Birmingham City vs West Bromwich Albion

5th October

West Bromwich Albion go head-to-head with West Midlands rivals Birmingham City for the 136th time on Friday night at St. Andrew's (ko 8pm).

Albion head into the derby having recorded back-to-back victories and clean sheets in the Sky Bet Championship, winning 4-0 at high-flying Preston on Saturday before beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at The Hawthorns on Tuesday night.

Birmingham produced an impressive display to ease to a 4-1 home triumph against Huddersfield Town in midweek - their first win in seven games in league and cup.

The hosts have had the upper hand in recent matches, winning the last three against the Albion, something Carlos Corberán's men will want to address in the second city this time around.

This week's offering of Friday night football is a West Midlands derby at St. Andrew's between the Blues and the Baggies

Follow the fixture live

Supporters can listen to live audio commentary of Albion's battle with Birmingham City.

John Dunn and former Baggie Andy Johnson will provide live commentary from St. Andrew's, with coverage starting at 7.50pm.

Audio passes are available to purchase here.

Details for video streaming on WBA TV will be available here from Thursday afternoon onwards.

Supporters are kindly asked to direct any questions or complaints about WBA TV or WBA Radio to wbatvsupport@streamamg.com.

The club are unable to answer queries about WBA TV or WBA Radio sent to fans@wbafc.co.uk or myalbion@wbafc.co.uk.

Regular updates will also be posted across the club's social media channels throughout the night.

The opponents

There's a feel-good factor around Birmingham City this season.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion and entrepreneur Tom Brady entered a partnership with Knighthead Capital Management LLC to become a minority owner of Birmingham City Ltd in the summer, with the NFL legend working closely alongside new owner Tom Wagner.

Blues made a number of signings in the transfer window and have reaped the rewards of that, sitting just one point outside the top six heading into this weekend's local derby with the Albion.

They comfortably beat Darren Moore's Huddersfield Town 4-1 at St. Andrew's on the same night the Baggies overcame Sheffield Wednesday at The Hawthorns. It was a result which put an end to a six-game winless run in all competitions having started the campaign with one draw and four straight victories.

Birmingham have been strong at home so far, winning three and drawing two of their five Championship matches in Small Heath.

Manager John Eustace has been in charge since July 2022. The former Coventry City, Stoke City, Watford and Derby County midfielder has won 20, drawn 16 and lost 26 of his 62 competitive games as boss.

Blues will have their sights set on making it six home league matches unbeaten at the start of the 2023/24 season

One to remember

The Baggies secured a famous 3-2 victory over the Blues in December 2019 thanks to super sub Charlie Austin.

The striker was introduced to the action with Albion trailing their West Midlands rivals 2-1 heading into the final 20 minutes.

However, Austin would change the game for the visitors, scoring twice to give Slaven Bilic's boys a vital win on their way to sealing promotion to the Premier League that season.

Supporters can watch the highlights below.

The last five

Birmingham City 2-0 Albion

February 10 2023, Sky Bet Championship

Albion 2-3 Birmingham City

September 14 2022, Sky Bet Championship

Birmingham City 1-0 Albion

April 3 2022, Sky Bet Championship

Albion 1-0 Birmingham City

October 15 2021, Sky Bet Championship

Albion 0-0 Birmingham City

June 20 2020, Sky Bet Championship

Baggies winger Grady Diangana in action at St. Andrew's back in February

Did you know?

This weekend's clash with the Blues will be the fifth time in the last nine meetings that this fixture has been played on a Friday night, and the third season in-a-row it has happened.

Both teams have hosted two of those games each, with Albion winning two, Blues winning one and the other ending in a draw.

Karlan Grant's winner at home to Birmingham in October 2021 came on a Friday night

Ticket details

Tickets have sold out for Friday night's fixture under the lights in the second city.

The Baggies will be backed by 2,000 fans at St. Andrew's. Thank you for your outstanding support!

Travel colours

Albion will wear their home colours at St. Andrew's.

The last time the Baggies wore their traditional navy blue and white stripes on their travels was in the recent 2-2 draw at Watford.

6th October

Albion were beaten by Birmingham City at St. Andrew's on Friday night.

Despite taking the lead through John Swift's sixth goal of the campaign, efforts from Juninho Bacuna, Dion Sanderson and Gary Gardner ensured the Baggies' five-game unbeaten run came to an end.

After a tense, close start to proceedings under the lights, the confidence running through the in-form Swift showed five minutes into the contest.

It was a welcome start for the visitors as Grady Diangana was allowed to drift in from the right flank and pick out space for Swift to run onto - which he used to devastating effect, curling a strike around home keeper John Ruddy and in via the post.

Albion were a goal ahead, but John Eustace’s men weren’t about to let it go unchallenged - with only the side netting preventing Koji Miyoshi rifling in a response just minutes later from a corner.

Miyoshi was then involved in the first half’s major talking point as, following what seemed a 50-50 challenge between Cedric Kipre and the Japanese international inside the box, referee James Linington pointed to the spot.

Bacuna stepped up and confidently rolled the resulting penalty into the bottom corner to level the scores at 1-1.

The momentum with them, City made their confidence count when an inviting cross into the box found the run of unmarked defender Sanderson, who comfortably guided a header past Palmer to edge Blues in front at the interval.

In light of the setback, the Baggies began the second 45 by putting together some good passing exchanges and, from one of them, they came agonisingly close to a leveller.

Terrific work by Matty Phillips down the left forged time to get an inviting cross into the area. Every Birmingham player missed the delivery, presenting Furlong with the opportunity to hit the target.

Sadly, his connecting strike into the ground flew narrowly past the post with Ruddy left stranded in the City net.

And despite seeing plenty of the ball during the closing exchanges, Albion were undone at the other end by a Gardner free-kick six minutes from time, which ensured all three points went home with Blues.

Albion: Palmer; Furlong (Pipa 81), Bartley, Kipre, Pieters (Pieters 45); Yokuslu (Chalobah 65), Mowatt; Phillips, Swift (Fellows 73), Diangana; Wallace (Thomas-Asante 65).

Subs not used: Griffiths, Ajayi, Taylor, Molumby.

Friday 6th October 2023 - 20:00