After a struggling start to the season, Birmingham City broke out in a massive way last week with two impressive wins. First, on Saturday the Blues ran over Portsmouth 4-0, outshooting the visitors 19-5 overall and 7-0 on target. The team’s xG for the game was 3.11 so they outdid themselves. Then on Tuesday, again at home but in a heavy downpour they played Millwall, then in 3rd place. The result was an identical 4-0 victory. That game was not quite as dominant, but close, with a 12-4 shooting edge (6-2 on target). New goalkeeper James Beadle (on loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion) got his second and third clean sheets in just 6 games.
Paik Seung-Ho got the game-winner in both matches (which is to say, the first goal). The other 6 goals were all scored by different players. All of them are worth watching but none more so than the absolute screamer of a long-distance volley from Alex Cochrane in the Millwall game:
In the previous 12 league games this season the Blues had scored 11 goals and given up 15. The -4 goal difference is now completely reversed and the team has climbed up to 9th in the table. Obviously this was a breakout week for the club.
Another major test is coming up tomorrow, however. In the last game before the November international window the Blues head to Middlesbrough (9:00am, Paramount+). Boro are currently 3rd in the Championship but have stumbled a bit in the last 3 games, 2 1-1 draws with Wrexham and Leicester City and a 0-3 loss to Watford. The Leicester City draw was the most recent game and included a late red card to starting centerback Alfie Jones. Jones has played all but 21 minutes of the season so far and his absence could well be a factor.
Any advantage needs to be capitalized on; Middlesbrough are unbeaten at home this season. Also in the Blues’ favor is the shortening injury list. About the only significant absence will be Ethan Laird. Most everyone else should be available.
The 2 big wins this week look to have silenced most of the Chris Davies naysayers, whose continued employment now seems assured. Other than that the only major off-the-pitch news is that Tom Wagner’s Knighthead Capital now owns the club outright (other than the 3.36% owned by Tom Brady) having bought out the former Chinese ownership earlier today.
