Birmingham City are now only two points behind Wrexham in that final playoff spot in the Championship after a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Norwich City.
The Blues splashing the cash in January looks to have paid off, with Carlos Vicente scoring his first-ever goal for Chris Davies’ men to break the deadlock in Norfolk, having cost around the £7m mark to snap up from Alaves.
Alongside Vicente chipping in with a goal, fellow new recruit August Priske also collected an assist, with Marvin Ducksch sticking out as the hero who scored Birmingham’s second all-important strike, to clinch the three points versus the valiant Canaries.
Norwich didn’t give in at all during the second half, and while Birmingham’s attackers were in red-hot form in the first 45 minutes, the win was very much secured via a top-drawer goalkeeping display from James Beadle for the fortunate away outfit.
Beadle’s standout display vs Norwich
Despite only being 21 years of age, Beadle is well accustomed to the pressures of the Championship, having previously played for Sheffield Wednesday at this intense level.
The number 25 would go on to collect an impressive 17 clean sheets for the Owls across two seasons of second-tier action, with Birmingham then snapping him up on loan at the start of the campaign, knowing he had what it takes to compete in the division above.
He certainly showed off his shot-stopping abilities at Carrow Road, as Beadle ended the back-and-forth contest with eight big saves amassed.
At the final whistle, Davies would praise the “quick and reactive” nature of his agile stopper, who had been in for some criticism of late, as he was dropped for Birmingham’s FA Cup tie with Leeds United.
Now, however, he’s firmly in the Blues’ good books, as Philippe Clement’s hosts could only score one goal all afternoon, despite accumulating a hefty 18 total shots.
Beadle wasn’t alone in standing out in Birmingham’s rigid defence in the second half, as one standout performer in the Blues’ backline could go down as being as impactful as Jay Stansfield once was for the West Midlands giants.
Birmingham star could be Stansfield 2.0
Once upon a time, before he put pen to paper on a permanent Birmingham deal, Stansfield arrived at St. Andrew’s on a temporary loan deal from Fulham in the Championship.
During the 2023/24 season, even as Birmingham succumbed to relegation, the lively 23-year-old stood out as a major plus, leading to Stansfield powering home 12 strikes from 39 second-tier starts. It was a no-brainer, therefore, to work out an extended deal, with the 23-year-old already up to nine goals this season as he continues to be the Blues’ main man.
Birmingham City star who left in 2024 is now a bigger talent than Stansfield
This star who was sold by Birmingham City in League One is now a bigger talent than Jay Stansfield.
Jonathan Panzo will hope he can stick around for longer than just a couple of months, with the brand new defender’s deal only in play at St. Andrew’s until the close of the campaign.
Based on his heroic showing against Norwich, he stands a good chance at becoming a first-team staple and morphing into an instant fan favourite, much like Stansfield before him.
|
Panzo’s performance in numbers |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Goals scored |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Touches |
62 |
|
Unsuccessful touches |
1 |
|
Accurate passes |
36/38 (95%) |
|
Possession lost |
3x |
|
Interceptions |
2 |
|
Clearances |
14 |
|
Blocked shots |
1 |
|
Recoveries |
3 |
|
Tackles won |
2/2 |
|
Total duels won |
5/7 |
Indeed, come the full-time whistle in Norfolk, Panzo must have been exhausted, as the 6-foot-1 warrior barely put a foot wrong all match, when amassing 14 clearances and winning seven tackles and duels, as a brute in the heart of the away side’s defence.
But, much like Stansfield as well, he also proved himself to be a classy operator, away from wearing his heart on his sleeve, with only two of his 38 passes going astray. Additionally, he only had one unsuccessful touch from his 62 touches of the ball.
If he can keep these performances coming, Panzo will no doubt be able to cement his spot as a starting regular under Davies, with his stay at the club surely stretching out further than just this season.
With the likes of Beadle, Panzo, and Stansfield at his disposal, Davies has a very talented group to depend on, with back-to-back promotions being on the cards, not the wildest shout.
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