Prediction: Birmingham vs Stoke

11th February 2011

Birmingham made a giant step towards survival as they beat fellow strugglers West Ham at Boleyn Ground and they are now in a position to record back to back Premiership victories for the first time after 14 months. Stoke are safely tucked away in mid table after beating Sunderland with the Potters under no pressure at St Andrew’s.

Following a very successful last season, Birmingham encountered unexpected problems this term as the arrival of new players appeared to have disrupted the balance of the squad. As a result, Brum largely struggled in the first part of the season and came to the brink of the relegation zone, although the Blues finally managed to end the poor run. After qualifying for the Carling Cup finals and making it to the FA Cup fifth round, Birmingham held high-flying Manchester City to 2:2 draw at St Andrew’s before recording an invaluable win over West Ham at Boleyn Ground. The Blues now have a great chance to escape the danger zone as the play host to Stoke, the team that had big problems on the travels. Alex McLeish could hand a debut to Obafemi Martins after the Nigerian was granted a work permit, while Ben Foster returns to the side. James McFadden, Scott Dann and Enric Valles are out injured.

With 33 points to their name, Stoke will need just few more victories to ensure survival, meaning the Potters can no play without any pressure. Tony Pulis’ side ended the two-match losing run in the Premiership as they beat Sunderland at home, and they will now try to remain in the top part of the table with at least one point from St Andrew’s. That does seem easier said than done as while the Potters are a real force to be reckoned with at their Britannia, they have major problems on the road, as witnessed by three successive away defeats. If they were facing Birmingham few weeks ago, I would have believed they have a chance of picking up at least one point, but with Brum significantly raising their game of late, Stoke’s poor run looks likely to continue. With no fresh injury worries, Tony Pulis is expected to name an unchanged line-up from that which beat Sunderland.

Conclusion

Birmingham are finally playing to their potential and the Blues should profit from the newly discovered confidence. Stoke, on the other hand, largely struggle on the travels and their motivation in this game will not be nearly the same as that of Birmingham. I expect a narrow home win.

Verdict: Home win Birmingham (1)

Best Odds: 8/5

Bookmaker: Victor Chandler