Birmingham City

Brighton loanee James Beadle kept his first clean sheet for Birmingham City in Tuesday's 1-0 Championship win at Preston North End.

The England's Under-21 international has started the past three league games in place of Ryan Allsop, who was chosen in goal for the first eight Championship matches of the campaign.

"I know Ryan, I worked with him at Bournemouth and I did something similar there where I came into the side when he had been playing," former Blues goalkeeper Lee Camp told BBC Radio WM.

"He's a great guy with a great character and he's a Blues fan. He'll be disappointed, probably frustrated, angry and desperate to play but he is a consummate professional and he'll go about his business in the right way, I have no doubt about it."

Camp added: "If the person who has got the shirt is consistent and doing well, there is no need to change it.

"The reality of it is that we all know what we sign up for, but I was never good at being a number two and that is why I probably had so many clubs during my career - because I wanted to play."

Listen to the full interview with Camp and more Birmingham City content on BBC Sounds.

Birmingham City defender Phil Neumann says he believes his side deserved their 1-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale.

The German started his first game for the Blues since their 1-0 defeat against Stoke City on 13 September.

"It was a really tough game but I think everybody left it all out on the pitch and we deserved to win.

"I am happy with my goal and for the opportunity to play again, so it was a very nice evening.

"I think they must have crossed the ball 100 times in the game and they have so many big strikers, so it was tough, but in the end we did really well and we have a clean sheet, which is really good."

The 28-year-old's 33rd-minute goal was all that separated the two teams in the game and ensured his side went back to the West Midlands with all three points.

"We practice those sort of crosses a lot, I got some good movement and got across the defenders and managed to get a good header and maybe a little touch off my shoulder."

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies was full of praise for his players' performance in their 1-0 win against Preston North End on Tuesday night.

Blues picked up their first victory since a 1-0 win over Swansea on 20 September, ending their four-game winless run.

"I said to the players that if you are going to win a game like that, there is nothing really better, it's a great feeling," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"It was a really good away performance - we started brightly, we had a few really good passing moves, looked strong and aggressive in the duels, were dangerous going forward and we scored a good goal from the set-piece.

"As the game went on, we knew we would face some pressure, but I'm really pleased with how the players defended that lead."

German defender Phil Neumann scored the game's only goal, in his first appearance for the club since the 13 September defeat by Stoke City.

"I am really pleased for Phil because he is settling into a new club and a new environment, so that will give him a lot of confidence," Davies added.

"As soon as I saw Michael Smith was on the teamsheet I knew what was coming as we have all seen him play over the years and he does what he does fantastically well, but I thought Phil looked really good aerially, he looked really strong and competed well."

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

Birmingham City will look to avoid a hangover after losing their unbeaten run at home as they return to the road to visit Preston North End on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

Blues had not conceded defeat at St Andrew's for 18 months before Hull City ended that run with a dramatic 3-2 victory on Saturday.

But now the West Midlands side, who are winless in four, will look to spoil the party at Deepdale, where Preston are yet to lose this season.

The Lilywhites find themselves one point outside of the top six after a loss to West Bromwich Albion last time out and will be hoping their commanding home form will propel them back inside the play-off places.

• Preston have lost two of their last four home league games against Birmingham City (W1 D1), as many as their previous 31 beforehand (W19 D10).

• Birmingham won their last league meeting with Preston 1-0 in April 2024 but haven't won consecutively against the Lilywhites since February 2001.

• Since the start of last season, Preston have lost fewer Championship home games (4) than any ever-present side in the division.

• Birmingham have lost three of their last four away league games (D1), as many as their previous 26 beforehand (W16 D7).

• Preston's Paul Heckingbottom has never lost as a manager to Birmingham in six Championship meetings (W4 D2), only managing against Sunderland (7) more times in the division without losing.

Birmingham City will look to leapfrog their neighbours on the table, Hull City, when they welcome the Tigers to St Andrew's on Saturday (15:00 BST).

It's very close between the two sides mathematically, with both clubs on 12 points and Blues being just one goal lighter with a -3 goal difference compared to Hull's -2.

Neither have lost in their past two league matches but Birmingham haven't conceded defeat on home soil for much longer - can Hull spoil the St Andrew's party to pull away?

• Birmingham City have won just one of their last 10 league games against Hull City (D4 L5) and are winless in their previous three (D1 L2).

• Hull City are unbeaten in each of their last five league trips to Birmingham City (W2 D3), keeping a clean sheet in each of their previous three visits.

• Birmingham City are unbeaten in their last 29 home league matches, only once managing a run of 30+ home games without losing, doing so between October 1970 and April 1972 (36).

• Four of Hull City's last five league goals have been scored via a cross. Overall, they've netted five Championship goals via crosses in 2025-26, with only Wrexham (6) scoring more.

• All 14 of Hull's Championship goals this season have come from inside the box, with only Coventry City scor more inside the box goals (24). Indeed, Hull have had 29 shots from outside the box, the third lowest total of any side, ahead only of Sheffield Wednesday (20) and Derby (25).

Image source, Rex Features

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies says defender Phil Neumann will have to carry on being patient for a chance to get back into the starting XI.

The German joined Blues in the summer from Hannover 96 and made the last of his five Championship appearances on 13 September in the defeat by Stoke City.

Davies has since opted to use a left-footer on the left side of the central defence with Jack Robinson coming in alongside Christoph Klarer.

Davies said Neumann is unlucky to miss out but he felt a tactical tweak was needed.

"He came out of the team when I felt we needed a left-footed centre-back for our balance - I felt we were getting a bit stuck and finding it hard to progress the ball," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"Having a left-footer was a bit more seamless getting the ball wider, quicker.

"It's a different league and we need to adapt and Jack is someone who knows it really well.

"I think he's [Neumann] new to the country and league and shown some of his qualities. But, as I've said to him, he needs to keep proving it every day and keep earning his place in the team and with Jack and Cashin [Eiran] there's good competition in there."

Birmingham host Hull City on Saturday as the Championship returns after the international break with Blues unbeaten in their last two and protecting their long unbeaten home record in the league.

They have not lost at St Andrew's since April 2024 - 29 games ago.

"It's a good record to have and shows we're a real force at home," Davies said.

"It's an amazing place to play - blue everywhere, the anthem, and the whole atmosphere, I love it.

"We need the fans and the reason we've got the record is because of them and the intimidation factor it gives us."

Davies also gave an update on several players' progress back from injury.

He said Marvin Ducksch, Willum Willumsson and Bright Osayi-Samuel were all "close" to full-fitness but Ethan Laird's hamstring injury will still keep him out "well into the new year".

"Last time I checked, looking at the table, they [Watford] are doing okay - where should they be?

"Make it make sense to me. Watford Football Club, what is going on there?"

It's been a week for managerial sackings, and the 72+ team have got plenty to talk about, from Matt Bloomfield's departure from Luton Town to another change on Watford's managerial wheel of misfortune.

What of Birmingham chairman Tom Wagner venturing into the away end, you ask? Well, they've got that covered too.

Listen to the latest episode of the 72+ podcast and more on BBC Sounds.

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies believes winger Demarai Gray has hit the ground running since returning to his boyhood club.

Gray has started every Championship match this season and scored his first goal of the campaign on Tuesday, equalising in the 99th minute to earn a 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday.

It extended their unbeaten streak at St Andrew's which now stands at 29 matches.

"[I've told Gray] you're a big signing, we signed you to have big moments and that's a big moment," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"We are unbeaten at home and that means a lot to me because it's become a fortress for us at home.

"What I love about Demarai is I've given him jobs to do and he'll do it. He is running and running and running for the team and every time he gets the ball he can look dangerous."

In contrast, striker Kyogo Furuhashi is another one of Birmingham City's summer signings but is yet to make an impact.

The 30-year-old is most known for being a prolific goalscorer for Celtic, bagging 85 goals in 165 appearances.

But the Japan international is yet to score in the Championship for Birmingham, only so far bagging in the first round of the League Cup against Sheffield United.

"Kyogo gets himself into some great positions. When one of those [shots] goes in, his whole confidence will lift from there," Davies added.

"I love his energy, I love the way he moves and the runs he makes. He's just got to keep working. When that first [goal] goes in he'll flourish from there."

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

Image source, Opta

The EFL weekend kicks off in style with the much-hyped clash of celebrity-backed Wrexham and Birmingham on Friday night (20:00 BST).

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny are sure to be present at the Stok Cae Ras, though Blues co-owner Tom Brady is unlikely to make the trip, given his NFL broadcasting commitments this weekend.

The clubs have met just 11 times over the past century, but Wrexham have only beaten Birmingham in the league once, winning 1-0 at the Racecourse 46 years ago this month.

Phil Parkinson's men are two points and four places below 11th-placed City after a 1-1 draw at Leicester on Tuesday, but have taken only two points from their four home games following promotion.

Blues might have the best home form in the top-four divisions of English football, Tuesday's last-gasp goal from Demarai Gray salvaging a 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday to extend their unbeaten home run to 29 matches, but their form on the road has been pretty much the opposite of late.

• Wrexham have won just one of their six league games against Birmingham City (D2 L3), winning their first match up 1-0 in October 1979 before failing to win the next five.

• After failing to win any of their 14 away league games against Welsh sides between 2011 and 2022, Birmingham City are since unbeaten across their past four in succession (W2 D2).

• Wrexham are unbeaten in each of their last three Championship matches (W1 D2) and could go 4+ matches unbeaten in the second tier of English football for the first time since a run of eight between February and April 1982.

• After winning seven straight away league matches between April and August, Birmingham City have since lost each of their last three on the road without scoring a single goal, and could lose four on the bounce without scoring for the first time since October 2013 (also in the Championship).

• Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson failed to beat Birmingham twice in League One last season (D1 L1) but won his two most recent Championship games against the Blues in 2018-19 with Bolton.

Image source, Rex Features

It was more than a decade (and 99 minutes) in the making but Demarai Gray's first goal for Birmingham City at St Andrew's since 2015 triggered wild celebrations at the grabbing of what could prove a vital point come the end of the season.

With seconds of stoppage time remaining, and Blues staring down the barrel of a fourth defeat in five games, Gray hammered a goal in off the underside of the crossbar to secure a 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.

It was the striker's first goal in front of the home fans since another 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers in April 2015.

"Yeah it was good - it was one of those ones that was in slow motion," Gray told BBC Radio WM.

"It was a bit frantic and obviously scoring a late equaliser there was a lot of emotion in it.

"I'm happy to get off the mark. It was a big moment and it got us a point."

Gray started his career with Birmingham before moves to Leicester City, a spell in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and a return to England at Everton.

He left Merseyside in September 2023 and has spent most of the past two years with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq.

Gray said once he decided to come back to England, it was always going to be with Blues.

"I wasn't really interested in going anywhere else to be honest," he said.

"I felt like it was the right time off the back of the Saudi move and I'm glad it's happened and I'm here and proud to give my services to the club.

"I'd forgotten how intense the Championship is. I've been feeling it, but feeling good too. The way we train is good and I'm feeling the benefits of it - the energy from being back at the club helps."