BLUES v SWANS: BIG-MATCH SPOTLIGHT
SWANSEA City look to make it three wins in a row when they take on a struggling Birmingham City side today.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Championship match at St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium.
What time is Birmingham City v Swansea City kick-off?
Birmingham City v Swansea City kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, October 23.
Is Birmingham City v Swansea City on TV?
No, the match will not be shown live on television.
The Swanstv stream is only available to fans outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
You can follow live updates from the match via our blog which will be available on the Walesonline Swansea City page.
What’s the latest team news?
Birmingham’s Maxime Colin will miss out due to an Achilles injury, while Jeremie Bela remains sidelined with an ankle issue.
As for the Swans, they will assess midfielder Flynn Downes who is struggling with a hamstring complaint.
Strike Michael Obafemi is set to return to the squad while Ryan Manning is also available after sitting out the 2-1 win over West Brom due to an ankle injury.
What have the managers said?
Lee Bowyer: “I have never had a team that have gone so long [six games] without scoring. If you go two games, it’s unusual. My teams always score.
“I feel for them, but there are positives to take. It would have been easy for them to hide.
“But they are not; they are fighting for everything and the players need credit for that.”
Russell Martin: “I’ve watched a couple of their games. They work extremely hard and they’ve got some talented players.
“They’re a really strong and aggressive team. They’ve got some real experience and strength so it’ll be a tough test for us.
“We have to show the same intensity as we have in the previous two games. If we can go there and do that we can try and impose our own game. It’s up to us to step up to that and rise to the challenge.”
What are the latest betting odds?
Birmingham City win - 29/20; Draw - 2/1; Swansea City win 41/20 (Odds courtesy of Grosvenor Sport, correct at time of publishing)
Who is the referee?
Oliver Langford will take charge of proceedings in the Midlands. The West Midlands official last took charge of the Swans in the 1-1 draw at Bristol City in
October 2020 will be assisted by Mark Russell and George Byrne. Matthew Donohue is the fourth official.
Match facts
Birmingham City are looking for consecutive league wins over Swansea for the first time since January 1992.
Swansea have failed to score in three of their last four away league matches against Birmingham (W1 D2 L1), with the other a 3-1 win in the 2019-20 season.
Birmingham won their first three home league matches under Lee Bowyer in March and April but have since won just one of eight home league games under him (D3 L4).
Swansea’s Jamie Paterson has been involved in eight goals in his last six league games (4 goals, 4 assists), and is looking to score in three consecutive Football League matches for the first time.