Birmingham City

Birmingham City have made an offer for Ipswich Town forward Anis Mehmeti. Blues' Championship rivals Wrexham are also understood to be interested in the 25-year-old. (Pete O'Rourke), external

Find more of Friday's EFL gossip here.

Wrexham and Birmingham City have opened the Championship season with two draws apiece.

It is 47 years since Wrexham have managed a league win against Blues.

• Wrexham are winless in all four of their meetings with Birmingham City since their most recent promotion to the Football League (D2 L2), despite going 1-0 ahead in three of those games.

• Birmingham City are unbeaten in each of their past seven league games against Wrexham (W4 D3), since losing their first ever Football League match against the Dragons in October 1979 (0-1 away).

• Wrexham are unbeaten across their past six home league games played on a Friday since their return to the Football League in 2023-24 (W4 D2), though did draw 1-1 with Birmingham during that run in October last year.

• Birmingham are unbeaten across their past seven Championship matches (W3 D4), drawing their past three in succession - not since February 2020 have the Blues drawn four matches in a row.

• Jay Stansfield has recorded three goal contributions across four league games against Wrexham while playing for Birmingham (two goals, one assist) – his joint-most against any side for Blues.

Image source, Shutterstock

Former Blues captain Ian Clarkson believes "something needs to change" at Birmingham City following their crushing 6-1 defeat to Premier League side Brentford in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Birmingham enjoyed a fruitful pre-season but have drawn both of their opening two league games in addition to the cup loss to the Bees.

They next play away to Wrexham in the Championship on Friday (20:00 BST), before welcoming Southampton and West Midlands rivals Wolves over the following week.

"There's been lots of talk [of change] but we aren't really seeing it on the pitch," Clarkson said.

"If we don't see a reaction on Friday, I am really concerned. The signs in the last two games haven't been great.

"Blues need to show a lot more steel defensively. It'll be a different team but it'll need to be a lot better than it was tonight."

Listen to the full reaction below or on BBC Sounds here.

Explore more Birmingham City content on BBC Sounds

Image source, Shutterstock

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has apologised to Blues fans on the back of Tuesday's 6-1 Carabao Cup exit at home to Brentford.

It was Blues' heaviest defeat since losing by the same 6-1 scoreline at Hull City under then caretaker boss Lee Carsley following Harry Redknapp's departure in September 2017.

And it was the worst at St Andrew's since the club record 8-0 home defeat by Bournemouth in October 2014, another performance under a caretaker boss, Malcolm Crosby, who had taken over in the wake of Lee Clark's departure.

"I can only apologise to the fans that came and spent their money coming to the club to watch their team tonight," Davies told BBC Radio WM. "That's not what any of us want."

Admittedly, they were up against Premier League opposition - but former Wolves and West Bromwich Albion midfielder Keith Andrews had picked a weakened Bees team.

"The gulf was too big," added Davies. "But we didn't do enough."

BBC Radio WM Blues reporter Richard Wilford said last night that this will "increase the pressure" on Davies.

The Blues have made a winless start to the new Championship season, having followed a drab opening-day draw at Sheffield United with a 95th-minute penalty to rescue a point at home to Bristol City on Saturday.

Their only win was in the first round of the Carabao Cup at Swansea - one of only five victories they have enjoyed in 18 matches in a bewilderingly under-par run since February.

Birmingham open their home campaign having lost only three of their past 46 league games at St Andrew's with all those defeats coming on their return to the Championship last season.

Bristol City started life under Michael Skubala with a 2-0 home loss to Millwall and, coupled with their Carabao Cup exit to Walsall, are yet to score this season.

• Birmingham City have won three of their past four home league games against Bristol City (D1), keeping a clean sheet in three of those matches which is as many as they managed across their prior 14 attempts combined.

• Bristol City have lost eight of their past 13 away league games against Birmingham City (W3 D2), losing this exact fixture 2-1 last season at St Andrew's.

• Following a 0-0 draw with Sheffield United on the opening day, Birmingham will be hoping to avoid failing to score in each of their first two league matches of a campaign since 2002-03 – losing 2-0 to Arsenal and 1-0 to Blackburn in the Premier League that season.

• After defeat by Millwall, Bristol City will be hoping to avoid losing their opening two league games of a campaign for just the second time over the past 11 campaigns (lost both in 2022-23).

• Last season in the Championship, only title winners Coventry recorded more shots (397) and more shots on target (130) in their home matches than Birmingham.

Birmingham City have expressed an interest in Spanish club Sporting Gijon's attacking midfielder Cesar Gelabert but they face stiff competition for the 25-year-old from several La Liga and MLS sides. (Marca - in Spanish), external

For more EFL transfer news, read Monday's full gossip column here.

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies spoke to BBC Radio WM after his side's 0-0 draw with Sheffield United. For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

Image source, Opta

Sheffield United begin their Championship season with the visit of Birmingham to Bramall Lane on Saturday (17:30 BST).

Both teams began the campaign with a victory, the Blades winning 3-0 at Mansfield in the EFL Cup first round last weekend while Blues prevailed 1-0 at Swansea to reach round two.

Chris Wilder's side have lost five of their past six games on the opening day, including a 4-1 home humbling by Bristol City last season under Ruben Selles, while Chris Davies' men have drawn their past four curtain-raisers, with a 1-1 home draw against Ipswich last season.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their past five league games against Birmingham City (W3 D2), having failed to win any of the previous five meetings (D3 L2).

• Birmingham City have won just one of their past eight away league games against Sheffield United (D3 L4), with that victory coming on the opening day of the 2021-22 Championship season under Lee Bowyer (1-0).

• Only Leicester City (32) dropped more points from winning positions in the EFL Championship last season than Sheffield United (29), while the Blades lost five of their final nine matches at Bramall Lane last term (W2 D2).

• Only 20 of Birmingham City's 64 points in the EFL Championship were picked up away from home (31.3%), the lowest proportion in the competition last season.

• In the EFL Championship last season, Sheffield United (11) and Birmingham (11.1) had the two lowest passes per defensive action values, while only Ipswich Town (67) recorded more shot-ending high turnovers than the Blades (59).

Birmingham are keen on Bristol City midfielder Max Bird, 25, who has just a year left on his Ashton Gate contract. (Birmingham Live, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

The new EFL season is back and so is the 72+ podcast.

Aaron Paul is joined by Andy Woodman, Luke Chambers and Lyle Taylor to preview all three divisions on our new 72+ feed, looking at who are the promotion contenders, relegated giants and dark horses.

Salford City manager Peter Cklamovski also discusses his journey from Australia and Asia to English football, working with Ange Postecoglou and the pressure of taking charge of one of League Two's promotion favourites.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

The 72+ podcast has a new home - click here to subscribe

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