Birmingham City return to Championship action this weekend with a home fixture against Norwich City, a match that has gained extra intrigue following the appointment of referee Anthony Backhouse.
Championship Showdown at St Andrew's
The Blues will be looking to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat away at Middlesbrough before the international break, with Demarai Gray's consolation goal at the Riverside Stadium proving insufficient.
Under manager Chris Davies, Birmingham currently occupy 11th position in the Championship table after the first 15 fixtures of the season. With six victories already secured, the Midlands club find themselves in a promising position, sitting just four points adrift of the play-off places behind Hull City and Millwall.
Play-Off Ambitions and Summer Reinforcements
Birmingham's ambitions under their current ownership are clear: reach the Premier League. Fresh from their League One title triumph last term, which saw them promoted alongside Wrexham and Charlton Athletic, the club strengthened significantly during the summer transfer window.
Notable arrivals included Demarai Gray, Marvin Ducksch, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Tommy Doyle, among others, substantially bolstering Davies's squad. The January transfer window presents another opportunity for further reinforcements, while also allowing for potential departures to free up squad space and funds.
Referee Controversy Overshadows Build-Up
The EFL has confirmed that Anthony Backhouse will officiate Saturday's 3pm kick-off at St Andrew's, with Paul Hodskinson and Bhupinder Singh Gill as assistant referees and Ross Joyce as fourth official. There will be no VAR in operation, as is standard in the Football League.
Backhouse, a referee from Cumbria, found himself at the centre of controversy earlier this season following Charlton Athletic's match against Blackburn Rovers. After Rovers captain Todd Cantwell had a penalty appeal rejected during their 3-0 defeat at The Valley, Blackburn manager Valerien Ismael launched a stunning criticism of the official's conduct.
"What's embarrassing is that our captain is allowed to speak to the referee and he has winked at him and laughed at him," Ismael stated. "This is unacceptable. He made a mistake, but at least treat our player properly and not laugh at our players."
Meanwhile, Norwich City arrive in the West Midlands struggling at the opposite end of the table. The Canaries currently reside in the Championship drop zone alongside Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, sitting four points from safety behind Oxford United.
Norwich recently parted company with Liam Manning following a poor run of form and have appointed former Club Brugge, AS Monaco, and Rangers manager Philippe Clement as his replacement.
This fixture represents a crucial test for both clubs - for Birmingham, an opportunity to strengthen their play-off credentials, and for Norwich, a chance to build momentum under their new manager, albeit with the added scrutiny of a controversial match official.
