Birmingham City

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies believes his side deserved to beat Premier League side Leeds United after their penalty shootout defeat in the FA Cup fourth round.

Patrick Roberts brought Blues level at 1-1 late on before Ibrahim Osman hit the post in stoppage-time.

It was the second time the hosts had struck the woodwork after Jay Stansfield's early drive was also tipped on to a post.

"I said to the players that I'm proud of them," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"It's not a term I use a lot, but I think it's something I do feel because I think we've been the better team.

"If you think of the Newcastle game last year we had a go but we died out towards the end and they blew us away a little bit, but this was completely different.

"Over the course of the game we should have won that match. We had all the big chances and unfortunately we just couldn't get the goals, but we fought to the very end and that's what pleases me most."

Davies hopes the performance will provide the platform for a Championship play-off push, with 11th-placed Birmingham just two points outside of the top six.

"We've given ourselves an example of what we're capable of today, although we didn't get the win we've definitely shown some good qualities and we have 14 league games left now," he added.

"It's all to play for still, but what I like is we've been there, we look like a team that's ready to fight and we've got quality, so we just have to keep believing and keep pushing."

Jason Mohammed is joined by Paul Robinson and Leon Osman to bring all you the action and talking points from Sunday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Grimsby Town 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Birmingham City 1-1 Leeds United

• Oxford United 0-1 Sunderland

There are five ties in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Birmingham v Leeds (12:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio WM & BBC Radio Leeds

• Grimsby v Wolves (13:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Humberside & BBC Radio WM

• Oxford United v Sunderland - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Radio Oxford & BBC Radio Newcastle

• Stoke v Fulham - BBC Radio Stoke

• Arsenal v Wigan (16:30) - BBC Radio Manchester

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham v Leeds" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Oxford United v Sunderland", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Leeds United's comeback from 2-0 down to draw at Chelsea was just extraordinary, but I can smell an upset here.

I am sure Leeds boss Daniel Farke will make some changes because he will have at least half an eye on the Premier League and their next game against Aston Villa.

Birmingham City are going well under Chris Davies and are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions. This seems like a good time for him to take a top-flight scalp.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham City have "nothing to lose" in "exactly the type of game we want" when they take on Leeds United in the fourth round of the FA Cup, says boss Chris Davies.

Blues, unbeaten in seven Championship games, will be hoping to continue their excellent form on Sunday against a Premier League side at this stage of the competition for a second season running.

Last term, as a League One club, Birmingham gave Newcastle United a huge scare before succumbing 3-2 at St Andrew's and Davies wants to see his side show the same spirit against Leeds.

"Like the Newcastle game, we need to make sure they feel the intensity of our stadium and everything we can bring," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"We've got nothing to lose. We need to go after the game. People will be expecting the Premier League team to win.

"We have to enjoy it, go after them and show what we're capable of."

Davies said he had been studying Leeds, now six points above the relegation zone in the top flight, and liked what he saw.

"They've done so well in the Premier League, they're not scraping by in games, they're right in there. I've been really impressed," he said.

"It's exactly the type of game we want. Our players are really keen to test themselves."

Davies is set to rotate his squad and give the likes of August Priske and Demarai Gray more game time.

South Korea midfielder Paik Seung-ho is out for Blues as they wait to learn more about the shoulder injury he sustained early in the goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday.

Davies confirmed the 28-year-old is seeing a specialist next week and will be out for "a few weeks at least".

Image source, Opta

Birmingham City will look to extend their eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they welcome Premier League side Leeds United to St Andrew's in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday (kick-off 12:00 GMT).

Blues have lost just one of their 11 games since Christmas (W5 D6) and are unbeaten in 11 matches on home soil since a 3-2 defeat to Hull City in the Championship on 18 October (W6 D5).

The Whites are also in relatively strong form, with just two defeats in their past 14 games (W5 D7) and they knocked out a second tier side in Derby County with a 3-1 away win in the third round.

• Birmingham City have won three of their past four home matches against Leeds, all in the Championship and all without conceding. The other match in this run saw Leeds win 5-4 in December 2019 under Marcelo Bielsa.

• Leeds United have progressed from four of their five FA Cup ties against Birmingham, knocking them out in 1971-72, 1976-77, 1997-98 and 2012-13 – the other was a 3-0 win for the Blues in the third round in 2004-05.

• Birmingham are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign – they have been eliminated in six of their previous seven ties at this stage.

• Leeds have now reached the FA Cup fourth round in the past four seasons – as many times as they'd managed in their previous 19 seasons combined. The Whites were knocked at this stage by Millwall last season but haven't gone out in the fourth round in consecutive seasons since 1992-93 (vs Arsenal) and 1993-94 (vs Oxford).

• Since January 2000, Leeds have been drawn away from home in 37 of their 47 FA Cup ties, including 16 of their ast 19 (including this tie). Among teams to play more than 10 ties since 2000, Leeds have comfortably been drawn away in the highest percentage (79%).

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies believes his side deserved to take all three points after being held to a goalless draw by West Bromwich Albion.

"It was a battle as we knew it would be but over the course of the game you would have to say it is pretty incredible we have not won that match," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"There were moments around their goal, one handled off the line which was a certain penalty with VAR and one goalline clearance which was incredible. There were fantastic saves, we hit the post and we had a goal disallowed.

"It is frustrating that we didn't get the three points but we certainly did enough to win it.

"I really like how we finished and I have just told the players to get their heads up because they gave everything.

"Unfortunately we couldn't quite turn it into the three points but certainly from a performance there were a lot of positives."

Birmingham City will be eyeing a potential spot in the top six as they welcome West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion for Tuesday's headline act (20:00 GMT).

With just two points keeping them out of the play-off positions, Blues will be eager to exploit their home advantage to advance their promotion push against a Baggies side that have struggled on the road this season.

Albion themselves will feel they have a lot to play for though, with boss Eric Ramsay still seeking his first victory after his appointment in January and a goalless draw on the weekend keeping them out of the bottom three by just a single point.

• Birmingham City have won each of their last three home league games against West Bromwich Albion, only once before going on a longer winning run at home versus the Baggies in the Football League, winning six straight between April 1938 and April 1957.

• West Bromwich Albion have only won one of their last seven league matches away to fellow West Midlands sides (L6), beating Coventry City 2-0 in October 2023.

• Birmingham City have won eight of their nine midweek home games in the league under Chris Davies (Tue/Wed/Thu – D1), keeping seven clean sheets and scoring at least twice in eight of those matches.

• No team have lost more away games in England's top four tiers in the 2025-26 season than West Bromwich Albion (P16 W3 D1 L12), with the Baggies last losing more times on the road in a league campaign back in 2008-09 in the Premier League (13).

• Since the start of last season, Birmingham City have suffered fewer home defeats than any other side in England's top four tiers (1), while only Bradford City (27) have picked up more home wins than their 26.

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham boss Chris Davies was delighted his side showed patience before beating 10-man Leicester 2-1 to boost their play-off hopes.

Leicester's Bobby De Cordova-Reid was sent off after 32 minutes and Davies liked the way his Blues kept going before Jay Stansfield scored the winner midway through the second half.

Davies told BBC Radio WM: "I think we got off to a great start, Ossie's [Ibrahim Osman] press and finish got us going and we looked really bright at the start of the game, one-up. I like the way we started the game with a bit of intent.

"I was frustrated with their goal. It was a really nice finish from the winger, but we're frustrated we let that cross come in and then we didn't deal with the second phase.

"It was a definite red card and from then on, like I said to the players, it's really a mental game when it's 10 v 11 because you can get so frustrated and you can think it's going to be easy. But when you take the ball down one side of the pitch and they narrow off, they've got just as many bodies as they would normally have in that situation with 11.

"So it's about switching the play and really doing it at speed to try and make them run and open the gaps. In the end, the goal we got was an eye-of-the-needle pass from Marvin Ducksch, but we made them run and opened spaces that we exploited."

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies says the club's busy transfer window last month does not change the high level of expectation at St Andrew's this season.

Blues brought in six new players in January and also turned Patrick Roberts' loan move from Sunderland into a permanent deal on deadline day.

The mini-rebuild has coincided with an improved run of form that has seen Birmingham take 11 points from the last possible 15.

"The expectation, for me, has been there constantly and regardless of what happened this January, I don't think I would've felt any different and I still don't," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"We're hungry for success and we want to push and make progress.

"We've made progress in the last month and we've got a good week coming up at home [against Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and in the FA Cup against Leeds United] and we just have to go for every game and enjoy it."

Among Blues' January captures was left-sided defender Jonathan Panzo, who arrived on deadline day until the end of the season from Portuguese side Rio Ave.

"He covers us really well and can earn his place in the team now - that's what I've said to him," Davies said. "We'll go from there and he was up for the challenge."

On Roberts, Davies said keeping the winger at the club was very much on his radar.

"There would have been a lot of teams at this level that would be very keen on Patrick if we didn't do it," he added.

"He's made an impact since he arrived and has been one of our best signings this season and will be a big one in these next few months."

Birmingham City take a five-match unbeaten run into Saturday's Championship meeting with managerless Leicester City.

Blues have taken 27 points from their 14 home games so far this season while the Foxes have failed to win any of their past five away trips in the league.

• Birmingham have won just one of their past 11 home league games against Leicester (D4 L6), beating them 2-0 in October 2011.

• Leicester have won each of their past five league games against Birmingham, their joint longest winning run against the Blues (also five between 1988 and 1993).

• Birmingham have lost just one of their past 39 home league games (W28 D10), going down 3-2 against Hull City in October.

• Leicester have conceded at least once in each of their past 24 Championship games, their longest run without a clean sheet outside of the top-flight since a 27-game run in the 1948-49 campaign.

• Marvin Ducksch has scored four goals in his past five league games for Birmingham, more than he had in his first 16 appearances for the club (3).

Richard Wilford
Senior journalist BBC Radio WM

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham were always going to be busy in the window but I am not sure any of us realised just how aggressive they would be.

Every major need was addressed from back to front, starting with the arrival of experienced German left-back Kai Wagner from Philadelphia Union. He has settled well.

Eye-catching moves for young Danish striker August Priske and powerful Spanish winger Carlos Vicente strengthen Chris Davies' attacking resources, as does the loan of Brighton wide-man Ibrahim Osman.

But the sneakiest acquisition could just be 21-year old Colombian midfielder Jhon Solis. Sturdily built and competitive, he also uses the ball quickly and positively, making an instant impact. If he makes enough appearances, his loan from Girona can be triggered into a permanent move and he looks very much Championship ready.

The deadline day recruitment of left-sided centre-back Jonathan Panzo on a short-term contract filled the remaining hole in the squad while making Patrick Roberts' move from Sunderland permanent is both fan-pleasing and well-deserved.

Some of those architects of last season's record-breaking promotion from League One were sacrificed as part of this semi-rebuild.

Marc Leonard is unlucky to be squeezed out but he may well thrive on loan at title-chasing Hearts. Lyndon Dykes and Willum Willumsson departed permanently having enjoyed some memorable moments during their time at St Andrew's.

Blues business in this notoriously fickle winter market hints at aspirations to make a strong push in the final third of the season. And it does nothing to lessen the expectations of the fanbase.