{"id":351189,"date":"2025-08-17T08:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T08:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/351189\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T08:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T08:05:14","slug":"birmingham-citys-stunning-transfer-coup-has-given-chris-davies-exactly-what-he-demanded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/351189\/","title":{"rendered":"Birmingham City’s stunning transfer coup has given Chris Davies exactly what he demanded"},"content":{"rendered":"

Birmingham City produced a stunning comeback for a rare win away to Blackburn Rovers, a victory that shows how far they have come under Chris Davies\"Brian<\/p>\n

Birmingham City correspondent for the Birmingham Mail, journalist with 20 years experience, lover of most non-animal, traffic-related sports and extreme cold water<\/p>\n

\" Blackburn Rovers’ Yuki Ohashi passes the ball despite the attentions of Birmingham City’s Demarai Gray(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Birmingham City followed up 50 cautious minutes with 50 breathless ones, which included two stoppage time goals and a comeback win for the ages.<\/a><\/p>\n

Trailing to a strike from Todd Cantwell, Blues <\/a>looked set to lose at Ewood Park yet again, only for Jay Stansfield and Lyndon Dykes to upset the apple-cart and register their first win since returning to the Championship.<\/p>\n

At first it was a tight, risk averse affair \u2013 certainly from Blackburn Rovers\u2019 point of view \u2013 before the match exploded into life and the most dramatic of climaxes that seven thousand Blues fans won\u2019t forget.<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what stood out.<\/p>\n

Back with a bang<\/p>\n

The last time Blues came to Ewood Park, with Wayne Rooney in charge they lost 4-2, though it likely wouldn\u2019t have been Rooney\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n

While he went on to \u2018take responsibility\u2019 for the paucity of Rovers\u2019 goals he was quick to add \u2018We as defenders, goalkeeper and midfielders need to get better. We can’t allow teams to score goals like that.\u2019<\/p>\n

One player remains from that starting XI in November 2023 \u2013 Stansfield \u2013 and while Rovers\u2019 goal yesterday was poor even by the standards of Rooney\u2019s terrible team, that\u2019s where the similarity ends.<\/p>\n

Chris Davies\u2019 Blues are a very different prospect, with the twin towers of Christoph Klarer and Phil Neumann at the back and the combination of Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata in the middle, they are a stable, organised and resolute team.<\/p>\n

Blackburn away is the very definition of \u2018Championship fixture\u2019, a physically tough opponent on a dry pitch in front of a partisan crowd \u2013 yet Blues held their own, rebounded from a set-back and through the sheer force of will ended up winning. They have returned to the second tier as habitual winners.<\/p>\n

Did they deserve it? Probably yes, certainly more than Rovers did who hadn\u2019t even had a shot on target until Cantwell broke the deadlock.<\/p>\n

Having played Ipswich, Blackburn and a version of Sheffield United it\u2019s perfectly obvious Blues will not be overpowered or overawed at this level.<\/p>\n

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This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a>\"Content<\/p>\n

\u00a343<\/p>\n

\u00a335<\/p>\n

Sky<\/p>\n

Get Sky Sports here<\/a><\/p>\n

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports<\/a> bundle for the 2025\/26 season, saving members \u00a3192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.<\/p>\n

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.<\/p>\n

Main man<\/p>\n

Davies praised Ethan Laird for coming off the bench, playing out of position and winning the penalty from which Stansfield equalised.<\/p>\n

He was right to do so, the former Manchester United trainee added an attacking thrust on the left and while no-one will want Alex Cochrane to be out too long<\/a>, the prospect of Laird and Osayi-Samuel playing in the same side gives Blues a potentially marauding full back duo,<\/p>\n

However, it was Stansfield who lit the blue touchpaper. With his side 1-0 down the 22-year-old shouldered responsibility for dragging his side back into the game.<\/p>\n

On two occasions he picked up the ball in the inside left channel and drove down the flank, taking players on, forcing Rovers back and even drawing a wild hack from Cantwell which mercifully missed its target.<\/p>\n

As Kyogo Furuhashi struggled to get into the game, Stansfield kicked down the door and forced his way in.<\/p>\n

When the penalty was awarded there was no doubt he would take it and do so with real purpose. He admitted afterwards that his heart was in his mouth as he put the ball down, it would have been jumping out as the goalkeeper went the right way but beating with pride as the ball nestled in the side-netting,<\/p>\n

Stansfield is still a young player but he is a leader for this team.<\/p>\n

\"BlackburnBlackburn Rovers’ Dominic Hyam passes the ball under pressure from Birmingham City’s Jay Stansfield(Image: Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images)Quality street<\/p>\n

While Stansfield has scored in his last three matches, Demarai Gray is starting a streak of his own.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old has now provided assists in his last two matches.<\/p>\n

Gray caught the eye with his tracking back and pressing so far this season, the speed with which he closed the ball down against Sheffield United produced Kyogo\u2019s opener on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Indeed Gray worked so hard in that first half that he ended up being replaced at half-time.<\/p>\n

That led to fears he wouldn’t be fit to play against Blackburn \u2013 misplaced because not only did Gray play, he lasted the full 101 minutes and produced the moment of magic that won the game.<\/p>\n

The winger didn\u2019t have a sparkling match, in truth nor did any Blues player other than Paik Seung-ho, but when it mattered most he delivered. Moments win football matches and Gray provided a huge one.<\/p>\n

He started the counter attack by clearing a Rovers corner at the front post then he hurtled upfield, where Willum Willumsson found him in space.<\/p>\n

Gray was one-on-one with the defender, flew past him and produced the perfect centre for Dykes to slide home.<\/p>\n

When the transfer window opened Davies wanted to add pace and quality in attacking areas and in Gray he has found both. By his own admission Gray rejected Premier League and European opportunities to come back to where it all began and it’s great that he did because he could be a huge player for Blues this season.<\/p>\n

More to come<\/p>\n

Before the goals went in there were a few grumbles about Blues’ lack of impact – and surprise that Davies left it as long as he did to make changes. It seemed obvious quite early on that Kyogo wasn’t playing with the same vim and vigour of his first two games.<\/p>\n

Davies said he felt he had enough creativity on the pitch which is why he left it until nine minutes before the end before making meaningful attacking changes in the shape of Tommy Doyle and Dykes.<\/p>\n

Many would have been tempted to do so sooner and few would have quibbled had he done so as soon as Cantwell scored.<\/p>\n

But Davies’ in-game changes have largely been very effective and the proof is in the result, you can’t get much more conclusive than your replacement striker scoring the winner.<\/p>\n

All of which mean Kanya Fujimoto was not required from the bench, for the second game running the play-maker remained an unused substitute. And of course there’s Marvin Ducksch to come, with Davies expecting the former Germany international to be ready by the end of the month.<\/p>\n

Kyogo and Stansfield seem to be taking charge of the goals so far this season – but there are a couple more varied and proven options to come which can only be a mouthwatering prospect for Davies and the club’s fans.<\/p>\n

What did you make of Blues’ performance? Have your say here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Birmingham City produced a stunning comeback for a rare win away to Blackburn Rovers, a victory that shows…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":351190,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,1205,748,8372,55206,393,4884,1206,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-351189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-birmingham-city-fc","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-chris-davies-football-coach","12":"tag-demarai-gray","13":"tag-england","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-jay-stansfield","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115043075757122889","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/351190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}