging update on the fitness of striker Jay Stansfield after he picked up a knock during the EFL Cup game against Port Vale.

"Step-by-step [Stansfield]'s getting there and we'll see how he goes in the next few days. He's close," Davies added.

The trip to Stoke will be Blues' first game back after the international break. Stoke have picked up nine points form their opening four games and are third in the Championship so Davies is expecting a challenging fixture.

"[Stoke are an] industrious team, [they] work hard. Obviously Mark Robins is an excellent manager so I've been impressed with what I've seen. They've obviously made a super start to the season as well," he added.

Listen to the full interview with Chris Davies and more Blues on Sounds.

Blues legend Michael 'Magic' Johnson has been reminiscing about the club's 2002 promotion to the Premier League in Steve Bruce's first season in charge.

Birmingham City finished fifth in the First Division to qualify for the play-offs, and after drawing 1-1 after extra time against Norwich City in the final, Blues won the tie on penalties 4-2 to be promoted.

"It probably goes down as one of the most standout moments of my career," Johnson told BBC Radio WM as part of their 'Legends interviews' feature.

"We all knew what it meant to the city. The club had been starved of Premier League status."

Until 2002, Birmingham City had never played in the Premier League. Under Bruce's predecessor Trevor Francis, they reached the play-off semi-finals in three consecutive seasons prior to the 2001-02 season, but never made it further.

"To arrive at the amount of play-off semi-finals that we did and then we did it under Steve in his first season. We realised that we've got to get this over the line," said Johnson.

The former centre-back believes Birmingham City players past and present have to earn support from the Blues fanbase, support which undoubtedly had a positive influence on the team that day in 2002.

And having spent eight years at the club from the age of 21 to 29, Johnson understands what it takes to keep Blues fans onside.

"They want to see blood, sweat and tears. They want to see hard work, they want to see that never-give-in attitude - and if you give them that, then they can forgive [mistakes]."

Listen to the full interview with Michael Johnson and more Blues on Sounds.

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Birmingham City's final deadline day signing Jack Robinson says he was wooed by the stature of the club as he seeks the opportunity for a fresh start.

The defender joined from fellow Championship side Sheffield United on a two-year-deal on the day of his 32nd birthday.

"When I found out Birmingham [City] were interested it was something I definitely thought I could see myself doing," Robinson told the club's YouTube channel., external

Robinson had been with the Blades since January 2020 but believes now is the right time for a new chapter.

"I feel like I've done everything I can with Sheffield United and the club's going in a different direction," he added.

Robinson started the Carabao Cup first round game between Birmingham and Sheffield United last month for the Blades, with Blues coming out 2-1 winners.

And he believes it is his senior footballing experience which made him a desirable signing for manager Chris Davies.

The average age of Birmingham City's backline that faced Leicester City in their most recent Championship game was 26.

"I've always had a really good mentality in football," Robinson added. "The manager rang me and said we're lacking a little bit in experience and leadership and [he asked] can I come in and do that job."

Blues are looking to achieve back-to-back promotions to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2011 - a goal Robinson believes is achievable.

"There's a big project going on here," he added. "They've done really well last year, started well this year as well.

"Any help I can give the team, that's what it's all about. Promotion is the goal at the end of this season."

Image source, Getty Images

Patrick Roberts said one phone call from Birmingham City boss Chris Davies was all he needed to sign up.

The playmaker has joined Blues from Sunderland on a season-long loan, linking up again with a coach he worked with during two years at Celtic.

Roberts, 28, took Birmingham's summer signings to 14 - a total that includes loan moves that were turned into permanent transfers.

He joined on the final day of the window, along with Sheffield United's Jack Robinson - and Roberts said the decision to make the switch was straightforward.

Roberts told the club's official channel on X, external: "I know the manager - I used to work with him when I was younger, so one phone call from him was all I needed.

"It didn't take much to persuade me but we had a good relationship when I was young at Celtic.

"You could see from there how he would take to becoming a manager and he's come a long way. He's a top coach. I already knew that."

Roberts appeared to have the world at his feet when he left Fulham to join Manchester City's academy.

However, he was unable to make a breakthrough there and spent several seasons on loan at Celtic, Girona, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Derby County and Troyes before finally establishing himself at the Stadium of Light.

Roberts added: "I think physically and mentally I'm in a good place. Some of the demons I had with injuries when I was younger, I can manage that in an easier way.

"He [Davies] explained there was a creative role. I want to get on the ball and make things happen. I'll be doing what I can to bring that every week.

"I'm striving to get to the top. I did it last season and did it the hard way. I'm here to help Birmingham.

"It's another city that lives and dies by its football. That's nothing new to me. I know what it's like to play for big clubs and Birmingham are going in the right direction. It would be an honour to help."

How much more will Birmingham City improve their squad? Will West Bromwich Albion get any more deals done before the window slams shut?

Find out in our visualised two-hour special show as we follow all of your club's deadline day business. Watch here at 18:00 BST.