Birmingham City have not lost at home in the league since they were beaten by Cardiff City in April 2024
Substitute Lyndon Dykes struck in the fourth minute of added time to give Birmingham City a dramatic win over Swansea City in the Championship.
A breathless first half produced a hatful of chances at both ends, including a volley from Swansea striker Zan Vipotnik which found the net, but was disallowed – seemingly incorrectly – for offside.
Substitute Kyogo Furuhashi had a golden opportunity to put Birmingham in front after the break but saw his scuffed shot saved by Lawrence Vigouroux, who also repelled Demarai Gray.
Blues cranked up the pressure in the closing stages and got their reward when Patrick Roberts' pinpoint cross was headed in by fellow substitute Dykes to send the St Andrew's crowd wild and make it 28 home league games without defeat.
Victory moves Birmingham up to seventh in the Championship table before Saturday's later games, while Swansea's first loss since the opening weekend of the season sends them down to ninth.
Analysis: Blues prevail in end-to-end encounter
Both these teams will hope to be in contention for at least a play-off place this season, with Birmingham's ambitious owners bankrolling significant squad improvements following their promotion from League One, and Swansea spending more this summer than in any other transfer window since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
Having won two and drawn two of their first four matches back in the second tier, Blues had suffered successive defeats in their two previous outings, but returned to their St Andrew's home where they had not been beaten in the league since April 2024.
Swansea had a burgeoning record of their own to sustain, unbeaten in seven games in all competitions and buoyed by a dramatic 3-2 midweek EFL Cup win over Premier League Nottingham Forest.
This was for large parts a compelling match-up between two sides who looked to attack at every opportunity, both at their most threatening on the break.
The frenetic pace played to the strengths of Swansea wingers Ronald and Zeidane Inoussa, with the former delivering a superb low cross for Vipotnik to fire over from close range before Inoussa turned smartly and had a shot well smothered by Blues goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.
That passage of play led to Vipotnik's disallowed goal, the Slovenian striker's volley from Josh Tymon's excellent whipped cross ruled out for offside even though replays suggested he was onside.
Inoussa tormented Birmingham's defenders, two of whom were booked for fouls on the Swede, and the home side's wide players were similarly effective.
Gray was their chief creator, while striker Marvin Duksch should have capped his first Blues start with a goal, but was thwarted by Vigouroux.
The Swans keeper was busy in the second half, as Birmingham gradually took control of the match.
Furuhashi and Gray should both have done better with their efforts, while Lewis Koumas headed wide and Tommy Doyle went close with a curling 25-yard shot.
The home side eventually made the breakthrough deep into injury time, as Roberts swung in a left-footed cross from the right and Dykes glanced a fine header into the far corner to prompt jubilant celebrations among the home fans.
Post-match reaction
Birmingham head coach Chris Davies:
"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.
"I was really looking forward to today. 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."
Davies: 'We fully deserved the win'
Swansea head coach Alan Sheehan:
"I think we were very brave. In the first half, we've had enough chances. I believe one of the decisions is [incorrect] when we scored. I need to see it back, but from what I'm hearing [it was onside]. These are big decisions.
"Two teams going after it, really. I think we had the better of it. I think a lot of stoppages in the second half, we struggled to get momentum, and then they get that one moment of real equality in in the 94th minute. That's the way it is sometimes.
"The second half, you're probably thinking it's going to be 0-0, they go a bit direct, bring on a bit more size, get a bit more territory with corners, long throws, et cetera. Then one cross, spare man in the box and that's the difference between the teams today."
