Birmingham City

West Brom's only two wins from their past eight league games have both come at home and they are looking to avoid losing back-to-back Championship matches for the third time this season.

Birmingham make the short trip to The Hawthorns on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) with five away defeats already this season having only lost three times on the road in their League One title-winning campaign last year.

• West Brom won 1-0 in their last league meeting with Birmingham in February 2024, ending a four-game losing run against the Blues.

• Birmingham have won just one of their past seven away league games against West Brom (D2 L4), beating them 3-2 in September 2022.

• West Brom have won just one of their past seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches (D1 L5), winning 1-0 at Norwich in October.

• After winning seven consecutive away league games between April and August, Birmingham have won just one of their last seven on the road (D1 L5).

• Birmingham have lost just one of their past 19 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches (W15 D3), going down 3-1 at Bolton in March.

Samantha Fletcher
BBC Final Score

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham are a force to be reckoned with at home, they have only lost once at St Andrew's in the league since April and scored four goals in each of their last three home games.

For the first hour against Norwich City they looked almost like children playing in the park, of course not in relation to skill or speed but in the way they play for fun, hungry for goals.

The string of confident that results on home soil brings appears to breed freedom and confidence to play within a well-drilled team.

The other ingredient for success against Norwich was dog-eared determination, they keep the play alive when many teams would relent.

Demarai Gray stands out as a playmaker, who puts ball after ball into the right place in the box.

Only Hull have beat the Blues at home so far in the Championship. The question is can anyone else stop their ongoing house party?

Image source, PA Media

Chris Davies says his side's 4-1 victory over Norwich City was a "really important win" for his side.

Blues' third win in four games propelled them into the Championship's top 10, just a point off the play-off places.

"It was an important game today," Birmingham boss Davies told BBC WM.

"After the international break this is a disjointed few weeks because players are away and you have to get back together a couple of days before the game and see what kind of intensity you can bring to the next match.

"I thought that was the key to it, I thought we had a real intensity about us, we started really aggressively, we created a chance in the first minute which just sets the tone for the match.

"We were deservedly up in the game at half-time with a cushion and I liked the way we played the second half, so for us it was a really important win."

Boss Chris Davies has admitted "it's hard to prepare" for Birmingham City's Championship fixture with Norwich under their new manager Philippe Clement.

Clement was appointed by the Canaries on Tuesday to replace the sacked Liam Manning.

"He's obviously a very good manager, did a really good job initially at Rangers, winning a trophy," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"[It's a] challenging landscape in Glasgow as everyone knows when Celtic are the stronger team but, yes, good manager."

Davies added: "He's joined a good team. They're not a team that in my eyes are going to go and get relegated from this division from what I've seen.

"They've got some very good players and it's going to be a very big challenge for us as I've said to the players today.

"I've obviously got a good gauge from his Rangers teams, what he's done at Monaco and other clubs as well, so I've got a feeling I know what kind of football we're going to face and it's going to be a challenge for us."

You can listen to more from Chris Davies on BBC Sounds

If you're wondering where your team is going to finish in the Championship this season, you no longer need to worry.

Well, kind of.

Opta's supercomputer has worked its magic to figure out the most likely final league position of every team - and the chances each has of being promoted, making the play-offs or getting relegated.

Who is most likely to win automatic promotion?

It will come as no surprise that leaders Coventry are heavy favourites for the title (69.3%) and also have the highest chance of automatic promotion (84.2%) to the Premier League.

The next most likely to go straight up, with a 30.8% chance, are Middlesbrough. Despite currently sitting seventh and six points behind Boro in second, Ipswich are expected to be the third favourites for a top two finish (18.9%) followed by Stoke (14.1%).

Even though they've each enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, Preston (10.3%), Hull (6.1%) and Millwall (8.3%) have slimmer chances of finishing in an automatic promotion spot.

Who will make the play-offs?

Image source, Rex Features

Even if Coventry don't win automatic promotion, Opta's supercomputer has given the Sky Blues a 97.9% chance of a top-six finish, suggesting it's almost guaranteed.

Each of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Preston and Stoke are expected to finish in a minimum of a play-off position at least one in two times.

Hull might feel the hardest done by as they sit fifth currently, but are said to have less chance (32.3%) than Millwall (38.8%) and Charton (32.4%), who are below them in the table.

The most likely of the chasing pack to make a surge up the table are 12th-placed Leicester City, who have been given a 31.8% chance of finishing in the top six and are more likely than Bristol City (28.9%), Derby (22.9%) and Birmingham (19.9%).

Last season's beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United have just a 1.8% chance of recovering their season to make the play-offs again, while relegated Premier League side Southampton (12.5%) aren't likely to either... if you trust the supercomputer!

Who is going down?

Image source, Rex Features

It's probably not hard to work out who is most likely to finish bottom and be relegated to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction, which has left them 17 points adrift of safety on -4 points, means they're pretty much nailed on to finish bottom (84.8%) - and failing that, are almost certain to go down (98.2%).

Second from bottom Norwich are the next most likely candidates to fall through the trap door (58.5%) but Sheffield United, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, have just a 22.4% chance of going down and are considered more likely to stay up than Oxford (37.8%) and Portsmouth (31.3%).

New Norwich boss Philippe Clement faces the unenviable first task of taking his side to visit Birmingham City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Blues have only lost once at home this season, having not conceded a loss at all during their title run in League One the season prior.

Norwich, meanwhile, are lacking in wins and confidence but have collected all of their nine points this season on the road.

• Birmingham City won their most recent league game against Norwich City but haven't recorded back-to-back wins against them since a run of three between February 2001 and March 2002.

• Norwich have won nine of their last 11 league games against Birmingham (D1 L1), though lost 1-0 in the most recent meeting in May 2024.

• Birmingham City have won their last two home Championship games 4-0 against both Portsmouth and Millwall. They've won five home league games by a margin of 4+ goals in 2025, their most in a single year since 1920 (also 5); only in 1893 have they won more in a year by that margin or more (8).

• Since the start of September, Norwich City are the only side in the Championship without a victory (D3 L8) and are winless in 11 games. The Canaries haven't had a longer winless league run since going 13 without a win in the Premier League between August and November 2004.

• Jay Stansfield has been involved in five goals in his last four home Championship games for Birmingham City (4 goals, 1 assist) – five of his six goals this season have come on home soil overall.

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham City midfielder Tommy Doyle says the club have still had a "great week" despite the disappointment of Saturday's defeat by high-flying Middlesbrough.

Blues had more possession, shots and shots on target than second-placed Boro but came away from the Riverside Stadium empty handed after losing 2-1.

Hayden Hackney's goal in first-half stoppage time, after Demarai Gray had cancelled out Dael Fry's 17th-minute opener for Boro, proved to be the winner as the home side shook off the disruption of the likely departure of manager Rob Edwards to Wolves.

The defeat was Birmingham's first in three games following back-to-back 4-0 home wins, and only their third in the last eight in the Championship.

"I think we were the better team," Doyle told BBC Radio WM. "Both of their goals were sloppy. The second half was all us.

"There were a lot of positives to to take. They're right up there in the league and I think we dominated the game.

"It was frustrating not to score any of our chances. In our previous two games, they go in."

Doyle is on loan at Blues from Wolves and has had to wait to force his way into Chris Davies' first-choice XI.

But Saturday was his fifth successive start and says he and the club head into the international break on a high.

"I feel good, fit and feel like I'm playing well," Doyle added.

"We've had some good results, which helps [but] even when I wasn't playing, I felt like I had the backing of the manager.

"I was in contact with him and he was telling me to stick with him and keep going.

"It's been a great week for us, it's obviously frustrating to end how it's ended but there are so many positives.

"We've got a bit of a break now and we'll be ready to go again."

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies said that two 'sloppy' goals had a marked effect on Middlesbrough and gave them the impetus to take all three points in Saturday's game on Teesside.

Dael Fry opened the scoring before Demarai Gray equalised but a second in first-half added time from Hayden Hackney gave Boro the breathing space to see themselves over the line following the news that manager Rob Edwards was heading for talks with Wolves.

Davies told BBC WM: "We really unsettled Middlesborough, they didn't get any rhythm or control on the match, which was excellent.

"And we did make chances, but we didn't turn those chances into goals and gave away to pretty sloppy ones ourselves.

"We responded after going down in the game but conceding just before half-time was really frustrating and a soft goal, I now it took a good deflection but it was a really poor goal form our point of view.

"They were galvanised by that and we should have been better. We gave them something to hang onto and they managed to do it.

"So there was enough there, I think we did create the more chances. We had more of the ball, we had more of the territory - so we had all the things you want to try and be dominant in a match, but we just couldn't turn it into a win."

Blues are 11th in the table and will be at home to struggling Norwich City in their next game on 22 November.

Image source, Opta

Middlesbrough will seek to get back to winning ways after a mini-wobble as they welcome free-scoring Birmingham to The Riverside on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Boro are three Championship games without a win and have fallen out of the automatic promotion places to third, following a 1-1 draw at home to Wrexham with a 3-0 capitulation at Watford last Saturday and then salvaging a last-ditch 1-1 draw at Leicester on Tuesday night.

Birmingham are up to ninth, only two points outside the play-off places, after back-to-back 4-0 home wins, over Portsmouth last Saturday and against previously unbeaten travellers Millwall on Tuesday.

Chris Davies' side have however taken only four points from their past six on the road, losing four of those games without scoring.

• Middlesbrough have won their past five league games against Birmingham; their longest ever winning streak against them in league action. They've also kept a clean sheet in four of those five victories, conceding just one goal overall.

• The last two times Middlesbrough have hosted Birmingham in league competition have ended in 1-0 victories for Boro (October 2022 and October 2023). Blues have failed to score in six of their last nine away league matches at the Riverside Stadium.

• Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their past eight home league matches (W5 D3), and haven't conceded more than once in any of their past 13 matches at the Riverside in the Championship (since a 3-2 defeat to Sunderland in February).

• Birmingham City have won three of their past four league games (L1), as many as they managed across their first 10 this season (W3 D3 L4) – the Blues last won three Championship matches in a row in August 2023.

• Middlesbrough have scored three goals from the 80th minute onwards to earn a draw in the Championship this season, their most such goals in a season since 2018-19 (also 3).

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham City's electric recent form is down to the squad nailing their mentality, says full-back Alex Cochrane.

Blues impressively beat in-form Millwall 4-0 on Tuesday to record their second win by that scoreline at St Andrew's in four days.

Cochrane, who was among the scorers, said boss Chris Davies had made it clear what he wanted from this players after Saturday's hammering of Portsmouth.

"The manager spoke about it. The mentality had to be right," Cochrane told BBC Radio WM.

"We had to have the right intensity, have the desire to get forward into the box, to create chances and we were clinical. To score four goals again at home - it's a good night.

"It's enjoyable. Everybody wants the ball and is trying things. We won't get complacent, we still need to do the right stuff because we know how good we are when we get it right and the last two games we've shown that."

Left-back Cochrane thumped home Blues' third goal five minutes into the second half after first-half goals from Paik Seung-ho and Demarai Gray put the home side in control.

Jay Stansfield then iced the cake for Blues just past the hour as Davies' side notched up their third win in four Championship matches.

Cochrane's goal - a sweet 20-yard volley - was his first at St Andrew's and the fourth game in a row he had been directly involved in a Birmingham goal.

"It's definitely something I want to add to my game and feel I can add it," he said.

"It's nice to contribute and to get a clean sheet is important and obviousy it's nice to score a goal.

"I caught it sweetly and it was nice to see it go in the back of the net. It was a nice feeling to get my first goal at St Andrew's."

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham City head coach Chris Davies said his side's second 4-0 home victory in a row was "all about the hunger".

They followed up Saturday's win over Portsmouth with an equally convincing result against Millwall at St Andrew's.

Davies told BBC WM: "It was a case of, you win a game 4-0 and its very easy just to come off it just slightly. But I thought there was a relentlessness about us again.

"Really aggressive, really intense, really high tempo, players with the desire to score and arriving in the box, playing forward, running forward.

"We almost picked up exactly from where we left off in the previous game which is really pleasing, because it can easily go the other way. I was really pleased with that performance.

"Millwall are a solid, seasoned team at this level. They're always going to cause you a problem in a game, but I thought we managed it really well, we gave very little away, and we probably could have had more than the actual four that we scored in the end."

Blues are next in action with a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Birmingham City are back at St Andrew's on Tuesday as they look to stop high-flyers Millwall (19:45 GMT).

Blues will be full of confidence after their 4-0 demolition of Portsmouth on Saturday, knowing a win can move them within three points of the visitors.

The Lions come into this one with fresh injury concerns after Femi Azeez and Ryan Leonard suffered knocks in the draw at Oxford on Saturday but will be hoping to return to winning ways.

• Birmingham City have won just one of their past 11 league meetings with Millwall (D6 L4), winning 1-0 on the road in April 2023 through Lukas Jutkiewicz.

• Millwall are unbeaten in each of their past eight away league games against Birmingham City, though each of the past five have all ended level (W3) – the Lions have only ever gone on a longer run without loss on the road to Watford (10 between 1958 and 1991), but they have never drawn six in a row to the same side.

• Birmingham City won all seven of their midweek (Tue/Wed/Thu) home games in League One last season and conceded just once, before drawing 2-2 in their first this season to Sheffield Wednesday in September – their past such defeat in the league came to Cardiff City in April 2024 (0-1).

• Millwall won their most recent midweek (Tue/Wed/Thu) away league game against Sheffield United in April, last winning back-to-back such matches in October/December 2021, when the first game also came against the Blades, before then beating Coventry.

• Jay Stansfield's first ever league start for Birmingham City came at home to Millwall in September 2023, netting his first goal at St Andrew's for the club in a 1-1 draw.